The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-03-04
IA ARE KILLED
WHEN BUS Is
HIT BY TRAIN
Five Persons Seriously Hurt,
Three OF Whom Are Ex-
pected to Die-Automobile
Driver Blamed.
INVESTIGATE CRASH
tBy Associated Press)

4 CLEVELAND. Ohio. March 4.-The
death of George E. McGee today
brought the toll from the collision be-
tween a New York Central passenger
train and an automobile bus at Paines-
Vile. late last night, up to IA. Five
persons are seriously injured Three of
them are expected to die.
A coroner's inquest will be held at
gainesville and officials of the New
York Central railroad started investi-
cations this morning.
=. E. MacBain, assistant general
manager of the New York Central, this
morning gave out statement regard
ing the collision. in which he said the
disaster evidently resulted through the
bus driver trying to beat the train.
Statement In Part
Mr. MacBains statement in part fol-
lows:
This crossing Is protected by a.
watchman, who was on duty at the
time of the accident, and who endeav-
ored to stop the bus and warn the
driver of the imminent danger by
swinging a red lantern. We have sew
eral witnesses to verify this action of
the watchman Evidently the bus
driver wanted to beat the train which
resulted in the disaster that followed.
After striking the bus the train
ran about twenty car lengths before
it was stopped Witnesses verify the
declaration of the engineer that the
electric headlight, which can be seen
for a distance of five miles, when
Iunobstructed, was burning brightly, the
whistle was blowing and the bell ring
ing. The crossing is unobstructed and
clear view west can be had
The statement said that besides
those killed and injured. several other
occupants of the bus jumped and es-
capped unhurt.
List of Dead.
Following is corrected list of dead
and injured as announced by the
Painesville police today: Gladys Lip
| pilakso, John Sturms, Max Sturms,
Lillian Kelto, Hilda Praski, Mrs. Oscar
| Cooper, Mrs. John Bartish, Mrs. Frank
| Fridebaugh, Stanley Radick, all of
Fairport, Richard Strand, Chardon,
Kathryn Horvath, Richmond, William
J. Sutter, Jr., Chardon, Raymond
fOrLeary, Painesville, George f. Nc
/ Gee Medina.
The Injured.
! Andrew Adams, Fairport, driver of
!
back, Fairport; believed to be critical
Nick Memo. Fairport: believed diving
| H. Raymond Hamilton, Fairport: seri-
Gus. Charles Sullivan, Painesville;
fractured ribs
! Three of the dead were found on
the locomotive pilot when the train
in charge of engineer F. S. Fernan-
deg of Buffalo and conductor c.
Ernst was brought from its sixty
mile an hour pace to a halt about
three blocks from the scene of the
collision.
Most of those killed were resi-
dents of Fairport. Many of them
/ had left a dance hall in Painesville,
less than half an hour before the
crash, while several others had at
tended lodge meeting Two had
| just boarded the, bus and had lust
settled in their seats when the acct
dent occurred.
Tank ExpIodes
An explosion of the gasoline tank
of the machine set fire to the debris
and several of the bodies were badly
burned. The bus which was operat-
ed between Painesville and Fairport
was making its last trip TO Fairport
for the night. A. w. Barnes, the
crossing watchman declared he
tagged the driver who had stopped
on the south side of the tracks to
put up passengers. A declaration by
Chester Parrish, manager of the bus
line that large oil tank obstructed
driver Adams view of the watch
mans lantern and the approaching
train, was discounted by Carl Sulli
van, one of the injured.
Tells of Disaster.
81 saw the train before we reached
the tracks," Sullivan said. We ha3
stopped to take on two passengers
just south of the railroad, or we would
have been across.
People near me screamed al th,,
engine came on. | saw the driver
reach down and pull something ]
don't know whether it speeded us NJ
or slowed US down. 1t was dark In
the machine. / thought we had clear-
ed the track. Then it hit u.s."
, The train No. 900 was composed
, OF 20 express coaches. II was made
up here to go to Buffalo, and does not
, stop at Painesville
Il blew the whistle just as we reach
ed the limits of the town." Engineer
Fernandez declared IAN instant later
saw the automobile on the track
Immediately ahead of me. The space
! before We struck was so brief l could
! not even know whether the train was
standing or in motion.
"As ] threw on the brakes felt the
collision and fragments of the wreck
q age flew past the engine cab. am
l. sure we stopped as quickly as pos
: sible."
The story of Fireman Flo Cornell,
also of Buffalo, conceded with that OF
e the engineer '
q "