The St. Louis Limited express on the Erie was wrecked two miles east of Corning yesterday (August 16, 1888) morning at 2 o'clock. The train, which is the fastest in the Erie service, left Elmira thirty minutes late, and was plunging through the inky darkness and pelting rain at a speed only attained by modern locomotives upon a stretch of clear and level track.
The train leaving (unintelligible) of an express car, baggage car, smoker, day coach and five sleepers drawn by the massive Wooten "Mother Hubbard" engine, No. 136. John L. Mercereau, one of the most trusted and brave men in the Erie service, was at the throttle.
Between the main tracks at Magee's Switch, where the disaster occurred, there is a "middle passing track," connected with the main track by switches. Either by accident or designing miscreants, the switch connecting the west-bound track with this middle track was left open, and into this the engine dashed. Its momentum was so great, that the locomotive instead of following the tracks of the switch, followed a tangent, climbed over one or two tracks and was ditched. The iron monster weights over fifty-five tons. It was overturned, and the engineer was buried beneath the debris.
Fireman Clark was uninjured, being upon the water tank of the tender, which stopped upon the track. The first baggage car was disconnected from the tender and struck engine 296 of an extra eastward bound Lehigh freight train. The car continued its course to the ditch beyond and the second baggage car followed and was telescoped with the smoker next behind.
The result was a fearful wreck and a most miraculous escape of all aboard. How the baggage and express men got out uninjured they themselves do not know. The passengers in the smoker were tossed about in all directions, and those in the day coach next were severely shaken up. The first of the five Pullman sleepers was slightly damaged. The rest were intact.
A wrecker was sent out from Corning, taking Drs. Argus and Kendall to the scene. The Erie officials in Elmira were promptly notified. The rain poured down in torrents when Superintendent Coffin was summoned from his bed in the Rathbun House at 3 o'clock. He quickly dressed and plodded through the storm to the depot. The wreckers were sent out from Elmira and Superintendent Coffin and Trainmaster Conklin in person supervised their expeditious movements, remaining on the spot all day.
The physicians found only two persones needing professional services, Louis F. DeMuth, 1702 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, had sustained internal injuries, and Hans Van Oppen, returning from Germany to his home in Cincinnati, had thrust his hand through a window and partially severed the tendon of his left little finger.
Engineer John Fisher, of Sayre, the Lehigh engineer, was thrown heavily but seemed at first to be uninjured. He was brought to Corning station and shortly afterward complained of coldness in his limbs. He was taken to the Exchange Hotel and a physician called. He soon became demented and last nighht was delirius.
After several hours of hard work the wreckers succeeded in raising the Erie engine so as to take out the remains of engineer Mercereau. They were taken to Corning to Darrin & Fletcher's undertaking rooms. The head was crushed to a jelly, the trunk was fearfully mangled and the bowels protruded. Below the waist there was slight injury. His open-faced watch was not even scratched, and it had stopped at the exact time of the accident. The left hand was afterwards found among the debris with the glove still on. Engineer Mercereau lived in Hornellsville. He was forty-six years of age and leaves a wife and one daughter, Mrs. Minnie McHenry, of Hornellsville. The dead engineer was one of a big family of railroad men, he himself having been on the Erie some twenty-five years. He formerly ran number five, but some time ago changed to train thirteen. This was his first trip upon resuming his old run.
Many of the passengers in the sleepers knew nothing of the affair until morning. The sleepers were brought back to Elmira, attached to train three, which went over the DL&W tracks to Corning. Trains thirteen, ten and four and Lehigh thriteen were similarly served. The wreckers worked efficiently, and at noon the eastbound track had been cleared, and train eight came through without delay. The other track was cleared by nightfall. It is truely remarkable that more passengers were not injured. It was an acident that could not have been foreseen or avoided, and the Erie deserves commendation for the prompt relief sent to the passengers.
The officials have begun an investigation into the cause of the wreck. Superintendent Coffin (the rest of the paragraph is unintelligible). The Superintendent said he would investigate thoroughly.
It seems that Engineer Mercereau discovered (the switch's position) too late, for he set the air brakes and reversed the engine. Coroner Hoare of Corning has empaneled a jury, which will view the scene this morning -- Advertiser
Mr Mercereau, one of the most valued employes of the Erie Road, was born at Union, Broeme County, in 1841, thus being forty-six years of age. He received a liberal education from the hands of his parents and entered the service of the Erie on the Susquehanna Division in the capacity of fireman in 1861. In 1864 he had proven that he was capable of taking an engine and was promoted to the rank of engineer, which occupation he has followed ever since. In '65 he became a member of the B of LE, and has always been one of its most honored members, ever taking a deep interest in the affairs of that organization, holding many offices and faithfully serving on many of its most important committees, and in 1883 represented Division 47 at the Grand Convention held in Buffalo in October. He was also a member of Hornellsville Lodge No. 331, F&AM.
The death of Engineer Mercereau falls most heavily upon his wife and daughter and with them a large community are caused to mourn his death. He was a faithful husband and father, kind and indulgent in all his ways and he will be deeply missed by a host of friends, who have known and respected him.
The remains were brought to this city on train 29 today, and were placed in charge of Undertaker Curtis, being conveyed to the house. A delegation of engineers, and from the Hornellsville Lodge No. 331, F&AM, aside from many friends, were also at the depot.
From the August 24, 1888 Issue of the Hornellsville Weekly Tribune:
Was Brakeman Keith To Blame?
The following facts are taken from last evening's Gazette:
The mystery which has surrounded the cause of the misplaced switch which wrecked Erie No. 5 Sunday morning last at Corning has apparently been solved. The coroner's jury summoned to investigate the cause of death of Engineer John L. Mersereau met last evening in Corning and endered a verdict as follows:
"That he (John L. Mersereau) came to his death on the 12th of August, 1888 at Corning, NY near Brown's crossing, while in the discharge of his duties as engineer on Erie train 5, by running his train into an open switch, that the circumstances show, and this jury believes, the said switch was misplaced by the negligence of George W. Keith, brakeman of Erie Train 86." All of the jurors excepting Dr. Nichols, signed the verdict. He will enter a verdict of his own, placing a portion of the blame on Engineer Mersereau. The decision corroborates the theory formed by a Gazette representative the day after the accident, a theory, however, which prominent officials pronounced impossible and untrue and the publication of which was therefore postponed until sworn evidence was adduced in its support. It will be remembered that train 5, westward bound, was wrecked by running into a misplaced switch connecting the westbound track with the middle passing track. A Lehigh coal train was passing on the eastbound track and just ahead of it was an Erie freight, No. 86, which had just pulled out of the middle switch upon the eastbound track. The theory of the accident as it came to the ears of a Gazette representative was that the brakeman, George H. Keith of Hornellsville, who was charged with the duty of letting No. 86 from middle passing track to the eastbound, instead of turning that switch, in the inky darkness of that rainy night he opened by mistake the switch leading from the westbound track into the middle passing track. No. 86 pulled ahead, the engineer and brakeman both supposing the proper switch had been turned. The switches there are what are called "split" (spring?) switches, and a train pulling out from the middle passing track upon the eastbound track will not run off the track. The split rails will be crowded over and the points broken, but the train will stick to the track.
Thus it happened that No. 86 pulled safely out upon the eastbound track although the switch was wrong, the train men never knowing the difference. A green man was on the rear of No. 86 to turn the switch after the train had pulled out, but he does not know that anything is wrong. The Lehigh train pulls down the eastbound track close behind No. 86. As the latter's caboose clears the switch and enters the main track he sees the red light denoting that the westbound main track is wrong, and No. 5 a few rail lengths away rushing along with fearful speed. "There goes a passenger train to hell," shouts the fireman, and leaps to the other side of his engine. An instant later is the crash and the well-known story. The evidence as given before the coroner's jury seems to indicate that it is correct, that Brakeman Keith mistook the switch and turned the wrong one. He swears that he turned the right switch, but the condition of the switch leading to the eastbound track and the testimony of the other men regarding the signal lights do not corroborate him.