The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-20
SIX ARE DEAD.
Five. Burned to Death in a Wreck
on the Erie.
Passenger Train Ran Into
Freight at Red House.
FIRE FOLLOWED CRASH
Two Coaches and Three Sleep
ers We're Destroyed.
Fireman and Express Messenger
Badly Injured.
FIRE FOLLOWED CRASH

jamestown, N. Y, April 20.-A COUP
ling broke on a westbound freight train
on the Erie road at Red House at 4
o'clock this morning just as the train
was leaving the main track. to take a
siding for the eastbound New York and
Chicago limited express to pass. The
delay occasioned by the mishap was the
cause of a fatal accident OF most dis
tressing nature. Almost immedia tely
after the freight train broke in two the
passenger train came along at the rate
Of so miles an hour. The passenger
engine. a combination baggage and pas
senger car, a day coach and two sleep
ers left the track, running nearly 100
feet beside the rails, crashing into
small school house which was COM
pletely demolished The wreck caught
fire Immediately and all of the cars
which left the track were burned up.
Baggageman Hotchkiss was killed, his
body being recovered. After the fire
five bodies were Immediately taken
from the burned cars. Three of them
are those of two women and a child,
who are said TO have boarded the train
at Youngstown. O., bound for Olean.
They were burned so badly as to make
it almost impossible to identify them.
It is believed that other bodies are still
in the wreckage.
After the fire six more or less seri-
ously injured passengers and members
of the crew were taken to the Sa-la-
manca hospital. Two private cars on
the passenger train did not leave the
track.
Among the injured is E c. Gabler.
Wells Fargo messenger of Marion. O..
who had q. leg cut off and is believed to
be fatally hurt
Salamanca, n. Y, April a0.-Accord-
ing TO meagre reports from the wreck
at Red House. three women, said to ee
from Cleveland. were burned to death
and a brakeman on the freight was
killed. A relief train left here shortly
after o'clock
New York. April 2o.--A report was re-
csssfivSad early toEa5 at tRs- 9{aass III lis
erie railroad that the vestibuied linz
tied express which left Chicago for New
! York at 1890 a. m. yesterday, was
! wrecked about O'Clock this morning
at Red House. n. y, eight miles west
4 Of Salamanca, and that three passeng-
ers were burned to death in flames
! which destroyed two coaches and three
i SIeeDeIS.
The report says all the other pas
sengers escaped unhurt, but that Fire
man Bell and EXPIRES MESSENGER Ga
briel were seriously injured The three
+ passengers burned were two women and
q child who got on the train at Youngs-
town, O., and were going to Olean n. Y.
Their names were not given.
The train was due in New York about
3 O'Clock this morning. At Red House
1 it was to pass q freight train. but be
fore the freight had got on the siding
and cleared the main track the express
| appeared and the collision occurred. An
Investigation was ordered to bring OUT
who was to blame for the accident
A new train was made up to bring the
surviving passengers to New York, and
it IS expected they will arrive late this
/ afternoon. Traffic on the Erie between
Salamanca and Jamestown was delayed
several hours. and trains were sent
around by a branch line via DAYTON.
N Y
Cleveland, April 2o-Advices received
at the headquarters of the Erie road
here show that in addition to the death
OF two women and a child in the wreck
near Salamanca, the bodies of two men,
/ burned, have been taken from the day
coach. Nothing was found by which
they could be identified A brakeman
on the freight named Hotchkiss was
killed.
Investigation shows that the two wo-
men and child killed were not from
Youngstown, but came over the Pitts
burg & Lake Erie to the latter city,
where they boarded the Erie train for
Olean, n. Y
The fire department from Salamanca
reached the scene of the wreck on {.
special train at 9 o'clock. and soon had
several streams playing on the burning
cars Five passenger cars were com
pletely destroyed. The freight .1ain was
made uD largely of cars loaded with
hard coal. many of them being entirely
consumed.
The wreck occurred during a dense
fog. the passenger train side step
ping the freight while the latter was
pulling in on siding