New-York tribune., 1905-08-14
TWELVE DEAD IN WRECK.
TRAINS CRASH HEAD-ON.
Mistaken Orders Cause Bad Acci-
dent near LOrain, Ohio.

Cleveland Aug. 13-A fast eastbound pa ssen-
ger train on the Nickel Plate road ran head
into westbound freight train early to-day at
Kishman. Ohio. near Vermilion. Twelve persons
were killed, while at least twenty-five were in
jured eight Of whom will probably die. The
wreck, according TO the officials Of the road.
caused by a misunderstanding of orders on
the part of the crew of the freight train.
Among the dead are Charles W. Poole. engi-
neer Of the passenger train, sixty years old. of
Conneaut, Ohio: Joseph Alexander, twenty-four
years old. of Newark \. J.. and Frank Weaver,
thirty-f1ve years old. of Ftndlay. Ohio. John W.
Murphy, of West Haven, Conn. injured.
Aside from the engineer the killed on
the passenger train were all riding in the smok-
ing car AT the head Of the train and were
mostly Italian laborers in the employ Of the
Standard Oil Company. c. ". Poole, the en-
gtneer of the passenger train killed at his
post while trying to reach for the airbrake.
His fireman, Haefner. saved himself by jumping.
The high speed of the passenger train threw
its locomotive and the first three coaches over
on the engine Of the freight train. telescoping
the smoker and the following. The forward
cars Of the freight train were splintered to
fragments. OF the passengers in the smoker
none escaped injury. There was no fire. but the
heavy timbers of the wrecked PINNED
down many and prevented them from getting
out until assistance arrived.
As soon as possible after the wreck doctors
were sent on a special train to the scene from
Lorain. The injured were hurried to Loram
and placed in the hospital there. The dead were
taken the morgue at Lorain. awaiting identi-
fcstion and disposition. =
When the trains came together almost every
body in the smoker was doing. The sudden
jar hurled them out of their seats into the aisle
and threw several persons to the roof and sides
Of the car. The passengers in the second car
escaped more easily. there the violence of the
impact was not so severe. although few got off
without cuts. bruises. sprains or broken bones.
The two rear cars were sleepers and they with
stood the shock without suffering serious harm.
No passengers in the sleepers were injured.
The men on the train who escaped injury
worked as well as they could do without tools,
and the residents in the sparsely settled neigh
borhood soon arrived 10 help. The sleepers
were used for the accommodation of some Of the
injured. as were several houses near the siding.
President Canif Of the Nickel Plate to-day
stated that from the information in the hands Of
the officials the freight train crew had orders
TO go on the siding at Kishmar and there await
the massage of the passenger train. Why this
was not done In time to permit the passenger
train 10 go by. or a fagman TO be sent out, has
not vet been learned, A rigid investigation is
being made by the railway officials.
II is said that the watch Of the engineer OF
the freight train was slow and that the en-
gineer believed he had eight minutes to get his
train on the siding before the passenger train
was dre The freight train had Stacked speed
and was about TO back in on the siding from the
main track when the passenger train came along
at forty-hve miles hour.