Morris tribune., 1905-06-24
TRAIN MAKING SEVENTY MILES
AN HOUR WHEN THE DIsAs-
TER OCCURRED.
FIRE ADDS 10 HORROR OF SCENE
MANY OF THE SCORE OR MORE.
VICTIMS PERIsHED IN THE
BURNING DEBRIS.

Cleveland, June 2S.-Latest reports
show that the wreck of the Twentsetn
Century Limited, which went through
an open switch at Mentor, O., while
running seventy miles an hour, was
one of the worst disasters in the his
tory of the Lake Shore road. Twenty
one persons are known to be dead and
as many injured, fifteen seriously. II
not fatally.
The train was crowded, practically
all its accommodations being taken
when it left this city. 1t was behind
time and the greatest speed was be-
ing made to make up the lost time.
When the train went through the open
switch the engine was hurled into the
ditch. A part of the train was crushed
on top of it and the wreck was partly
burned. The horrors Of the wreck
were doubled in the horrors OF the
fire. Practically all the injured were
burned and had to be extricated from
the blazing wreckage by rescue par
ties.
Work Of Train Wrecker.
Assistant General Superintendent
Moon of the Lake Shore has given out
the following statement in regard to
the disaster:
SO far as can be learned the switch
was opened and locked open by some
party unknown, probably crank, and
evidently for malicious purposes.
Train No. 10, fast eastbound train,
passed through the same switch forty
five minutes ahead of No. 26 and it
was all right at that time. 1t is posi-
tive that no other train or engine,
either freight or passenger, passed
through the switch between No. 10 and
No. 26.'
Travelling at a rate of more than
mile a minute the heavy train was
hurled to its doom with momentum
that was appalling. The scene of the
accident was at the Mentor depot. AS
the heavy engine struck the switch the
engine left the main track and swung
violently to the left.
Tender Hurled Through Depot.
For a distance of twenty yards the
engine ran on the rails and then, leap
ing from the track. turned on its side
Just to the east Of the depot. The mo-.
mentum was such that the heavy ten
der was hurled entirely over the en-
gine and was buried in the depot. The
combination car was hurled with ter
rife violence on top of the engine and
tender and in moment was envel-
oped in flames from the engine.
The Chicago sleeper, which was inn
mediately 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 passen-
gers In this coach were crushed and
manned in the wreck and then COM
pletely buried in the collapse of the
structure. The next sleeper following
was derailed and the other remained
upright on the track.
Locomotive Boiler ExpIodes.
An instant after the crash of the
wreck the boiler of the great engine.
burst with terrific force, scattering
fire and steam through the wreck in
manner that made escape for the help
less imprisoned passengers impossible.
The wrecked combination car,
which had landed crushed and splin-
tered on top of the engine, was at
once enyeloped in binding flames and
scalding steam. The cries of the i'm
prisoned passengers we're heard above
the roar, but they were beyond all
human aid and the car became pyre
for number of human beings.
A score or more of physicians from
Cleveland. ColiinWood, Ashtabula and
Painesyille went to the scene of the
wreck at the request of the Lake
Shore officials. After the physicians
had treated the injured the latter were
placed aboard a special train and
brought to this city, where they were
hurried in waiting ambulances to the
several hospitals.
List Of the Killed.
G. H. Wellman, general manager of
the WeIlman-Seayer- Morgan Engineer
ing company, Cleveland.
Thomas r. Morgan of the same COM
pany:: burned to death.
Archibald T. Head. London, Eng;
prominent English steel man.
John r. Bennett, patent attorney,
New York city; burned to death.
A. L. Rogers, Platt Iron company,
New York; died at hospital.
H. H.. Wright. travelling man. Chi
cago: died at hospital.
William p. Mickey: address un-
known.
s. G. Beckwith. New York, adyertis-