Collinsville, OH Train Collision, Oct 1909

SIX DEAD; SIX INJURED.

OPEN SWITCH CAUSES A FATAL WRECK ON RAILROAD.

PENNSYLVANIA PASSENGER AND A FREIGHT TRAIN COLLIDE AT COLLINSVILLE, O. -- ENGINES DEMOLISHED.

Hamilton, O., Oct. 23. -- Six persons are dead and six injured as the result of a collision between a Pennsylvania passenger and a freight train on an open switch at Collinsville, O. The passenger train, southbound on the Chicago and Cincinnati division of the road, was booming through the village at about 60 miles an hour. The freight train had taken the siding to let it pass.
Two blocks west of the station the rapidly running train struck the open switch and ran onto the siding. A terrific collision resulted, despite the fact that Engineer ELMER BROWN of the express train threw on the air brakes at once. His act doubtless saved the passengers, none of whom was killed.
The collision wrecked both engines, destroyed many coal cars, and piled up the mail, express and baggage cars. The mail clerks who lost their lives were buried under the wreckage of their car.
The smoker and coach were prevented from turning over by the fact that they leaned against Shollenbarger's grain elevator, adjoining the siding.
All the passengers injured were in the smoker and none is seriously hurt.
The dead:
E. G. WEBB, fireman on passenger train, Richmond.
BERT E. HARTIELD, Green Fork, Ind., mail clerk.
C. A. JOHNSON, Eaton, O., head mail clerk.
O. O. RAINES, Kokomo, Ind., mail clerk.
LOUIS MARSHALL, Richmond, Ind., engineer of freight.
ELMER BROWN, Logansport, Ind., engineer of passenger train.
There may be an unknown man, supposedly a tramp, in the wreckage.
A northbound freight had taken the siding to allow a passenger train to pass an hour before the wreck. It is said that when this freight left the siding some one failed to close the switch. It developed that Station Agent WRIGHT had been accustomed to close the switch, but EDWARD JOHNSON of Seven Mile, O., had taken his place temporarily and knew little of his duties.
Villagers and passengers came to the aid of the injured and put out a fire that started in the wreckage. They also got the injured and the dead from under the wreckage before the wrecking crew from Richmond, Ind., arrived. The Collinsville station was converted into a temporary morgue and hospital.

The Evening Telegram Elyria Ohio 1909-10-23
__________________

Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!