Great Falls tribune., 1922-03-05
IS WRECK TOLL;
BUS DRIVER IS
BLAMED BY R. R.,
Tried to Cross Tracks
as Watchman Signal
led Conveyance Back.

Cleveland, March 4-The death list
in the crash at Painesville, Friday
night, between a New York Central
express train and an automobile bus
mounted to Is late Saturday, when
Mrs. Martin Steinback of Fairport,
and Nick Nenno, both of whom sus-
tanned fractured skulls in the collision.
died in the Painesville hospital.
George Il. N1cGhee, of Medina, who
died at the hospital in the morning
from fractured skull, was the four
teenth victim.
At Coroner NJ Bradley's inquest to
fix the responsibility for the trag-
edy." A. w. Barnes, New York Cen
tral railway watchman at the cross
ing, testified the notorious which was
struck by the flier went on the tracks
oblivious to the signal of white Ian
tern warning swung directly In It's
path for full minute by him.
Barnes testified that he saw the
trains headlight when it was fully
four miles away. He saw. the bus
coming down the street about two
minutes before the crash, he said.
Prosecution Likely
CITY Manager Thomas Wyman, of
Painesville, and other city and Lake
county officials also testified in sub
stance, corroborating Barnes.
Criminal prosecutions may result
from Coroner Bradley's inquest,
County Prosecutor Ostrander of Lake
county, declared. The blame for the
collision was laid by New York Cen
tral officials on Andrew Adams,
driver of the bus. Adams will prob
ably recover, hospital physicians said.
His head was badly hurt, but a sup
posed fracture Of the skull did not
develop, they said.
A declaration by Chester Parrish,
manager of the bus line. that a large
oil tank obstructed Driver Adams
view of the watchmans lantern and
the approaching train. was discounted
by Carl Sullivan, one OF the injured.
Could See Train Coming
'T saw the train before We reached
the tracks," Sullivan said. We had
stopped to take on two passengers just
south of the railroad or we would
have escaped.
"People near me screamed as the
engine came on. | saw the driver reach
down and pull something. / don't
know whether it speeded US up or
slowed US down. 1t was dark in the
machine | thought We had cleared
the track. Then it hit us"
The train was composed of 20 ex-
press coaches. It was made up here
to 20 to Buffalo and does not stop at
Painesvile.
II blew the whistle just as we
reached the limits of the town." En-
eineer Fernandez declared. IAN in
slant later / saw the automobile on
the track Immediately ahead Of me.
The space before we struck it was so
brief / could not even know whether
the autom obile was standing or in mo-
ton.
"As threw on the brakes, / felt
the collision and fragments of the
wreckage flew past the engine cab
/ am sure we stopped as quickly as
possible"
The story of Fireman Milo Cornell,
also of Buffalo, conceded with that of
the engineer.
Dead and Injured
Following is list of dead and in
jured ,as announced by the Painesyille
police: Gladys Lippilaksoud, John
Sturms. Max Sturms, Lillian Kelto,
Hilda Praski, Mrs. Oscar Cooper, Mrs.
John Bartish, Mrs. Frank Fridebaugh,
Statley Padick, all of Fairport; Rich
ard Strand, Chardon: George McGee,
don; RAYMOND O'Leary, Paiuesville.
The injured: Andrew Adams, Fair
port, driver of the bus, dying; Mrs.
Martin Steinback, Fairport, believed
to be critical; Nick Nenno, Fairport,
believed dying; II. Raymond Hamilton,
Fairport. serious; Charles Sullivan,
Painesville, fractured ribs.
Watchman Tried to Save Bus
manager Of the New York Central,
collision, in which he said the disaster
,yidently resulted. through the bus
driver trying to beat the train
Mr.. Macdain's statement in part, fol-
lows:
This crossing is protected by a
watchman who was on duty ut the time
Of the accident and who endeavored
to stop the bus and warn the driver
Of the imminent danger by swinging a
red lantern. We have several wit
nesses to verify this action Of the
watchman. Evidently the bus driver
wanted to beat the train, which result
ed III the disaster tnaC followed.
"After striking the bus, the train
ran about 20 car lengths before it was
stopped. Witnesses verify the state
nent of the engineer that the electric
headlight which can be seen for dis
lance Of five miles when unobstructed.
was burning brightly. the whistle was
blowing and the bell ringing. The
crossing is unobstructed and a clear
view west can be had"
Arbor day was inaugurated by the
Nck 1ru cAo - nHn iv,t