The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 4

THURSDAY. AUGUST 1. 194 PAGE FOUR Railroad Executive Blames Crew Of Coach For Falls Wrea ONLY 3 ESCAPE Witness Calls Wreck IIYSTANDERS LEND A HAND AT TRAGEDY Firemen Dig Into The Ruins Of Ill-Fated 'Doodlebug 'Most Terrible Vve Sees rniTORS NOTE: ChirlM Taylor of Third fuyalioti distant niinfr of the Taylor hotel, wai on of the flnt to reach tyft'o u. I. bf ilnr I th ra I ORDERS TO STOP DEATH IH CRASH NOT OBSERVED (Continued From Tage One) By CHARLES TAYLOR E.

W. Smith, Vice President, Declares Instructions Qiven At Hudson 1WAS ready to sit down to my dinner a little after 6 o'clock when I heard what I thought was an explosion followed by rum-bling noises. A few minutes later we heard the siren of an am bulance. I looked toward the Front st. grade crossing two blocks from my home and saw huge clouds of smoke.

in the front of the coach with the baggage division in the rear. I could see inside the train where seats and bodies were scattered around. Bodies were wedged in the windows and we could see arms and legs hanging outside. If down the embankment into the weeds by the side of the track to extinguish it. I could hear screams all around me.

The train was going pretty fast when it happened. "Then I crawled back up to search for my buddy." But Tod Wonn, a former South high school basketball player, never found his buddy, Bruce Kelly, who lived in another apartment at the same address. Bruce Kelly, whose young wife and Tod's young wife were inseparable companions, was one of the victims. "Where is my wife?" Tod moaned. She and Mrs.

Kelly must have gone to the scene of the accident. Hunts For Wife Mrs. Clyde Maroney of 361 Crosby st. told how Conductor Harry Shaffer sat at their dinner table before the wreck and said he felt that something terrible was going to happen. "We laughed at him and tried to cheer him up," she related.

"He has a daughter who had just re i. ij 'X Pi vfci ib III 4i 7J Ml I jumped into my car and ac-y romnanied bv Mrs. Rol Weaver dashed there. She was ieanui that the noise might be a grade crossing accident in which her husband who had just gone to the store might be injured. The first thing I saw was the Falls firemen playing water on the Pennsylvania gasoline coach which was half wrapped around the front of a double-headed freight train and was burning furiously with the flames licking around the top.

The fuel In the gasoline coach had exploded and caught fire when hit by the freight train. The firemen played water on it for three-quarters of an hour befort they could get to the bodies. The passenger compartment was scurrying to the burned clothing of Conductor Shaffer. "You must get the train orders from his pockets," a terse voice told them. Tears streaming down their faces, four children clinging to their mother's hand stood at the scene of the accident.

"Grandma, grandma," they kept wailing. "My mother's on that train. We were at Union station to meet her." explained Mrs. Romona of Cuyahoga Falls. "I had not seen my mother for 13 years.

She is Mrs. Margaret LaGann of Johnstown, Pa. This was to be a wonderful reunion for us. And now Turns Away Her lip quivered and she turned away. The police helped the four children back into the crowd.

Helplessly on the side lines, stood the men and women who have helped in many an emergency but who were powerless in the face of this overwhelming disaster. There were the Red Cross nurses and the doctors and the nurses from the hospitals in their neat uniforms. There were priests ready to give final rites. A doctor said, "Well, I guess this is one time we can't do anything." Torch Used Traffic Chief Lynett helped to release pinned bodies from the wreckage, using an acetylene torch to burn away the wood and metal Into which they were wedged. The torch sputtered brightly against the darkness.

Sheriff Walter O'Neil edged into the crowd. Detective Chief Verne Cross elbowed his way in. The stretcher bearers worked with precision and as they passed you caught a glimpse of a blackened face, a trailing bit of hair, an arm crooked. Water from hoses poured everywhere as the firemen sent it hissing beneath the charred car. And the ambulances whined and wheeled away and you heard a man sob, as he searched for his wife.

and digging Into the ruins of the charted accommodation car. Semes of volunteers aided firemen and police In the search for victims. This photo, taken shortly after the crash of the "Doodlebug" and the Pennsylvania freight train, shows firemen pouring water NAZIS RAID BOTH Train Crash Like 'Horrible Witnesses Declare SIDES OE ENGLAND (Continued From Page One) ceived an injured spine in an auto accident at Mt. Vernon and is in a hospital there, and we knew he was worried about her." The other stories did not end as happily as Wonn's, who finally found his young wife. Out Front st.

a man came dashing suddenly, screaming: "My wife is on that train. Let me through my wife is on that train." They let him in through the ropes and there was a woman's head visible through a broken win dow where bodies were piled one on top of another at the front of the train. The man took one look and fainted. Married Saturday There was the sister of Nelson Vaughan, sitting white fnced in the emergency room at St. Thomas hospital, waiting waiting for the white-clad nuns to give her the names of the two who survived.

"There is no Nelson Vaughan here," they told her presently. And Miss Adelaide Vaughan turned away biting her lips. "His poor little bride she does not know yet," she murmured. "Why they were just married last Saturday." Heartrending scenes filled the morgues. An elderly man, J.

C. Lovett, 1941 9th Cuyahoga Falls, came frantically into Sweeny's. "My daughter and my 4-year-old granddaughter?" he asked the question forming on his lips as if with great effort. "There is no child of that age here," they told him. The daughter's name was Mrs.

Betty Fahrney, he said, and the baby was Mary Jo. "But she must have been aboard," Lovett kept repeating. "She was always one to let us know if she didn't keep her plans. She told us she would take that six o'clock. We have the older child at our home waiting for her mother." The sisters at St.

Thomas received a call from the railroad dis patcher's office which sent them The blame for the Cuyahoga Falls disaster was placed on the "Doodlebug" train crew today by E. W. Smith, vice president of the Pennsylvania railroad, at FiUs-burgh, after he had made a preliminary investigation of the wreck. In formal statement, Smith charged that the motor car crew had disregarded orders to wait in Silver Lake siding: until the freight train had passed. The company vice president further charged that the crew had disregarded another rigid rule of the railroad in not obtaining permission from the block operator at Hudson to continue past Silver Lake, on the main track.

His statement follows: "Motor car 4618, designated as train No. 3380, left Hudson at 5:49 p. m. and was due to arrive at Akron, Ohio, at 6:10 p. m.

This car was the Akron connection for passengers arriving at Hudson from Cleveland at 6:40 p. m. and from Pittsburgh at 5:42 p. ni. The car was In charge of Conductor Harry Shaffer of Akron; Kngine-mn T.

L. Murtough of Orrvllle and Baggagemaster Charles Bil-derback of Orrville. Crew Given Orders "Before departure from Hudson the block operator, C. L. Rickey, at Hudson, gave a 'meet' order to the crew of the motor car, which ordered a atop of the car at switch No.

1, just north of Silver Lake, Ohio. This order instructed the crew of the car to open switch No. 1 at Silver Lake, and to go In on the siding to await the freight train and further orders before again entering on the main track and proceeding toward Akron. "The freight train involved, No. FC-4, running from Columbus to Cleveland, which left Columbus at a.

had the same 'meet' order to meet the motor car at switch No. 1, Silver Lake, and thereafter to proceed on the main track to Hudson. These orders were delivered to the crew of the freight train at Arlington, four miles south of Cuyahoga Falls, ecene of the collision. "The crew of the motor car not only disregarded their orders to stop at switch No. 1 at Silver Lake and to wait on the siding, but, in continuing on the main track from Silver Lake toward Akron, disregarded another rigid rule, as permission was required from the block operator at Hudson to make this further movement.

This permission was not obtained, Says Orders Disregarded "Disregarding both their train orders and standing Instructions that no train or motor car after running over permissible tracks may proceed further into a block or-Segment of the main tracks without receiving express permission from the operator, the crew of the motor car proceeded toward Akron on the main track and collided head on with the freight train at Cuyahoga Falls. The crew of the freight train was obeying orders and was preparing to meet the motor car at switch No. 1 at Silver Lake. "With Englreman Murtough and Conductor of the motor car badly Injured In Akron hospitals, and with Baggagemaster Bilder-back dead, it is impossible to determine now why these orders were disobeyed. "The motor car was equipped with all safety appliances, including a 'dead man control," so that If the englneman had become Incapacitated for any reason, the car would Iiave come to an Immediate atop.

"In the collision, the front end of the motor car was telescoped by the lead engine of the freight train, and fire broke out in the car. The freight train was not derailed." ly by small groups or lone planes, over most sections of England throughout the night and this morning. Although comparatively large numbers of high explosives and incendiary bombs were reported dropped, apparently most of them fell in open fields, for there were few reports of damage and none of casualties. One incendiary bomb struck the roof of a ward in a hospital near a southeastern town. The resulting blaze was extinguished so quickly it was not necessary to move patients.

A change in plans to defend Britain was disclosed today by an order of the new commander-in-chief, General Sir Alan Brooke, to remove many of the barriers which have been erected across roads throughout the island. The order, reflecting a return to the traditional theory that attack is the best defense, calls for removal of the steel and concrete barriers to permit rapid movement of troops to any threatened sector. The removal already is under way in North England, where all double road blocks rave been ordered eliminated and single ones cut back. hand, found dazed and bleeding from a wound in his head: "I'm looking for my buddy. Where's my buddy? We got into the baggage car together in Hudson.

I don't know how I got out of the wreck. Something happened. Something terrible." Taul Knight, manager of the Perfection Dairy Co. store at Front st. and Hudson "Mrs.

Knight and I were in the store when that pyre was pushed part. There have been a lot of accidents there. "I thought I could take it but not anything like that. We closed the store. We got away as far away as possible.

I guess all the other businesses along here closed, too." The freight train had plowed half through the bulg. ed the sides around its co'-catcher. It had pushed the coach i about yards down the track. 4 When the bodies were) they were charred beyorfd recogni tion. Ambulances wefe dashing1; back and forth thougi everyone" felt it was too late tt gave any; lives.

I IGHT Those midget racing machiner that Akron youths have built in the last few weeks for the Journal's seventh' flu nnjjnicRi. annual soap Bre -jft Derby were to gn' "27 under the "X- rav" todav. i The which was to get; ander way at 3:30 p. m. a Derby Downs, was the last of-, before Sunday's big ficial step race.

While nearly 250 cars have beeri. entered, there was a strong sibility that this list would bev whittled somewhat before the in-j spection was over, so thorough the check by the Inspectors. Every wheel, every inch of cable' and the entire construction of the-racer is tested and examined. The inspections will continue at the big hilltop tent at the Downs until nightfall and will be resumed; again Friday afternoon after Checking of the entrants' cars must be completed by tomorrow night to enable contest officials to. draw heat formations Saturday morning and have all the, coaster'; wagons numbered.

Then starting at 1:30 p. m. Sun-'-day, before a crowd that is expect-, ed to run well up into the thou-'j sands, the eliminations will get under way to determine who will: succeed Charles "Scoopy" TubbsJ In Akron's Soap Box Derby "Hall: of Fame." WHITE Sales! 4-YEAR SHEETS with a nmnoth linen finish 01 SPOIL ON DERBY RACERS SORP BOX DERBA www FRIDAY in Polsky Basement's Big August Polsky's Guaranteed longer near smoother weave better value LONDON. Aug. 1, Wi Germany continued to strike at Britain by air with raids during the night on both the east and west coasts.

One German fighter was shot down, the government stated." The air ministry issued a communique today saying: "Our fighters intercepted and engaged a small force of enemy aircraft which approached the southeast coast yesterday evening. An enemy fighter was shot down. Two of our fighters failed to return from yesterday's patrols." lUiml.s Fall In Field Earlier the ministry of home security had announced that enemy raiders dropped bombs "at a few points in the neighborhood of the Thames estuary and the Bristol channel" last night, slightly damaging houses, no casualties were reported. There were scattered raids most if i (Vint: 2 Years Mpej cuffs. Her gasoline station manager: "I saw the flames shooting 18 to 20 feet In the air.

The flames set the grass on fire slong the tracks." Arch Ranney, assistant county engineer: "There were four bodies lying In the flames along the tracks. We couldn't get near two of them but we could reach the other two, We pulled them back. They were dead." Carl Henry, electrical contractor, 27RO Front Cuyahoga Falls: "There were no outcries, no sobs. Just the crackling flames and the hissing of escaping steam. I believe all were dead when the train stopped." Merle Tostell, 2410 N.

Second and Merle Fetterman, 2409 Fourth Cuyahoga Falls: "We carried out about 24 bodies all of them burned and crushed. Horrible Sight' "The bodies were piled in front of the car with the seats pushed up on top of them. We had to move the seats to begin our work of removing the bodies. "Some of the bodies were twitching when we got in there, hut the movement ceased within a few seconds. It was the most horrible sight we've ever seen." Itussell Duffy, Cuyahoga Falls chief of police: "I wbs running slong the side of the tracks.

1 stumbled over something. It was a body. I helped load It and most of the other bodies into ambulances." S. Evans, filling station operator. Front st.

and Bailey "After the crash the sky seemed to be full of fire the ground covered with flames. I started lo see what had happened, then stopped. I called back to my wife to call the fire department. The engines were there within a few minutes." Looks For Friend Tod Wonn, 1413 Fast av, a Pennsylvania railroad section 1938 June 19-Miles City, 46. 19S! Aug.

13 Carlin, 19. into April 19-Little Falls, N. 31. July 31 Cuyahoga Falls, 43. Mail Scorched, But It Arrives Despite Tragedy EMPLOYES of the Akron post office today sorted quantities of mail scorched in the Cuyahoga Falls train wreck.

For on that flaming train was one of the city's heaviest mail deliveries, including eight pouches of first class mail, 14 sacks of second class matter and a few parcels. The mail came from throughout the United States, A. L. Lynds, superintendent of mails, said. The majority of the mail, according to LynJs, had been only slightly scorched.

That mail was being sorted and delivered today with a brief note of explanation "Damaged in Train Wreck." In a few cases where address of the addressee had been obliterated, the mail was being returned to the sender with the same brief note of explanation-Fe of the parcelson the were Falls Tragedy Listed With Worst hi Nation Akron Lledertnfel will hold a moonlight party at Lledertafel park Saturday night, Aug. 10. Members and their families are Invited. In I'oMy Only in on CuSlOm IT'wIr tfrcrrt per Famous "Slumberon" sheets, all perfect oualitv. Br The Anolate4 Tren HERE Is a list of major train wrecks in the United States, including localities and numbers killed.

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1878 Dec. 29 Ashtabula, 60. 1887 Aug. 10 Chatsworth, 111., Si. 1888 Oct.

10 Mud Run, 55. 190 Aug. 7 Eden, 98. 1906' March 18 Florence, 35. Dec.

30 Washington, D. 53. 1907 Jan. 2 Volland, 33. July 20 Salem, 33.

1910 March 1 Wellington, 96. March 21 Green Mountain, Ia 55. 1911 Aug. 25 Canandaigua, 27. 191? July 4 Corning, N.

N. 40. 1911 Aug. 5 Tipton Ford, 40. 1918 March 29 Amhurst, 28.

1917 Dec. 20 Louisville, 41. 1918 June 22 Ivanhoe, 68. July U5. 1931 Feb.

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