Haverhill Crash

Article taken from The Steubenville Daily Herald, July 19, 1899

WERE THEY ASLEEP?
Crew of the Freight Train Blamed for Norfolk and Western Wreck.

Ironton, O., July 19 - Near Haverhill, a passenger train collided, head on, with a freight on the Norfolk and Western road. George Sloane of Coal Grove, freight engineer; John Terflinger, Columbus flagman and Henry Egbert, Portsmouth fireman on passenger were killed and Thomas Ginbey, Columbus fatally injured. Four other trainmen were hurt. The two trains came together with frightful force in a dense fog fourteen cars being torn to pieces.

Four tramps also are reported to have been killed. It is said the blame of the wreck lies with the crew of the freight train. The freight crew, receiving orders at Portsmouth to sidetrack at Haverhill for passenger train No. 3, did as directed, but all being worn out, it is claimed, fell asleep while waiting. An extra freight passing wakened the crew, who, on account of the dense fog, mistook it for the passenger and as the passenger was some 10 or 15 minutes past due they pulled on the main track and had hardly gone a mile before the collision had occurred.