Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-23
Depot is Wreck ed.

der and in a moment was enveloped in
flames from the engine.
Depot is wrecked.
The Chicago sleeper, which was immedi-
ately behind the combination car, swung
from the track and, crashing into the depot,
was completely buried in the wreck of the
building.
The violence of the crash was such that
the depot collapsed on top of the wrecked
coach. The hapless passengers in this
coach were crushed and manned in the
wreck and then completely buried in the
collapse of the structure.
The next sleeper following was left off
the track behind and the other remained
upright on the rails.
An instant after the crash of the wreck
the boiler of the great engine burst with
terrific force scattering nre and steam
through the wreck in a manner that made
escape for the helpless imprisoned passen-
gers impossible.
The wrecked combination car, which had
landed crushed and splintered on top of the
engine, was at once enveloped in binding
flames and scalding steam. The cries of the
| imprisoned passengers were heard above
! the roar, but they were beyond all human
aid and the car became a pyre for a number
of human beings.
The wrecked train was making nearly
seventy miles an hour when the accident
occurred, according to the fireman.
Fireman Tells story.
! Aaron Gorham of No. Rose avenue,
| Norwalk, the fireman, was badly bruised,
| but otherwise uninjured. He miracuousy
escaped death and was brought to the
| Cleveland general hospital.
| I'VE were speeding like the wind" said
| Gorham, when the engine left the track.
| 1t occurred quickly that l little knew
! what happened until we crashed into the
| Mentor freight house. l neither heard nor
| saw the engineer after that moment. The
engine turned and somehow the tank man
aged to fall upon me, but not heavily, and
l was sheltered by it. l lost consciousness
from the terrible blow which l had re-
| ceived upon the head and l knew nothing
until l was dragged from underneath the
| wrecked engine. My escape was positively
a miracle, since 1 did not meet the fate of
poor Tyler
Gorham is SO years old and single His
mother is seriously i'll at their home in
Norwalk and Gorham begged that, If pos
| sible, the news be kept from her.
One of the most appalling features of the
| wreck was the burning of the dead and in
jured
A. p Head OF London, Eng, had in
hailed flames and smoke. His tongue was
swollen and his lungs were scared, so the
doctors declared he could live only few
hours.
H. II. Wright of Chicago was pinoned
in the train and was partly extricated by
his own efforts when the flames overtook
him and burned him severely that he
died later. He was brought to Cleveland
! ba al taken the lleVe-
land general hospital. His arms and head
were burned so that he was hardly recog-
nizable.
Mentor, the scene OF the wreck, is the
homo of the widow OF President James
A Garfield. Mrs Garfield has lived In
Mentor for a number OF years. Her resi-
dence, however is about two miles west
of where the wreck occurred.
switch open and Locked.
Conductor Alexander Hammond Of the
Limited told his experience:
Il rushed back to the switch Immediately
after the wreck. II was open and locked
OPEN / tried It and found that 1t worked
all right. The switch light was out, Not a
wheel had rolled over the switch since No
10, the eastbound Chicago ana Boston train
went through forty-hve minutes before"
James IL. Gibson OF G5 Flournoy street
Chicago a passenger on the train, died al
Cleveland hospital early today from his
, injuries. Gibson was conscious up to
within a short time of his death and spoke
calmly OF his experience, lie said:
, | can tell very little about II, for soor
lost consciousness and saw but little ol
what occurred after the crash came. l wa'
ted in the smoker and the first reallza
ton / had OF an accident was when / lei
myself suddenly hurled over the back OF
the seats and found myself In darkness
among the struggling and shrieklnB mass
OF human beings. There was trtghtiu
roaring and kissing OF steam and seemed
, | 20 be stining In dense cloud OF II.
grabbed about blindly and felt, as II seemeI
10 mo, W high above me what reallzeC
. was "A window frame with my hands
p broke the glass aud mnnagcd To drag my
self through the widow,
There was such a oioua OF steam every
! where that / scarcely knew whlch way
, run but | had tho instinct TO staggor ava!
from the binding, singing steam that
could foel was scaldinE my flesh. ] mus
| -, a IA