The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-06-27
CENTRAL Filler WRECKED.
Switch Open and Locked at Mentor,
Ohio, the Cause.
CARS DESTROYED BY FIRE

ACT OF Aerois1n by one FARMER
Fire Apparatus, Doctors and Nurse,
Soon on the Scene From Neighborina
Towns Detectives Look Tor Wreckcl
Mentor, Ohio. The Twentieth Cen
fury Limited, east-bound. the new
eighteen-hour fiier from Chicago, Ill.
to New York City over the Lake Shore
and New York Central Railroads, was
wrecked and partly burned opposite
the passenger station OF the Lake
Shore & Michigan Southern Railway
in this village at 0.30 p. m.
The Dead.
ID. e. Arthur. Milwaukee. Wis; Sam.
uel c. Beckwith. New York City; John
X. Bennett, New York City; John A
Bradley, Akron. Ohio; A. J. Brandt,
Erie, Pa; L. NJ. Elrick, Cleveland,
Ohio; James H Gibson, Chicago, ILL.,;
Archibald P, Head, London, England
Arthur L. Johnson, Cleveland, Ohio.
Herman G. Mechling. New York City;
w. D. Mickie, colOred porter; Thomas
r. Morgan, Cleveland, Ohio; e. E.
Naugle. Chicago. ILL.,; A. L. Rogers,
New Rochelle, N. Y; Henry Trintz.
barber on buffet car; Allan Tyler. Col
lingwOOd, Canada; W. 3. Walters.
Hamburg. N. Y; G. a. Wellman.
Cleveland. Ohio, and H. 81. Wright.
Chicago, Ill.
Injured.
Rudolph c. Cordua, Brooklyn, N. e.;
r D. Countiss, Chicago, ILL.,, injuries
not serious; Aaron Gorham, Norwalk,
Ohio; #. L. KALI. Chicago. ILL.,; W. J..
Kennedy, San Francisco, Cal. bruises;
Thomas Kuhl, Chicago, ILL.,; ]. Ell.
Langdon, Chicago. ILL.,, and Dennis
Wood. Whitehall, England.
This was the fourth trip of the new
fier. The train left Cleveland, twenty
miles west Of Mentor, a few minutes
late, and was running at full speed,
about seventy miles an hour, when the
accident occurred
In front of the passenger station here
a new switch had just been put in
When the engine struck the switch it
left the rails, dragging after it the
nrSt three ears of the train. and dashed
Mt full speed into the Lake Shore
freight station on the opposite side of
the track from the passenger station.
The engine dashed into the freight
house and turned over on its side,
pinning the engineer in the wreckage
and killing him instantly. From the
Goals of the tirebox fire started at
once, and the first two cars of tho
train-the combination baggage and
smoker and Il sleeper-were destroyed,
together with the freight station.
The people of Mentor flocked to tho
scene within q few minutes after the
accident occurred. Among the men
and women of Mentor and those who
were uninjured there were many deeds
Of heroism- Women Wed with the men
in the work of rescue. When the work
was begun one man in overalls, whose
name is unknown, heard moan near
the engine
Snatching Il blanket from one of the
women, he wrapped it around his head
and shoulders and rushed into the hiss
ing steam and heat For few mo-
ments it was thought that he was lost.
but he soon appeared. dragging out
one of the wounded passengers. There
was cheer from the crowd. and when
the doctors had taken care OF the pas
sengers he calmly held out two scalded
hands and arms, and laconically re-
marked:
doc, reckon there is a little oil
coming to me-"
The doctor dressed his wounds and
some one asked him his name .Oh.
I'm Just a farmer and happened 10 be
going through the town. he replied
You're 4 hero" remarked one of the
women.
mo" he said, when his arms were
bandaged. ''Just farmer and getting
on his wagon he drove homeward.
holding the reins in his burned AMI
bandaged hands.
Every doctor and nurse in Paines-
vile and the entire Fire Department
went to the scene.
The question of the open switch was
quickly solved Train hands reported
that Immediately after the wreck they
inspected the switch and found it
locked open. ri. c, Broadway is the
railway agent here and A. G. Liner the
night operator.
Broadway said that when he left the
station for home at 6 o'clock the switch
was open and Liner said that when
No. 20 EastbOund had passed through.
f0rty-five minutes before. tile switch
was CiOScu anu lueE6 WIS l1O QlluCult].
No train passed East after Tint
Officers of the Lake Shore Road be-
gan thorough investigation of the
wreck. General Manager Marshall
said that lunatic or flend wrecked
the train. There are dozens os detcc-
tives at work on the case.
Chicago. Ill-Chicago secret< service
agents of the Lake Shore Railroad
have been seen at Mentor. Others are
here investigating the theory that the
wreck of the Twentieth Century Lin
tied might have been caused by some
one who thought Levy Mayer was on
the train. Mr., Mayer has received LET
tiers threatening him with death, and
the fact that members of his family
were on the train gave rise to the sup.
position that the writer's of these let.
! tiers might have had something to do
With the disaster,
There were thirteen bags Of letters
on the wrecked train, and more than
onc-tLird Of them were charred to cin.