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- Two Killed in Crossing Accident Near Wellsville. No Chance to Stop Automobile on Slippery Road in Time to Avoid Being Hit by Train.
Another grade crossing accident resulting in the death of two men, was tragic Sunday news in Wellsville, COLA L. SISSON of Almond, and ALFRED L. STUBBS, of Auburn, were instantly killed on the Erie crossing in the Proctor District, when their automobile was struck by west bound Erie train 7. The accident occurred at 10:30 o'clock, Erie train 7 running about on time was speeding into Wellsville at a fifty mile clip. The Proctor crossing is two miles east of Wellsville station and there is an open view of the track from either direction. Mr. Stubbs was driving a Ford sedan and Mr. Sisson was sitting along side of him. Evidently the men did not notice the approach of the train from behind until almost upon the crossing, although the engineer had seen the car and was blowing the whistle sharply, trying to warn them. The driver evidently attempted to stop the Ford sedan within a few feet of the track, applying the brake and pushing on the reverse foot lever. The car was seen to approach within a few feet of the crossing, skid around on the slippery road and then back directly onto the track in train [sic]. The car caught on the front of the locomotive, was torn into small pieces and carried for hundreds of yards, Sisson being thrown out about 300 yards from the crossing, while a portion of the wreckage was cleaned off by the trainmen when the train stopped nearly 500 yards from the crossing Mr. Stubbs, the driver, had been forced through the enclosed car and was sitting on the pilot of the engine but dead when the train stopped. The train was fortunately stopped near a railroad telephone booth in the yard limit and the Erie station was called and orders received to back the train up, where the body of Mr. Sisson was removed from the railroad embankment, placed on a stretcher and taken into the baggage car. Mr. Stubb's body was left on the pilot of the engine and the train proceeded to the Wellsville station, where undertaker EMBSER took charge of the remains and removed them to his rooms on West State street. Corner [sic] COOLEY arrived a few minutes later and examined the property of the dead men, thus arriving at their homes in Almond and Auburn. The accident was almost beyond explanation. Mr. Sissons was familiar with the road and must have realized he was approaching the crossing and despite of the snow falling at the time, there was a good sight of the approaching train, the track and the road running parallel for half a mile. Evidently the men were deep in conversation and did not realize the train was on them until within a few rods of the crossing and in applying the foot brake and reverse pedal, caused the car to slew around and back onto the track. Portions of the car were strewn alongside the railroad for a quarter of a mile and the car reduced to bits of scrap iron and kindling wood, with the exception of the front end, which was evidently carried on the pilot of the engine and when removed the headlights were intact and the glass and headlights unbroken. Both men were instantly killed, Mr. Sisson's body being terribly mangled, the left leg broke in ten places and the body finally thrown clear of the wreckage before the train stopped. Will HALLADAY living on the Proctor road, and some 300 yards east of the crossing, was in the back yard cutting wood. he noticed the car go by, traveling at not more than 20 miles an hour and thought it was a neighbor. Only a few minutes elapsed when train 7 came whistling by his house, the whistle loudly tooting and he looked up just in time to [rest of story missing]
[clipping, hand dated Jan. 1924]
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1861 - 1924 (62 years)
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