Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-06-22

about it combating flames with the
means at hand, cropping their way thru
the binding, scalding steam that rose
in clouds, and hunting for the injured
whose piteous cries chilled their
hearts. There was a small water sup
ply and means at hand for fighting
the flames was pitifully inadequate.
The flames gradually drove the rescu-
ers back, and after ten minutes aw-
full battle, they We're driven away from
the blazing coach, and the imprisoned
passengers were incinerated. The fire
burned until after midnight, and the
last burned and blackened corpse was
not recovered from the funeral pyre
until o'clock. The train men did val
liant work in helping care for the in
jured, as they were taken from the
wreck.
Bedding, blankets and sheets were
stripped from the berths of the Pull
man coaches and used for the relief OF
the sufferers. 1t is the belief of the
trainmen that those whose bodies were
burned in the wreck were unconscious
after the crash. The officials of the
road started an informal investigation
Immediately on their arrival. They
could not understand why or how the
train would be derailed at the switch
which is provided with every known
safeguard, and was carefully inspected
prior to the passing of the train. While
there is no reason known why any one
should tamper with the switch, the
officials do not believe the accident
would have taken place with the switch
properly set and in position. The train
was making nearly seventy-five miles
an hour when the accident occurred,
according to Fireman Aaron Gorham.
who was badly bruised, but otherwise
uninjured, and miraculously escaped
death.
"We were speeding like the wind
said Gorham, when the engine left
the tracks. 1t occurred so quickly
little knew what happened until we
crashed in the Mentor freight house.
j neither heard nor saw the engineer
after that"
Mentor is the home of the widow OF
the late President James A. Garfield
Her residence, however is about two
miles west Of where the wreck oc-
Cured.
The dead are
6. II. Wellman, general manager OF
the Wellman- -Seaver- Morgan Engin-
,eering Company, Cleveland.
Thomas r. Morgan, same company.
Archibald P. Head, London, Eng.
John r. Bennett, patent attorney,
New York
A. L. Rodgers, Platt Iron Company
New York.
H. H. Wright, travelling man, Chi
cago
known.
r. r. Brandt, Toledo.
S. C. ReekWith, New 9est
j. III. Gibson, Chicago
Il r. Walters, Hamburg, n. r., bag
1age master.
Allen TYLER. engineer Collinwood.
j. A. BARLEY, Aaron.
Henry Trinz, New York.
rive unidentified dead, one Of whom
is supposed to be Arthur y. 1oiliisoil'
of Cleveland.
IS /. Armbaugh Milwaukee.
p. e. Naughle, Chicago.
The injured:
aaron Gorham, Norwalk, o., fireman.
Rudolnh Ricardau, Brooklyn, prob
ably will die. - 4,a
wheeling Corrugating Company New
York. yo:.,
theater, Cleveland. !,
]. II. Langdon, Chicago, crltlcal.
r. d. Countiss, president OF $. q.
chanin &. Co, Chicago, not serious.
r. is believed there will be no further
deaths. o:4,s,
Z. M. Eirick, manager OF kelths'
theater here, who was a passenger oll
the train, is missing.
Assistant General superintendent
Moon. after investigating the cause OF
the wreck, made this statement To-
day:
examination. The switch was open.
am satisfied somebody, having the Key,
onened the switch with malicious IN
tent. The train did not jump the
track" !.
General Manager Marshall, OF the
Lake Shore, expressed the opinion to-
day that the wreck of the TWentleth
was deliberately planned ny
some unknown person throwing the
switch at Mentor.
Marshall said the first train, fast or
slow to pass the switch must neces-
sarily have been wrecked, and that
there was no possible way to ward
against the same. The evidence show
ed without doubt the switch had
been thrown against the train and
was locked open. According to the re-
port Of the operator at Mentor. the
switch signal light showed white at
the moment the limited approached 1t,
indicating a clear track. The fact that
the light showed white, while the
switch was against the train Marshall
believed, would indicate the switch
was tampered with.
Fireman Gorhanl. who is in the
Cleveland hospital, declared to Mar
shall today that the signal light show
ed white. The switch was found to be
In perfect condition Immediately after
the wreck. Marshall went to Mentor
today and will make a personal inves-
tigation as to the cause of the dis
aster.
The Earlier Reports.
Mentor, o. June 22.-Running at the
rate of fifty or sixty miles an hour, the
Twentieth Century limited train from
Chicago, on the Lake Shore railroad,
dashed into an open switch at the pas
senger station at this place shortly