Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-02
TWELVE PEOPLE DIE
IN RAILROAD WRECK
New York CentraIs Westerner
Express Plunges Into Train
No. al.
NINETEEN ARE BADLY HURT
Engineer Clifford, While Dying,
Declares Accident Was Due
to Defective Air Brake.
NINETEEN ARE BADLY HURT

DuNkIRk, y. y. July l.-Engineer
Clifford. Of the New York central's
Wcstcrncr Express. tried. according TO
his dying statement. to avert the rear
end collision with Train No. A.. which
caused tho death Of twelve persons.
the serious injury of nineteen other.
and slight cuts and bruises 10 as many
more here early today
The air brake failed TO work, the
engineer declared. Witnesses said
tina; the siren was still screcching
for the hand brakes when the West
erner. going fifty miles an hour
plouEhed ito the rear coach ot No 81.
Clifford stuck TO his post 20 the end
lie was dying when his body was
taken from the wreck Of the engine
Brakes Arc Useless.
The brakes would not hold: they
wouldn't work" he gaspcd just before
lie died
Eight bodies were taken from the
wreckage in the early morning hours
and three of the injured died during
and M injured complied by the @ poiico %
and coroner this afternoon follows:
Frank l.. clifford, engineer of the
Mrs Fred H. Cartan. Toronto. Ont.
old daughter.
Charles Schiller. dressed in soldiers
uniform M2s rannSds aaags5s u9SnS%a onoSa. and
daughters: ten and three years old, OF
Niagara Falls.
CRarss CRarss II r. 99ft r%idesy hns1o, al engineer in
the army aviation corps stationed at
Dayton. Ohio; home at Watertown.
=. L. Hurst. Williamson. W. Va
Fred II. Stolz. Lackawanna. fireman
Of the Wcsterncr. who died in the hos
piial tonight.
one unidentified man.
Many suffer Injuries.
The injured include:
Mr.. and Mrs. W. r. Hurst. William
Thomas V Haney wllamsviue,
Mrs. ]. W. Peters. Williamson, W. Va.
Or. John SweitZer, Mrs SweitZcr and
their son. Webb. New Straitsville.
Nr. and Mrs. l.. L. Annis. Toronto.
Ont.
Mrs. f. F.. Ra,hburn. Columbus.
Miss Jane Webb. Columbus, Ohio.
Mrs. T.. e Hanes. Dayton. ohiozsa:. .,
roMto Mt. and md Mrs Ms. G stephenson' To-
luth.
An Investigation hy railroad and
Federal officials is said TO have de-
vcloped the fact that the air controlling
the brake on the Westcrner was cut
off between tho engine tender and the
first car OF the train. although it was
tested in the Buffalo wards an hour
before the accident. The finding OF
body, apparently that OF a tramp.
wedsed in the wreckage back of the
tender is the basis of theory that
man stealing ride on the blind
end OF the baggage car accidentally
or deliberately turned the cock. rem
derinr the air brake useless through
out the length OF the train.
Proper SiEnnis Were Set.
II is certain. railroad and local ofii-
cials agree. that the proper signals
were set against the Wcstcrner and
that No. lis faGman did all in his
power TO warn the approaching train
Of the danger ahead. The rear coach
OF No. IL was thrown from the track
and shattered and three cars ahead
OF il were Gcrailed and damaged But
il was the Wcsterner that suffered
most. The baggage car back of the
tender was completely demolished.
The second car, steel day coach
swung sideways. and the sides were
crushed together by the grinding debris
and by the explosion OF the boilers OF
the Westerner's engine. Most OF the
fatalities occurred in this car