Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-03-04
"A KILLED AS TRAIN
CRASHES INTO BUS
At GRADE CROSSING
Many Occupants, Returning
From Party, Burned When
Gasoline Fires Vehicle.
TRAIN GOING 6O-MlLE RATE
by Associates Press to Every Evening.

Cleveland, O.. March 4.--The death
of George r.. McGee, today brought
the toll from the collision between a
New York Central passenger train
and an automobile bus at Painesv1lle
late last night up To Ia. Five persons
are seriously injured, three Of whom
are expected TO die.
A coroner's inquest will be held at
Paincsville tliia afternoon. city ofn-
cials of Painesville and officials Of the
New York Central Railroad started
Investigations this morning
Fourteen bodies had been accounted
for. but there were reports that at
least one other person had bcen Killed.
OF the fourteen. seven were women.
Following Is n list OF dead and in
jured as announced by the Paines-
vile police today;
Dead Gladys Lippilakso. John
Sturms. Max Strums. lillian Kel-
to. Hilda Praski. Mrs. Oscar Coop
er, Mrs. John Bartish. Mrs. Frank
Fridehaugh. Stanley Radick. all pf
Fairport; Richard Strand. Chardon;
Kathryn Horvarth. Richmond; Will
liam J. Suffer, Jr.. Chardon; Raymond
OLeary. Painesville; George e. Nc
Ghee, Medina.
The injured Andrew Adams. Fair
port, driver OF the bus. dying; Mrs.
Martin Steinback. Fairport, believed
near death; Nick Nenno. Fairport, be-
lieved to be dying; II. Raymond Ham
ilton. Fairport. injuries serious;
Charles Sullivan, Painesville, frac-
tured ribs.
Three Of the dead were found on the
locomotive pilot when the train in
charge OF Engineer +. s. Fernandez
OF Buffalo. and Conductor G.. Ernst
was brought from its sixty-mfle-
hour pace Ia halt about three blocks
from the scene of the collision.
Many Of the victims had left a dance
hall in Painesville. less than half an
hoG: before the crash, while several
others had attended a lodge meeting.
Two had just boarded the bus and had
just settled IN their seats when the
accident occurred.
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 operated be-
tween Painesville and Fairport. was
making It's last trip to Fairport for the
night.
n, NJ. Barnes, the crossing watch
man, declared he hagged the driver.
who had stopped on the south side OF
tho tracks to pick up passengers.
A declaration by Chester Parrish.
manager OF the bus line, that a large
oil tank obstructed driver Adams view
or the watchInan's lantern and the ap-
proac ching train, was discounted bv
Carl Sullivan. one of the injured
The train was composed OF 90 ex-
press coaches. 1t was made up here 10 |
goi to Buffalo and does not stop nj
Pa1nesville
ID. K. MacBain. assistant general |
manager Of the New York Central I
this morning gave out a statement re-
sarding the collision in which he said
the disaster evidently resulted through
the bus driver trying to beat the train /
Mr.. MacBain's statement in part fol- |
lows:
After striking the bus the train |
ran about twenty car lengths before !
II was stopped. Witnesses verify the
declaration Of the engineer that the
electric headlight. which can be seen
Tor a distance of five miles when unob- |
structed, was burning brightly. the
whistle was blowing and the bell /
ringing. The crossing is unobstructed
ana 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.
City Manager Thomas wyman. Of
Palnesville. promised an exhaustive
examination into the cause Of the
wreck.
This has been one Of the most no.
-orlous crossings in the state and all
pans nave been made to have it elm
mated, either by overhead street
bridges or a subway" Hyman said. III
$ unfortunate that this work had NOT
'een done prior to this accident.
AT present l am unable 70 fix tba
'iame for the accident. but If nv in
'estlgation shows negligence on the
'art ot any one. a rigid prosecution
u the guilty person or persons will bc
'S