From the Marion Daily Star, January 15, 1889:
Cleveland, OH, Jan. 15 -- A frightful wreck occurred on the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio railroad near Tallmadge, OH at half past 2 o'clock yesterday morning, an eastbound passenger train colliding with one section of a freight train which had broken in two. Eight persons were killed and a dozen injured. The list is as follows:
The killed are: Robert Huntington, of Galion, OH, Passenger Engineer; William Walters, of Galion, OH, Passenger Fireman; J.F. Rushman, of Galion, Freight Brakeman; William Lundy, of Salamanca, NY, Wells Fargo & Company's Express Messenger; three Chinamen; Mary Ann Lyon, of Idaho, aged six, ticketed second class to Cherry Creek, NY.
The injured are: David Thomas, of Galion, Baggagemaster, badly injured, at first reported killed; Robert Owen, of Kent, Newsboy, one shoulder dislocated and bad cuts and bruises; Sam Douglass, Engineer of Galion, travelling in passenger coach, leg and head cut and bruised, burned about the abdomen; James Boyd, of Paterson, NJ, severely hurt on head and back; George Shaw of Galion, Freight Brakeman, cut and bruised; Thomas Fairfax, colored, of Cleveland, leg broken in two places below the knee and bad cuts on hand. Other passengers, whose names are not learned, received slight injuries.
The freight train had broken in two and the crew resorted to the common expediant of "doubling the grade." The flagman who had been sent to guard the rear section, misunderstood the signals and came in before the track was clear. The freight had barely gotten under motion when the express came along. The passenger engine was crushed into bits and Engineer Huntington and Fireman Walters were terribly crushed. A combination baggage and smoking car and a coach took fire immediately after the crash. In the smoker were eight Chinamen. Five were pulled out alive, but half-dead from fright. Three were seen after the collision. Bones and bits of charred flesh gathered up in a bag were all that were found of them.
A most pathetic scene attended the death of little Mary Lyon. She was an orphan, and was being sent through to a relative in Cherry Creek, NY. Edward Peltzer, a passenger in one of the sleepers, took much interest in the little girl, and when the crash came his first thought was of her. He found her wedged down by a seat, the flames already surrounding her. This so unnerved Mr. Peltzer that he threw himself upon the ground and sobbed. Another eye witness says that the little girl, whose shrieks were heartrending, released herself just before the fire got to her, and for a moment groped wildly about, then fell over choked by smoke, the flames quickly coming up to complete the dreadful work. The passengers in the sleepers were hardly aroused by the concussion.
The track was not cleared until 1 o'clock in the afternoon.
SAMUEL C. DOUGLAS, Galion, Ohio.
Samuel C. Douglas was born in Richland County, Ohio, on August 23, 1843. He was the son of John Douglas, a contractor and builder, and the young man attended school and assisted his father until he was 16 years of age. Having secured a common school education he learned the blacksmith trade and for a few years worked at that business in Martinsville, Indiana, Mansfield, Shilo and Bucyrus, Ohio. In April, 1861, Mr. Douglas answered the first call of the nation for soldiers to put down the rebellion, and enlisted as a private in the 7th Independent Volunteer Infantry. He served with credit until the expiration of his term of service, and in the fall of 1861 he was mustered out and returned to the peaceful pursuits of a civilian.
In June, 1863, he secured employment with the Atlantic & Great Western as brakeman, but in October of the same year accepted a position as fireman with the same company. He fired passenger two years, and in October of 1865 he was given promotion to engineer. Then followed his long career in that capacity for the Erie. For fourteen years he was in the freight service, but for the past twenty years he has had charge of a passenger train. During the last two years he has pulled Nos. 3 and 12 on the Third Division. He stands high in the esteem of the company as a faithful, conservative engineer, and many times his efficiency has been attested by his superiors. Mr. Douglas is a member of B. of L. E. He owns property which is centrally located in the city, and is highly regarded in the community.
In May, 1867, he was married to Miss Clara Underwood, daughter of Abraham Underwood, a lawyer of Galion, who was afterward Justice of the Peace and Mayor of the city. They have four children, of whom Edward L., the first child, died at the age of twenty-one months; Charles G., aged 27, was educated in Galion, he is now a fireman on the Erie and lives in Mansfield; Arthur died at the age of six months; Warren Gale, 22 years of age, was educated at Galion, and is now married and living in Chicago, being a fireman on the Chicago, Lake Shore & Eastern Railroad.
Excerpted from: "American Locomotive Engineers, Erie Railway Edition," H.R. Romans Editor; Crawford-Adsit Company Publishers, Chicago, IL 1899.
From the September, 1907 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Cincinnati Division News):
Engineer Samuel Douglass who died recently at Marion as a result of injuries received in the yard while at work on his engine, had been in the company's employ 42 years as fireman and engineer. In three months he would have been retired under the (70 year) age limit rule.
