(erielack) NYP&O Wreck Near Akron, OH. 1891

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Breakneck Yards, OH Train Wreck, Oct 1891
Posted  January 16th, 2008 by _Linda Horton_ 
(http://www3.gendisasters.com/users/linda-horton)   
 
FOUR KILLED IN THE CRASH 
WRECK OF AN EXCURSION TRAIN IN OHIO 
A FAST FREIGHT DASHES INTO IT IN THE DARKNESS OF NIGHT----MANY OF THE  
PASSENGERS WHO ESCAPED DEATH INJURED VERY SERIOUSLY. 
AKRON, Ohio., Sept. 30.----At 2:03 o'clock this morning the fifth section 
of  the special excursion run on account of the reunion of the Olin family at 
 Bennington, Vt., left Kent. It was running as the sixth section of No. 4. 
Five  sleepers, four day coaches, and a baggage car composed the train, 
which was  crowded with Michigan excursionists. The train passed from Toledo to 
Creston  over the Wheeling and Lake Erie, and as on its way east. F. H. 
Nichols of  Meadville, Penn., was engineer of the ill-fated passenger, and 
Stephens, also a  Meadville man was fireman. Division Traveling Engineer William 
Maxwell of  Meadville, Penn., had charge of the excursion, and met his death 
on the  passenger engine. 
At 1:40 o'clock the third section of freight train No. 85 left Ravenna for  
Kent. The train was in charge of E. Biegert of Meadville, and the engine 
was  manned by Engineer C. E. Brown of Meadville and Clayton Glass of Kent as  
fireman. The conductor had been told to wait at Ravenna for the last 
section of  the eastern excursion. The fifth section carried no lights to show 
that a  passenger was following and Conductor Biegert gave the signal to leave 
the  siding. Traveling at a good rate of speed, the freight left the Ravenna 
yards.  Nothing unusual was noticed, and in a few minutes more the freight 
would have  been safe at Kent. 
Suddenly a headlight appeared through the fog in front. With a cry of alarm 
 Engineer Brown reversed his engine. On the grade the train would not stop. 
It  was a fearful place for a wreck, and is justly named Breakneck Yards. 
At this  point the Pittsburg and Western passes under the New York, 
Pennsylvania and Ohio  tracks, and a fall of at least forty feet exists leaving a 
sheer descent to the  Pittsburg and Western tracks of thirty-nine feet. Both 
approaches to the trestle  are banked high, and just to the west of this 
trestle the two huge engines  crashed together. 
Engineers Brown and Nichols jumped and rolled down the embankment, escaping 
 with their lives. Fireman Stephens followed their example. It was sure 
death to  remain. Clayton Glass, the heroic fireman of the freight, remained at 
his post.  From the ruins of his engine his body was taken, mangled almost 
beyond  recognition, and borne to his weeping wife and children. 
Division Engineer William Maxwell was on the passenger engine, and also 
died  at his post. When the crew of the engine jumped, he saw that the 
collision was  certain and started back over the tender to warn the passengers of 
their peril.  It was too late. As he crossed from the tender to the baggage 
car the shock  came. Caught between the cars in the crash, his death must have 
been instant,  and his horribly mangled body was tangled in the debris. 
From the coaches behind the dead engineer came cries of agony and appeals 
for  help. Women with babes in their arms were shielding them from glass and 
flying  timbers. Fire broke out and added horror to the already horrible 
scene. Men and  women rushing from the wreck fell over trestle and embankment. 
But help soon came for those not already beyond human aid. The rear cars 
had  not been damaged, and their occupants rushed to the assistance of those 
whose  lives were in such deadly peril. Flames were already rising from the 
coach  immediately in the rear of the sleeper. Women were feebly but bravely 
fighting  the fire from their helpless children. Men and women held down by 
seats and  timbers were quietly and calmly waiting what seemed a certain, 
slow, and  horrible death. The water cans were quickly carried from the other 
cars, and the  whole side of the coach was drenched. Then the work of rescue 
began. Nearly all  of the dead and injured were women and children. Few men 
were in the car. The  second coach was crowded with women and children, 
with a few men. In that coach  nearly all of the injured were found. From it 
was taken the yet breathing body  of Mrs. Willoughby Dewey. She had been 
caught and crushed by falling timbers and  died shortly after reaching the Town 
of Kent. Her husband was accompanying her  East on a visit to friends. This 
morning's train, No. 5, bore the body of Mrs.  Dewey and her stricken husband 
back to their Western home. 
As soon as the accident occurred one of the train men started for Kent. The 
 switch engine left for the scene, bearing Dr. O. M. Evans and Dr. J. D. 
Davis.  The cars, which were yet whole, were attached to the switch engine, 
and in the  berths of the sleeping cars were placed the mangled bodies of the 
victims. It  was daylight when the train arrived in Kent. Twenty of the 
injured were carried  to the Revere House, while the remainder were taken to the 
home of the  physicians. Drs. A. M. Sherman and H. C. Long were summoned to 
assist Drs. Evans  and Davis, who were unable to care for all the mangled 
victims. The Revere House  was turned into a hospital. The first train from 
the East brought Dr. T. B.  Lashells, the Meadville surgeon of the New York, 
Pennsylvania and Ohio Railway,  and J. S. Matson, Division Superintendent of 
the Erie. All that could be done  for the comfort of the injured was done. 
The list of the killed and injured follows: 
KILLED. 
WILLIAM MAXWELL, of Meadville, Penn., Division Traveling Engineer; 
instantly  killed.
CLAYTON GLASS, of Kent, Ohio, fireman on the freight.
Mrs.  WILLOUGHBY DEWEY, of Richmond, Mich.; instantly killed. 
SERIOUSLY INJURED. 
Mrs. L. H. VAN AUCKEN, of McDonald, Mich.; right arm broken, serious  
bruises.
Miss LAURA VAN AUCKEN, of McDonald, Mich.; right leg and left foot  
lacerated.
Miss NELLIE STANFORD, Galesburg, Mich.; back and right thigh  seriously 
injured.
Mr. G. C. THOMPSON, Montague, Mich.; severe scalp wound,  shoulders and 
breast crushed.
Mrs. G. C. THOMPSON, of Montague, Mich.; severe  injury to spine, possibly 
fatal.
Mrs. THOMA RICHAR, of Muskegon, Mich.; back  and hips seriously injured.
Miss MARY RICHAR, of Muskegon, Mich.; both legs  injured.
Mr. J. D. HART, of Rockford, Ill.; right ankle lacerated, thighs,  
shoulders, and breast injured.
Mrs. ALICE M. SEDGWICK, of Parma, Mich.; right  leg broken, left hip 
dislocated, severe bruises on lower limbs.
Mrs. ALICE  FRIEND of Kalamazoo, Mich., back injured.
Miss EDITH SOMERS of Grand Rapids,  Mich.; left leg broken, shoulders and 
back bruised.
Mrs. C. WESTCOTT, of  Bangor, Mich.; severe bruises.
Miss REBECCA CLARK, of Bangor, Mich.; back and  hips injured.
Miss CAROLINE REED, of Richland; right leg broken.
Miss LUCY  S. BUELL, of Shelby, Mich.; left leg broken, back injured.
FRANK M. CALDWELL,  Division Passenger Agent of the Erie Railway, 
Kalamazoo, Mich.; severe scalp  wound, cut over left eye, left foot lacerated.
Mrs. A. M. JOHNSON, of  Muskegon, Mich.; both legs broken, probably fatal 
injuries.
Mrs. G. A. BUELL,  of Shelby, Mich.; lacerated hip and left side.
CHARLES E. McKINSTREY, of  Kalamazoo, Mich.; injured internally. 
The slightly injured are: H. L. Fenning, left side lacerated; S. D. Allen,  
slight bruises; J. W. Wilson, bruised and cut about body; ______ Stephens 
of  Meadville, Penn., fireman on passenger, badly bruised; Dr. Brook of 
Muskegon,  Mich., bruised and lacerated. The excursion train, manned by a new 
engine, left  Kent for Ravenna over the Pittsburg and Western tracks about 9 
o'clock this  morning. Many whose injuries were not so serious as to forbid 
traveling  accompanied the train to their Eastern destination. Nearly all the 
killed and  wounded were from points in Michigan. They had taken advantage 
of the low rates  to visit the East, many being bound for points in New York 
State. No member of  the Olin family was injured, as all of their company 
were in the sleeper. 
The New York Times, New York, NY 1 Oct  1891



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