New Britain herald., 1922-03-04
Three Others Are Ex- pected To Die, Follow ing Fatal Accident at Gainesville, Ohio
New York Central Flier Was Going 60 Miles an Hour When the Crash Occurred.

Cleveland. Ohio. March 4.-The death of George F.. McGee today, brought the toll from the collision betweensa a New York Central express train and an automobile bus at Gainesville, late last night up to l4. Five persons are seriously injured, three of whom are expected to die. A coroner's inquest will be held at Gainesville his afternoon. City of ficials of Gainesville started an inves- tigation this morning.
 Blames Bus Driver.
 D. R. MacBain, assistant general manager of the New York Central. gave out a statement in which he said the disaster evidently resulted through the bus driver trying to beat the train
 Mir. MacBains statement in part follows;
 This crossing is protected by a watchman. who was on duty at the time of the accident. and who en- deavored to stop the bus and warn the driver of the imminent danger. by swinging red lantern. We have several witnesses to verify this action of the watchman. evidently the bus driver wanted to beat the train. which resulted in the disaster that followed,
 View UnObstructed.
 After striking the bus. the train ran about 20 car lengths. before it was stopped. Witnesses verify the Of h., hot ha electric headlight. which can be seen for a distance of five miles when a obstructed, was burning brightly, the whistle was blowing and the bell ringing. The crossing is unohstructed and a clear was obtainable.'
 The stotemont said that besides those killed and injured several other occupants of the bus jumped and escaped unhurt.
 Begin Investigation.
 Several officers of the New York Central railroad went to Gainesville, 20 miles east of here. today, to start an investigation into the collision.
 Bodies on Pilot.
 Three of the dead were found on the locomotives pilot. when the train in charge of Engineer F. $. Fernandez of Buffalo. and Conductor G, Ernst, was brought from it's sixty miles an hour pace to halt about three blocks from the scene of the collision.
 Coming From Dance.
 Most of those killed had left a dance hall in Gainesville. less than half an hour before the crash, while several others had attended a lodge mteting. Two had just boarded the bus and had just settled in their seats when the accident occurred.
 Gasoline Explodes.
 An explosion of the gasoline tank of the machine set fire to the debris and several of the bodies were bad ly burned A. W, Barnes, the cross ing watchman, declared he t1agged the driver of the bus, who had stopped on the south side of the tracks to pick up passengers. A declaration by Chester Parrish, manager of the bus line, that large oil tank ohstructed Driver Adams view of the watchmans lantern and the approaching train, was discounted by one Of the injured
 Engineers Story.
 T blew the whistle just as we reached the limits of the town" En- gineer Fernandez declared "An in- stant later I saw the automobile on the track immediately ahead of me. The space before we struck it was so brief I could not even know whether the automobile was standing or in motion.
 "As l threw on the brakes, l felt the collision and fragments or the wreckage flew past the engine cab. l am sure we stopped as quickly as possible"
 The story of Fireman Milo Cornell also of Buffalo, coincided with that of the engineer.