Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-06-23
FAST TRAIN
IN THE DITCH
The Twentieth Century Linn
tied Wrecked Near
Mentor, 0.
DASHES INTO OPEN SWITCH
Fastest Train in the World Otched
On Its Fourth Trip-OfficiaIs Of
Road Claim That Wreck Was Malc.
ious - Speeding go Miles an Hour

| iouS - Speeding on Miles an Hour
Cleveland, O., June 2G.-The list OF
| fatalities in "Wednesday nights wreck
| of the Twentieth Century Limited on
the Lake Shore at Mentor, O.. is one
of the largest in the history of that
| road, numbering nineteen persons. All
the victims were prominent in the
business and professional world, in
New York, Chicago, Cleveland and
other cities.
1t is probable that an investigation
today will develope that a boy IA
years old meddled with the switch at
the Mentor station Wednesday night
and caused the wreck Of the Twentieth
Century Limited.
William Usher, ticket agent of the
Nickle Plate, and James Barnes Of
Willoughby were on the scene of the
wreck twenty minutes after the wreck
happened. On the way they met a
boy carrying lantern. They ques-
toned him and he said that he had
been down to shut switch. They
questioned him further, thinking it
possible that the boy had tempered
with the switch, but the boy insisted
that he had shut the switch. The men
went to the scene of the wreck and
found the switch open and locked.
The men are of the opinion that the
boy thought that there was a freight
ahead of the Twentieth Century and
opened the switch to let it through
to take siding and that he meant
to open the switch instead of closing
it.
Cleveland, O., June 23.-While trav-
cling at the rate of seventy miles an
hour the famous Twentieth Century
Limited, the fastest long distance
train in the world, ran through an
open switch at the little town of Men
tor. east of Cleveland, at 9:20 o'clock
Wednesday night causing one of the
most horrible wrec''s in the history
of the Lake Shore road.
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 hor-
rors of the fire.
More than score of people were
killed and injured, and the famous
train was demolished.
The train was crowded, practically
all its accommodations being taken
when it left the city. It was behind
time and the greatest of speed was
being made to make up the lost time.
Assistant General Superintendent
D. c. Moon, of the Lake Shore, on the
scene of the wreck, gave out the fol-
lowing statement early yesterday:
$50 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 east
bound train, passed through the same
switch forty-five minutes ahead Of No.
26, and it was all right at that time.
1t is positive that no other train or
engine, either freight or passenger.
passed through the switch between
No. 10 and No. &C."
Travelling at rate of more thau a
mile a minute, the heavy train was
that was appalling. The scene Of the
accident was at the Mentor depot.
The switch that caused the trouble is
located about 1870 yards west Of the
DEPOT AS the heavy engine struck
the switch the engine left the main
track and swung violently to the left.
For a distance of twenty yards the
engine ran on the rails, and then,
leaping from the track, turned on it's
side just to the east of the depot.
The momentum was such that the
heavy tender was hurled entirely over
the engine and was buried in the de-
pot.
The combination car was hurled
with terrific violence on top of the
engine and tender and in moment
was enveloped in flames from the en-.
CINE. The Chicago sleeper which
was Immediately behind the comb
nation car, swung from the track, and
crashing into the depot was complete
ly 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 pas
sengers in this coach were crushed
and MANNED in the wreck and then
completely Dulleu Ill luS CJl4dpoS u
the structure.
The next sleeper following fell on
the track behind and the other re-
manned upright on the rails.
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
a manner that made escape for the
helpless imprisoned passengers i'm
possible.
The wrecked combination car,
which had landed crushed and spliE>
tered on top of the engine, was a.
once enveloped in binding flames AMI
scalding steam. The cries Of the iii
prisoned passengers were heard above
the roar, but they were beyond all hu-
man aid and the car became a pyre
for a number of human beings.
A score or more of physicians from
Collinwood, Ashtabul* and
gainesville went to the scene g 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