The midland journal., 1911-01-20
Western Express and Boston and
Buffalo Special Collide.
THE DISREGARD or SIGNALS ALLEGED
Buffalo and Boston Special Was AT
standstilI In Yard At Batavia,
N. X, When the Western Express
Runs Into It From Rear Two
Cars Telescoped and Engine Top
pies Over On Pullman OF
the Injured Not Expected TO Live
-Four Instantly Killed.

men are dead, two are probably fatal
ly injured and over a score were
more or less seriously hurt in the
wreck Of the Western express and the
Boston and Buffalo special. both
westbound on the New York Central
here. Four of the victims were kill
ed Instantly, one has since died and
two Of the injured in the hospital are
not expected to live.
The Buffalo and Boston special
No. 49 was at a standstill in the sta
tion yards, when, it is alleged by rail-
road officials, Engineer ]. B. Lydell,
of Buffalo, on the Western express
train, No. 23, ran past precautionary
signals and dashed into the rear of
the standing train. The signals,
Superintendent Everett declares, are
in excellent working order.
Crashed During Fog.
Conditions near dawn were those
which railroad men fear the most,
and which make the handling OF
trains almost hazard at best. A
heavy fog hung over everything and
"a drizzling rain, which at times in
creased to smart shower, was
turned to ice the moment it touched
anything. The windows of engines
and coaches we're Opaque and the
rails were covered with a coating of
ice, which reformed almost imme-
Hdiately after each passing train,
Train No. 40 arrived at Syracuse
ahead of No. 20 and thus took pre-
cedence ON the Western division be-
tween there and Buffalo. 1t was
ahead of time at Batavia and was
awaiting the signal from the conduc-
tor to start on time. Train No. %
followed closely behind.
Jumped For Their Lives.
Engineer Lydell admits that he
saw cautionary light 1000 feet
east Of the station and, the railroad
Eofficials say. he also admits having
passed a signal set against him.
When Lydell saw the tail lights of
the express through the fog it was
too late to prevent disaster He
jammed on the brakes, reversed, and
with cry Of warning to his fireman
leaped for his life.
The flying train, with scarcely APP
preciable check, owing to the icy
rails, plowed into the Pullman coach,
the last car on the standing train.
The heavy coach was telescoped and
tossed to one side, the engine con-
tinuing on through the wreckage to
the next car, a day coach. There it
reared high in the air and toppled
over on the wrecked Pullman.
The work of rescue was quickly
organized. The local firemen and
police, railroad men and volunteers
worked heroically among the wreck
age and kissing steam from the shat
tered engine to rescue those pinned
in the debris. to whom immediate
succor meant life. Vans and cabs
were. used as ambulances to carry
the injured to the hospital.
Dead In Rear Coach.
It was two hours after the wreck
occurred when the first body was
taken<ou 1t had been jammed in
between the wreckage of the Pull
man and the overturned engine.
Soon afterward three more were
found near the same spot All four
had been travelling in the rear coach
of the forward train, which bore the
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