Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-22
FAST TRAIN D|TCHED
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such that the depot collapsed on top of
! the wrecked coach. The hapless passen-
gers in this coach were crushed and MAIN
| ed In the wreck, and then completely buried
| In the collapse OF the structure.
The next sleeper following was left or
| 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 fire 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 splntered 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
q number of human beings.
score or more of physicians from Cleve-
land, Collinwood. Ashtabula and Paines-
vile went to the scene of the wreck at
| the request of the Lake Shore officials At
| ter 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.
| Wreck Scenes Appalling.
1
| palling. The night was dark save for the
light from the blazing wreck of the coach
| that was crushed and splintered on top of
| the engine. Men swarmed about It, COM
batting the flames with the means at hand,
| cropping their way through the binding
| scalding steam that rose in clouds, hunting
| for the injured. whose piteous cries were
| such as chilled the hearts of those who
| heard them. The water supply was small
and the means at hand for fighting the
! flames were pitifully Inadequate, but the
zeal of the rescuers wrought great things
for the first few minutes.
| 1t was known that a number of injured
were helpless in the wreck, but though the
| work was done with frantic haste and with
| out regard to danger, the flames gradually
drove the rescuers back, and after ten min
utes OF battle they were driven away from
| the blazing combination coach and the i'm
| prisoned passengers were inciperated.
| The fire burned until after midnight, and
| the last blackened corpse was not recovered
| until clock
| Pullman Conductor ]. ]. O'NeilI, with his
force of porters, did valiant work In helping
| care for the injured they were taken
| from the wreck. Bedding, blankets and
sheets were stripped from the hunks of the
four Pullman coaches and used for the
| lief or the sufferers.
| Conductor Alexander Hammond who es-
| capped, started the work of rescue and led
| his fellow trafnmen and the less seriously
hurt OF the passengers in deeds that were
truly heroic
Impossible to Rescue Some Victims.
They believe they succeeded in taking
/ out all Of the injured who could be located
by their cries, but through the flames could
| be seen a number Of bodies which it was
| impossible to get to because of the intense
| heat Later, when the fire department ar
| rived and subdued the flames, the rescuers
| renewed their work with redoubled vigor
| The condition of the bodies recovered was
such as to make identification almost i'm
| possible One body was taken out with the
head missing. The clothing gone from
| all of the bodies, and there was only the
smallest chance of a successful Identified
| ton. The bodies were placed on a special
train and hurried to Cleveland
Officials of the road started an informal
investigation Immediately on their arrival
| They could not understand why or how the
| train could be derailed at the switch. which
| Is provided with every known safeguard
and was carefully inspected prior to the
passing of the train.
Arthur L. Johnson of Comey & Johnson,
Cleveland. was passenger on the wrecked
| train, and is believed to have persisted.
Comey & Johnson are manufacturers of
| millinery goods.
Making Nearly rs Miles an Hour.
| The wrecked train was making nearly
seventy-ive miles hour when the acct
| dent occurred, according to Fireman Aaron
| Gorham of Norwalk, who, badly bruised,
| but otherwise uninjured, miraculously es-
| capped death.
1--WE were speeding like the wind" said
Gorham, when the engine left the track.
| 1t occurred quickly that I little knew
| what happened until we crashed into the
| Mentor freight house. l neither heard nor
| the engineer after that. The engine
| overturned. and somehow the tank man
aged to fall upon me, but not heavily and
was sheltered by 1t. 1 lost consciousness
| from the terrible blow which 1 had
| ceived upon the head, and / knew nothing
until l was dragged from underneath the
wrecked engine"
A. P. Head of London, England had In
hailed flames and smoke. His tongue was
| swollen and his lungs were scared so that
the doctors declared he could live only a
few hours
II. H. Wright of Chicago was pin:oned in
the train and was partly extrcated by his
own efforts. when the flames overlook him
and burned him so severely that he died
| later. His arms and head were burned so
that he was hardly recognizable Mr.
Wrights offices We're in the Railway Ex-
change building, Chicago. He was bound
east on business trip for the company
he represented.
T. s. Fountelroy, whose offices are in the
Monadnock building, Chicago, was in the
wreck. He was not injured.
Mentor, the scene of the wreck Is the
home of the widow of President James A.
Garfield
Conductor Alexander Hammond of the
limited told his experience thus:
Il rushed back to the switch Immediately
after the wreck. 1t was open and locked open.
/ tried ii and found that it worked all right
The switch light was out. Not a wheel rolled
over the switch since No TO- the east
bound Chicago and Boston train, went
through forty-five minutes before. j.
Prior, colored, of New York, a porter on
the second of the train, was busy pre-
pairing the berths for the passengers, when
he felt the train leave the main track. He
said he Just went up into the air, and then
he lurched sideways. That is all L can
say about 1t.
II fell against a window and broke 1t.
! crawled out Of the window. coming out
on the under side of the train. Whenever
face appeared at the window 1 grabbed
for the man and pulled him out All were
saved, but / was hurt a little. Ny hand
was badly cut and my shoulder sprained
severely"
Shrieking Mass Of Humanity.
James H. Gibson Of 475 Flournoy street.
Chicago passenger on the train, died at