Olean, New York Train Wreck
March 9, 1908
EXPLOSION FOLLOWS WRECK
Olean, N. Y. Scene of Double Disaster that
Kills and Injures Many.
Olean, N. Y., March 10 – From eighteen to
twenty lives were lost and fully twice that
number of people burned or bruised by an
explosion of oil late last night following a
wreck on the Erie railroad north of this city.
Owing to the fact that some bodies were
incinerated in the fierce flames or blown into
the creek by the fierce explosion the exact
number of dead will probably not be known for
several days.
The number of injured is also uncertain, as many
of them were able to reach their homes and
received treatment there.
The known casualties follow:
Dead:
NORMAN BROWN, JOHNNIE
TOBIN, JOHN MCCREADY, JOHN MCMAHON,
all boys about 16 years of age.
M. V. DRISCOLL.
WALTER SWIFT.
JOHN STEMLINGER.
HARRY GODDEN.
RICHARD CONNELL.
Six unidentified bodies.
A boy blown into Olean creek and drowned.
Two or more unknown persons, whose bodies were
incinerated in the burned wreckage.
Seriously injured:
JAMES MCDONALD.
RICHARD MCDONALD.
JAMES MCCREADY.
WILLIAM JACKSON.
Son of Yardmaster
SULLIVAN.
GLEN COLE.
Two
BLACKWELL boys.
BERT MILLER.
Dozens of others were burned, but none
seriously. The majority of the victims were boys
about 16.
An Erie freight train made up principally of oil
tank cars filled with oil broke in two near this
city about 3 o’clock. The section came together
with a crash and some of the oil tanks was
demolished. Fire broke out almost instantly.
A large crown went to the scene, and lined up
along the tracks. A terrific explosion occurred.
The flames communicated to the other tank cars
and other explosions followed quickly. Sheets of
flame shot out in all directions.
Scores of people were caught within the scene of
the fire and enveloped in flames. Men and boys
ran screaming down the tracks with their
clothing a mass of flames. Others fell where
they stood, overcome by the awful heat.
Others who had been standing close to the
wreckage were hurled through the air for a
hundred feet. The scene was awful. Half a dozen
young boys ran down the tracks with their
clothing on fire. They resembled human torches.
They ran some distance down the tracks and threw
themselves to the ground, groveling in the
ditches in their frantic efforts to extinguish
the flames.
As soon as the police headquarters were notified
of the disaster every doctor and ambulance in
the city was summoned. Grocery wagons and
vehicles of every kind were pressed into service
and everything possible was done bringing in the
injured to the hospitals.
Large crowds gathered at the hospital and the
faces of the injured were anxiously scanned as
they were borne into the building on stretchers.
Heartrending scenes were witnessed when one of
the blistered bodies was recognized by a father
or a mother or a brother, and it was with
difficulty that persons were restrained from
invading the operating room.
The Daily Review, Decatur, IL 10 Mar 1908
Transcribed by
Cheryl.
Thank you, Cheryl!
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