New-York tribune., 1903-04-21
EIGHT DEAD, TEN HURT.
FATAL WRECK ON ERIE.
Erpress Crashes Into Freight on
Siding Near Red House, n. I.

jamestown. N Y, April 20.-Eight persons
ere dead and ten injured. three OF them serious
fy. as the result OF collision between a pas
senger train and freight train on the Erie
Railroad ct an early hour to-day near Red
House, n. Y.
OF the dead only one, Robert Hotchkiss OF
Meadville Penn, a brakeman, has been identi-
fed. Seven bodies, apparently those Of three
men. three women and a child, were burned
beyond recognition in the fierce fire which fol-
lowed the wreck The women are said to have
boarded the train at Youngstown and TO have
come from Pittsburg
r s McCready mail weigher, OF Meadviile
sn6 Frank Barthie. OF jamestown. travelling
salesman, are missing, and IT is likely two OF the
unidentified bodies those Of two men. The
injured
BELL R T fireman; head ana back bruised
CLEMNGER. H. F, mail clerk Gerry n y ri0S
fractured BODY bruised -,
COOKE s A oolorea porter. No 242 West siIty-thiFo
st. Neu-York. back and ribs injured
DRoUGoUAN. John Duluth: bruised and badly cut.
FooTE, Mrs. eighty years old. St Paul. bruised and
oABLER C.. express messenger. Marion ohi0i leg
cut OF. injury probably fatal
JOHNSON c s. colorsd porter. sumTnervie N J. leg
azEsICK G W. No rs Aaars-st-. Chicago: back badly
pu1siFER. H. No. lal Ldoerty-st. New-ToFk: badly
E- SCI Anna No. csc I,sonari-st Brooklyn suffering
Mrs. Goode. B. c Gabler and Bell are in the
hospital at Salamanca. The others were able to
proceed TO their destination.
The wrecked passenger train was known as
40. 4. running from Chicago to New-York. and
was made I'D of Engine No. 545. in charge Of
Samuel Cook, engineer, and Frederick Bell, hre-
Tnan-one combination car. two day coaches,
three sIeepers and two private cars. It was
thrown from the track by striking a freight
train which was entering a siding at REQ
House. The wreck took fire, and the comoina-
ton car. two day coaches, and two sleepers'
with several freight cars we're consumed
There is some dispute as to the cause Of the
wreck The passenger train was running east,
and the freight which westbound, had
orders TO go into the siding at Red House and
wait for the passenger train TO go by. The
siding is about & mile and a half long, and
there is a tower Of the block system near the
west end.
The freight was drawn by two engines. Some
trouble was experienced in entering the siding,
and the foremost engine Of the freight was sent
on along the siding with hagman to hold the
express II is alleged that the operator in the
tower Lawrence Vale, boy seventeen years
old saw the light engine Of the freight which
was bringing up the flag. and supposed the
freight was on the siding behind It. With this
mistaken idea, il Is alleged, Vale displayed q
ca ting TO the engineer that he had a clear track
The engineer on the passenger train failed TO
see the fagnan sent out from the forward
engine OF the freight train The train ran tow
ard the east end Of the siding at high speed, ran
into the second engine Of the freight train just
as it was about TO clear the main line, tearing
of the cylinder and part Of the cab and jump
ing the track The passenger engine and some
OF the coaches ploughed UP the earth for dis
lance of three rods and crashed into small
wooden structure used a feed store and
schoolhouse The first half dozen cars Of the
freight were wrecked. They were boxcars
loaded with coal The coal filtered in among
the wreckage and took fire. All except three Of
The cars Of the express followed the engine, and
The whole mass Of wreckage was soon in flames
The tracks were strewn for rods with burning
wood and coal and heaps Of twisted ironworh
No. is one Of the fast trains on the Erie
The two private cars alta ched to II to-day were
occupied by W. J. Murphy, his wife and TWO
officials OF the Queen and Crescent Railroad,
and J. L. Frazier. general superintendent OF the
Clover Leaf. All escaped uninjuTed.
The work of clearing the tracks began
promptly and continued all day, trains in the
meantime being diverted from the main line
and cent around by way Of Dayton