From the September 7, 1899 Issue of the New York Times:

Fatal Wreck on the Erie Road - Open Switch Causes the Deaths of Three Railroad Men and a Tramp
Meadville, PA, Sept. 6 -- An open switch caused a wreck on the Erie Railroad at Miller's Station, a short distance from this city, today, in which three Meadville men were killed and one injured. One tramp was also killed and another injured.

A west-bound freight train had taken the siding to allow Train No. 5, the vestibuled limited New York-Chicago Express, called the "Bullet Express," to pass. The switch was left open and the passenger train ran into the rear end of the freight train at the rate of sixty miles an hour, plowing through several freight cars.

The dead are Reuben M. Arnold, engineer of the passenger train, of Meadville; Conductor Henry M. Schaffer of the freight train, Meadville; Flagman George Schatz of the freight rain, Meadville; and John Kersh of Buffalo, who was stealing a ride on the passenger train between the mail and baggage cars.

The dead and injured were brought to this city.

General Passenger Agent Roberts of the Erie Railroad received a report by wire yesterday of the wreck near Miller's Station, which was, in part, as follows:

"The freight train reported in the siding twenty minutes before the wreck, showing conclusively that the conductor and flagman of the freight had failed to close the switch. The mail and express car of Train No. 5 were derailed, but not badly broken. The day coaches and sleeping cars did not leave the track."

President E.B. Thomas of the Erie also received a report of the collision which convinced him that the conductor and flagman of the freight train were to blame. The supposition is that both of these men went into a caboose and fell asleep. The "Bullet Express" was delayed four hours.