Aug 10,1889 Wreck at Forest Lawn, NY.
FATAL CRASH
A Catastrophe on the R. W. and O. Express Train Runs Into Stub Train at Forest Lawn. One Passenger Killed and Eight Dangerously Wounded. The Fireman Dies at Noon of His Injuries.
There was a fatal crash this morning on the R. W. and O. Railway at Forest Lawn station east of Irondequoit bay. The stub train had just backed down to the station from Windsor beach when the express train from the east came along at a high rate of speed, this train being one hour and a half late. The engineer and fireman of the express train jumped, but the former fell on his face and received severe if not dangerous injuries. The crash was terrific as the locomotive struck the rear of the stub train. The baggage car and the first passenger car were wrecked at the same instant. In fact, the baggage car was reduced to kindling wood, and yet, strange to say, the baggageman escaped with slight injury, how he does not know. There were nine passengers in the first car, and none of these except one escaped death or serious injury.
Miss Ella Perrin, of St John's Mich., was instantly killed. Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Perrin, parents of the unfortunate girl, were badly injured, Mrs. Perrin's collar bone is broken and she is badly bruised. Mr. Perrin's face and head were bruised and he thinks some of his ribs are broken. They have not been as yet informed that their daughter was killed. Mrs. Perrin said: "We are not badly hurt. Our daughter escaped and will soon be up here to take care of us."
Lowell C. Brown of Sherman, N.Y. had his right leg taken off below the knee and the toes on his left foot were amputated. He was taken to the City hospital. Andrew Tiffany of Oswego, engineer of the extra train, was injured internally.
Mrs. Lewis Moore, of Gratwick, N.Y., had her right leg broken and also Sustained severe bruises on the head and face. She was taken to the City Hospital.
Drs. Jones and Ottoway of Charlotte and Drs. E.M. Moore jr., and R.M. Moore attended to the injured persons and they were made as comfortable as possible.
Mrs. Sarah M. Sweet of Wolcott, NY., right hip injured and arm and face badly cut.
Frank Bell of Cheboygan, Mich., compound fracture of right leg.
John Jay, of Oswego, right leg broken and injured internally.
William Old of Peoria was the only passenger in the first car and he was not seriously hurt. He makes the following statement. " I boarded the train at Clayton and was dozing in my seat this morning when the accident occurred. The train was apparently going at a high rate of speed. I had learned it was an hour and a half late, and I suppose it was making up time. When the accident occurred there was a crash , and it seemed to me as if a whirlwind had passed by. The air was full of pieces of iron and wood and dust. I was sitting near the window of the car and instinctively hugged close to it. To this I attribute my escape. Everything passed by me and I at once began struggling to escape from the wrecked car. The roof was off the top, and I crwaled out through the top. A mans leg lay beside me as I struggled to the effect of my escape. When I emerged from the car I saw lying near the tracks a man and woman, both of whom were bleeding from the head. I afterward learned that they were the parents of the Miss Perrin who was killed."
A Rochester lady who was on the westward bound train, but would not give her name said " I took the train at Norwood expecting to be here at 8:30 and was abord the rear sleeper. We felt the collision but it was so slight that we did not think anything serious had happened until we saw the people running. The people were just getting on the Forest Lawn train. The engineer of our tran jumped."
The express train consisted of nine coaches, but none of the passengers outside those in teh first car were seriously hurt. Reney Sylvester, of Toronto, one of the passengers, says he left the first car ten minutes before the accident, and was in one of the sleepers when the accident happened. There was a shock, but it was not sufficent to do more than alarm the passengers in the sleeper. He was on his feet at the time and was thrown against a seat but not with sufficient force to cause him injury.
When train on which the injured persons were brought to the city arrived at the RW&O depot on State street a large crowd was in waiting. Several persons who expected friends from the east by the through train and friends of the Rochester people who wre stopping at Forest Lawn were anxiously awaiting news from their friends. officer White kept the crowd back and Dr. E.M. Moore jr, R.M. Moore, Ottoway and Jones superintended the removal of the injured. The patrol wagon, the city ambulance and hacks were used for this purpose. General Brinker was present and did everything in his wer to make the sufferers as comfortable as possible. The train official and :e local employees were also assiduous in their attention to the injured.
The Forest Lawn passengers, about fifteen in number, were at the station ready to board the stub train when the collision took place. They were witnesses of the accident.
Daniel W. Forsythe and Charles U. Bastable stepped on the platform of the Forest Lawn car just as the accident occurred. Mr. Forsythe's knee was slightly injured.
Judge Warner was one of the Forest Lawn party which intended to take the train. He said: "If the accident had occurred a moment later most of the Forest Lawn party would undoubtedly have been killed. The scene following the accident was a terrible one. We assisted all in our power in rescuing the victims. We were obliged to use saws in getting out some of the injured persons.The injured were placed on cots and cared for as well as possible. Every passenger in the first car of the Thousand Island train except one or two was, I believe, badly injured. Both engines were smashed and the car wrecked, and I think, they will be unfit for use hereafter."
J.D. Scott said: "I arrived at the Forest Lawn station a few minutes after the accident occurred and I never saw so terrible an accident in my life before. Frank crouch came very near going into the car at the moment the accident occurred. He considers his escape miraculous.
One of the passengers, Lowell C. Brown, was thrown thirty feet through a window. One of his legs was taken off and the other was badly hurt.
The Thousand Island train was composed of five sleepers, three passenger coaches and one express car.
The fireman of the express train has died of his injuries.
The condition of the injured at the city hospital is as follows: Lowell C. Brown whose right leg was torn off, his left foot crushed and who was internally injured will probably die.
Miss Sarah M. Sweet of Wolcott, N.Y. had her right hip injured and her arm and face cut and bruised.
Frank Bell of Cheboygan, Mich suffered a compound fracture of the left leg
Andrew Tiffany, engineer of the express train, had his chest crushed, and his recovery is doubtful.
Mrs Lewis Moore of Lansdowne Ont., sustained a fracture of the right leg.
H.M Perrin and Mrs Henry Perrin of St. John's Mich., are not fatally injured
Clerk Bastable, of the board of supervisors, says: "Mr. Forsythe and myself had just got aboard the stub train which consisted of four cars, a combination passenger and smoker with three ordinary coaches. I was on the rear platform of the combination car and Mr. Forsythe on the front platform of the next car when the collision took place. We escaped unhurt because the platforms on which we stood were the only ones on the train not crushed. The last two cars on the train were utterly wrecked, the rear car telescoping through the other.
The dead man at the city hospital whom no one has yet certainly identified is about 40 years old. He wore a blue checked shirt, red stockings, elastic gaiters, and a black coat and vest. His hands were grimy as if from handling coal As he had a mustache.There is no external injury sufficient to cause death.
As to the cause of the accident, it is stated that the telegraph operator at Forest Lawn had orders to flag the express train. He stuck up a flag at the end of the platform according to his usual custom. But as the train does not stop at Forest Lawn this flag was of no use to stop the train in time.