East Liverpool, OH Train Wreck, Jul 1897

A BAD WRECK.

C. & P. trains were delayed three hours last night on account of a wreck at East Liverpool. The accident occurred about 2:40 at the upper end of the town where the Conway and Wellsville west bound freight, No. 93, ran into an open switch, and collided front end with the local shifter, which at the time was about to pull a string of about 40 empties and loaded coal cars on to the main line.

The shifter crew claim to have sent their flagman ahead to stop the freight, but Engineer Ed. Fuller says no one was in sight. The first intimation he had of trouble was when he saw the red switch target, which indicated an open switch. He then saw the shifter slowly coming towards the main line. He threw on the emergency air brake and whistled down brakes. This served as a warning to the crew, all of whom jumped for their lives, John Glessner, middle brakeman on 93, jumped from the top of a box car and sustained fatal injuries to his back. The crews were composed of the following: No. 93---Ed. Fuller, engineer; Ed. Maley, fireman; Will Herron, conductor; Frank Wilhem, Will Shook and John Glessner, brakemen. On the shifter----Willis Jordan, conductor; John Workman, engineer; George Barker, fireman; Lee Stafford, add[sic] Jim Corbett, brakemen. All the members of the crews live in Wellsville. Both engines were demolished. The front end, pilot and tender of 93, and eight of the cars all of which were loaded with coke and coal are piled 40 feet high. The shifter is damaged principally in the front end. Back for twenty car lengths the bumpers of her string are all splintered and several of the loaded cars were derailed.

The Steubenville Herald, Steubenville, OH 10 Jul 1897
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!