Amherst, Ohio Train Wreck

March 29, 1916

30 DIE, 40 HURT IN TRIPLE WRECK

MANGLED BODIES HURLED HIGH IN AIR IN CRASH ON NEW YORK CENTRAL.

TRAINS MEET IN FOG

TWENTY COACHES AND BAGGAGE CARS OVERTURNED LIKE TOY TRAINS.

Cleveland, March 30. --- With a toll of at least 30 persons dead and 40 or more injured, federal and state officials and officials of the railroad company have begun an investigation into the cause which led to one of the most disastrous wrecks in the history of the New York Central.

When the total of dead and injured is finally ascertained, the wreck will surpass, in its cost of life and limb, even the wreck of the Twentieth Century Limited at Mentor in 1904.

Dense fog obscured the signal set by the first section of the eastbound Pittsburg, Baltimore, Buffalo Limited, causing another section of that train to crash into it. It plowed through the steel coaches. One minute later the Twentieth Century Limited, the fastest train in the world, westbound from New York, running 60 miles an hour, smashed into the debris thrown into its way by the wreck of No. 86. The crash and the cries of the injured and dying could be heard two miles. Twenty coaches and baggage cars were overturned like children's play trains. Two of the three great engines turned over. The boiler of the engine of Section 2 of No. 86 exploded. The water quenched a fire that started in the telescoped day coach of the first section of No. 86. All coaches of the three trains were of steel. Two coaches were crumpled into junk. Only three of the eight cars of the Twentieth Century Limited remained on the track.

The crumpled day coach of the first section of No. 86 was the “death car.” The engine of the second section of No. 86 plowed through a buffet car, day coach and part of a sleep or on the tail of the first section.

Range Ledger Colorado 1916-04-01

Submitted & transcribed by Stu Beitler  Thank you, Stu!

THIRTY KILLED IN WRECK IN OHIO

THREE TRAINS COME TOGETHER WHEN SIGNAL IS OBSCURED BY HEAVY FOG.

Alleged That Towerman Had Been Waiting on Sick Wife When Not on Duty and That He Failed to Give Signals.

Cleveland, O. --- With a toll of at least thirty persons dead and forty or more injured, federal and state officials and officials of the railroad company have begun an investigation into the cause which early Wednesday led to one of the most disastrous wrecks in the history of the New York Central system.

Three trains, including the Twentieth Century Limited, westbound, the New York Central's palatial flyer, and two sections of No. 86, known as the Chicago-Pittsburgh Limited, east bound, came together in collision near Amherst, O., thirty-seven miles west of Cleveland.

Reports generally credited were that the first and second sections of No. 86 were proceeding at a rapid rate and at some points were only a mile or so apart. When the second section crashed into the first section, the Twentieth Century plowed into the wreckage of the first two trains, which bulged over from the parallel tracks, and the three were thrown together into a mass of debris.

A heavy fog from Lake Erie had settled down over northern Ohio. This, with the alleged failure of a tower man to do his duty under the rules, was ascribed by some of the railroad officials as the cause of the disaster. The towerman, it was said, had been without sleep most of the time, since Sunday night, his wife being ill and requiring his attention when he was not on duty.

Rich County News Utah 1916-04-08

Submitted & transcribed by Stu Beitler  Thank you, Stu!

BULLETIN

CLEVELAND, March 29. -- A sleepy towerman is to blame for the Amherst wreck.  A.S. Ingalls, superintendent of the New York Central decided today.  Ingalls said the towerman's wife gave birth to a child Sunday night and that the towerman had been without sleep most of the time since.

Sandusky Star Journal, Sandusky, OH 29 Mar 1916

Toll of Wreck

IDENTIFIED DEAD.
D. Fruchtman, 92 Girard-st, Toronto, Canada
B. C. Ash, Cleveland, colored porter on Twentieth Century limited
Argard Helta [Helty?], manager of the Hungarian Theatrical company, Cleveland
Malcinca Bennor, Indiana Harbor, Ind
Rasin Obbah, Indianapolis

These persons killed in the Amherst wreck were identified at Bakers' undertaking rooms, Amherst
Dora Roseberg, 51 Agnes st, Toronto
J. H. Hearn, Gallipolis, Ohio.
George Ojonta, Indianapolis, Ind
W. Easton, 1209 Airdon st, East Philadelphia
Rev Gus Lar Waalyi, First Hungarian Evangelical church, 52 Thaddeus st, Detroit, Mich
Mrs. George Prymurer, Cleveland, died in hospital
Charles Nelson, 30 Indianapolis
Edward Leroy, St. Louis
Bruce Brownlee, address unknown.

THE INJURED.
The following persons were at Memorial hospital, Elyria
S H Don Haverhill, Mass, left leg and face hurt
John Kosmoch, 35, Homestead, Pa, leg broken
Robert Wright, Interial, Pa, back and head hurt
Louis Laskobica, 3370 E. 37th st, Cleveland, head and face cut
R D Turner Clark-st, Elyria, fireman on second section of train No. 86, arm hurt
H. Gromace, 733 N. Aborn-st, Chicago, marine engineer on the steamer Robert Benson bruised and cut about the body and legs
W. A. Mann, 710 Brighton av. Toledo face burned, right arm hurt and back sprained
G. Wesselt [Wesseh?]. 1238 Jacgson bvd, Chicago, arms and legs hurt
Ollie Osman bruised and hurt internally probably fatally
S H Bishop 1537 W 63rd st, Chicago fireman legs hurt
Three women were also at the hospital but hospital authorities had not learned their names.
Lew Lofkovitz, Cleveland
Jacob Joseph, Detroit
Wilbur Mahoney, 1830 Fifth st, Toledo
Alfred Tarea, Detroit
Albert Keller Chicago
An unidentified woman with her leg cut off with the initials "J W H" on her watch
Two other unidentified women
Four men their first names not known, they are
____ Prymmer
____ Kubie
____ Casmer
____ Patterson
Adolph Lawrence [?] Youngstown, Ohio leg bruised
Alfred Porea Detroit injuries to leg and body
George Prymmer, Cleveland, bruised
Albert Keller, Chicago, injuries to body.
C. D. Bell, Owosso, Mich, sprained ankle
S. F. Briggs, Milwaukee.
W. C. Bradly, Pittsburgh, heel cut
J. B. Andrews, Danville, Ills, slight bruises
Milton O. Cross, Detroit, bruised.
B. F. Cameron, New Haven, Conn, bruised
Aaron Deroy, Pittsburgh, back bruised
F. C. Geraghty, Cleveland, injuries unknown
Charles Gregg, Imperial, Pa., leg hurt
L. A. Griffin, Elkhart, Ind., bruised and shock
H. D. Heman, Cleveland
Willis E. Holloway, Chicago, shock.
L. Kukie, Midland, Pa., shocked
D. J. McCormack, Cleveland, finger cut.
D. D. Peabody, New Orleans, neck sprained.
L. A. Winer, Chicago sprained foot.
W. H. Voltz, New Haven, Conn., injuries to knees and back.
Robert Wright, Imperial, Pa., back hurt
F. H. Bishop, Chicago, fireman, legs hurt.

STORK ON TRAIN
Cleveland, March 29. -- Physicians reported Mrs. Mary Maiston, Indianapolis, Indiana, one of the passengers who escaped unharmed, in the Amherst wreck, gave birth to a child in one of the day coaches immediately after the wreck.

Sandusky Star Journal, Sandusky, OH 29 Mar 1916

WIFE OF DR. GRAU LEARNS OF DEATH

Any hopes that her husband might be among the living were shattered Thursday morning when Mrs. J. M. Grau, Jerry City, Ohio, Wednesday night guest at the home of Mrs. George E. Reiter, W. Market-st, received word that Dr. J. M. Grau was among the number of identified dead of the Amherst catastrophe.  Dr. Grau, 51, was on his way to Cleveland aboard the first section of the train, No 86, to visit his brother Frederick.  Identification was made by the dead man's son, Howard, who was with Attorney George E. Reiter, left Sandusky Wednesday evening on the train arriving here at 8:52.....

The stories of Herman Hess, engineer of the second section of No. 86 which crashed into the first section, and A. H. Ernst, towerman, were expected to be the most important to be told at tomorrow's hearing.....

Sandusky Star Journal, Sandusky, OH 30 Mar 1916

REVISED LIST OF IDENTIFIED DEAD

BODIES CLAIMED.
Bernard E Aish, mail clerk Olmsted Falls.
Harry White, Pullman porter, Chicago.

AT AMHERST MORGUES:
Maleinea Bonnel, Indiana Harbor, Ind.
J. C. Boyle, Hillsville, Pa.
David Fruchtman, Toronto, Ont.
Dr. J. M. Grau, Jerry City, Ohio
Arad Hokal, New York manager of the Hungerian Theatrical company
Rosen Obdah, Indianapolis, Ind.
Gyergy Ojanea, Indianapolis
J. Risey, address unknown
Rev. Gustav Waalyn, minister First Evangelical Lutheran church, Detroit.
Fred Weaver, Detroit.
Austin Gablin, Sr. Cleveland

AT ELYRIA:
Mrs. Jennie Haddad, Cleveland
Charles Nelson, Chicago

AT LORAIN:
Bruce Brownlee, Hillsville, Pa.
Edward Leroy, St. Louis.

Sandusky Star Journal, Sandusky, OH 30 Mar 1916

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