THE FAIRVILLE TRAIN WRECK

August 29, 1901

TOWN of ARCADIA
WAYNE COUNTY, NY



Source: The Ithaca Weekly Journal, Thursday, September 5, 1901. Published in Ithaca, N.Y.

The following two articles recount one of the most serious railroad accidents in Wayne County history, as well as the death of one of the city of Newark's beloved ministers, Reverend A. Park Burgess, former pastor of Newark's Park Presbyterian Church.


TRAIN JUMPED TRACK

Spreading Rails Cause Serious
Wreck Near Newark, N.Y.

TWO KILLED AND MORE WILL DIE

Engine and Four Coaches Turned Over
Into Pit While Rounding Curve.
Steam Pipe Burst and Score of
Passengers Were Badly
Scalded.

Newark, N.Y., Aug. 30.- The accommodation train leaving Sodus Point over the Northern Central railroad, and which arrives in this village at 6 o'clock, was last night derailed at the station of Fairville, about 10 miles north of here. Two were killed and 28 injured. The dead:

William Meogher, Sodus Point.

Howard Tubbs, Elmira, ticket agent at Lake Shore, badly scalded and injured about the back, died on hospital train.

The injured are: Libbie Ford, Newark, badly scalded, will probably die; Rev. A. Park Burgess, Syracuse, badly scalded and right leg broken; Mrs. A.P. Burgess, Syracuse, very badly scalded; Chester Flagler, fireman, back sprained; Libbie White, Newark, scalded about face and hands; A.A. Bradley, Seneca Falls, badly scalded; Mrs. A.A. Bradley, Seneca Falls, scalded about face and arms; Miss Elizabeth Todd, Newark, scalded face (printer's error here) ably die; Oscar Hasson, Baltimore, Md., right hand cut; Mrs. Charles G. Edwards, St. Paul, badly scalded about head and body; Miss Sue M. Stietzer, Mifflinsburg, Pa., scalded on face and hands; George F. Guyer, Baltimore, head and arms scalded; J.E. Steever, Newark, left leg injured; Mrs. E.H. Hare, Springfield, Mass., visiting at Clifton Springs, seriously scalded about body, arms and face; Mrs. Ella J. Meagher, Sodus Point, head and arms scalded; C.I. Pierson, Newark, eye cut and arms burned; Mrs. Marian Moore, Newark, face and hands scalded; Doris Moore, Newark, 4 years old, slightly burned; Russell Moore, Newark, 2 years old, slightly burned; Fred Everetts, Palmyra, scalded; L.H. Hood, Seneca Falls, right hand and face burned; Mrs. L.N. Hood, Seneca Falls, arms and face scalded; M.N. Wilson, Macedon, right hand and face scalded; Oliver Wilson, Macedon, wrist cut by glass.

Two, and possibly more, of the above will probably die.

The train was made up at Sodus Point and consisted of four coaches, a baggage car and engine, with William Meogher at the throttle. Chester Flagler was fireman. Conductor H.S. Merriman of Sodus Point, was in charge of the train.

The train was running at nearly 40 miles an hour. Approaching the station at Fairville there is a curve and gravel pit. For some reason the engine jumped the track while passing the gravel pit. The force of the accident turned the engine completely around, throwing the five cars on their side.

The trainload of some 150 passengers was thrown into the ditch and it is a wonder that the number of fatalities is not greater. The engine and all the cars were badly broken up and the steam pipes running under the cars were broken in several places. This accounts for the large number of people scalded.

Help was quickly summoned from the neighboring houses and all assistance possible was rendered. Word was sent to Sodus and Newark for physicians and a special containing five doctors left Newark at 6:45 o'clock. Upon its arrival the Newark passengers were placed aboard and hastened to Newark. Five were sent to Rochester hospitals.

Rev. Dr. Burgess, one of the injured, was for 20 years pastor of the Park Presbyterian church at Newark, and is the father of W.C. and F.H. Burgess, editors of the Arcadian Weekly Gazette of this place. He is 75 years old and it is doubtful if he will recover. His right leg is broken and he is badly scalded. Mrs. Burgess is also among the seriously injured.

Following is a corrected list of the dead:

Rev. Dr. A. Park Burgess, Syracuse.
Mrs. A. Park Burgess, Syracuse.
Francis Burleigh, Newark, N.Y.
Mrs. James W. Ford, Newark, N.Y.
Miss Anna Kane, nurse, Elmira.
William Meagher, Sodus Point.
Howard Tubbs, Elmira.
Mrs. L.H. Hood, Seneca Falls.
Mrs. C.H. Bradley, Seneca Falls.
Mrs. Elizabeth Todd, Newark, N.Y.
Mrs. C.G. Edwards, St. Paul

The seriously injured are: Nina Kellar, Newark, scalded about head and legs; Mrs. H. Fox, Newark, slightly scalded on face and hands; two children of Mrs. Stancliffe, badly scalded and burned; W.D. Warner of Orleans, hands scalded; Burt Turner, express messenger, Sodus Point, hands scalded; Henry Cable, Newark, hands and head scalded; Mrs. E.E. Burleigh of Newark, head and arms badly scalded; Charles Pearson, eye injured; Mrs. A.D. Burnham, Port Gibson, scalded about head and body; Oscar Hassen of Baltimore, badly cut and scalded, reported as holding his own, with chances of recovery; Mrs. William Lemunyan of Port Gibson, head and shoulders scalded, condition critical; Mrs. Rose Edwards, Newark, seriously scalded.

About a dozen other persons were slightly injured.

The injured in this city are doing as well as can be expected. Mrs. A.D. Burnham, Mrs. William Lemunyan of Port Gibson, Mrs. Rose Edwards of Newark are very low.

The death of Rev. A. Park Burgess of Syracuse occurred at the home of his son, W.C. Burgess, Newark, N.Y., yesterday afternoon. Dr. Burgess was born in Herkimer county in 1845, and after receiving his theological training in New England began his life service as a preacher. He is widely known throughout Central New York as a great opponent of the saloons, having been superintendent of the Syracuse district of the American Anti-Saloon league. For 26 years he was pastor of the Park Presbyterian church of this city.

In connection with the deaths of Dr. and Mrs. Burgess, which occurred within four hours of each other, it is interesting to note the following paragraph from one (paper eroded away) farewell to his Newark congregation:

"We shall see each other's faces now and then, and if, in the good providence of our Heavenly Father, my last days may be passed in your midst such a result would be grateful to me if so ordered."

Frances, the 11-year-old daughter of Mayor and Mrs. E. E. Burleigh, of this place, also died yesterday, having been unconscious since the wreck occurred.


MISS KANE A REAL HEROINE.

Used Skirt to Save Children From Scalding
Steam Which Caused Her Death.

Elmira, N.Y., Aug. 31.- Anna Kane of Elmira, the nurse girl who was burned in the Northern Central wreck near Newark Thursday night, died yesterday afternoon in the Arnot Ogden hospital. Miss Pleasant Todd of Newark, N.Y., who was also at the hospital in this city, died at 6 p.m.

Oscar Hasson of Baltimore, who was badly cut and scalded, was reported as holding his own with chances of recovery. Miss Julia Stancliffe, while painfully injured, will recover. Several of the injured inhaled the steam, which makes their cases more dangerous, as pneumonia is likely to result.

The death of Miss Anna Kane was most pathetic. She was a nurse girl employed by Mrs. Edwin Stancliffe of this city and was sent from Sodus in charge of Mrs. Stancliffe's two little daughters, who were coming to Elmira after spending the season at Sodus Point. When the wreck occurred Miss Kane threw her skirts around the children to protect them, while she received the full force of the escaping steam in consequence. As a result one of the children was uninjured, while the other, though severely burned, was saved from death.

"I did my best to protect the girls," Miss Kane said just before she died, "will they live?"

On being told that they were safe she fell back on her cot apparently satisfied and a few minutes later death relieved her from her suffering.


DIED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT

Frances Carr BURLEIGH (1890-1901), daughter of E. E. and Clara L. Carr BURLEIGH, is buried with her father in Newark Main Street Cemetery.

Rose M. EDWARDS 1848-1901, who was listed as being seriously scalded and probably died as a result of her injuries, is buried in Sodus Rural Cemetery.

Libbie FORD (1853-1901) is buried in Newark Main Street Cemetery.

William H. MEAGHER (1857-1901) is buried in Sodus Rural Cemetery.

Elizabeth Pleasant TODD (March 10, 1854 - August 29, 1901) is buried in Newark Main Street Cemetery.

Howard TUBBS, who died at age 18, on August 29, 1901, is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Elmira, NY. His cause of death was "Scalded in railroad accident near Fairville."


SURVIVORS

Henry CABLE (1846-1922) is buried with his wife Louise in Newark Main Street Cemetery.

Chester J. FLAGLER (1877-1935), the train's fireman, is buried with his wife Stella in Sodus Rural Cemetery.

Herman/Heman S. MERRIAM (not Merriman)(1858-1952), railroad conductor, is listed in the 1914 Farm Directory, Town of Sodus, and is buried in Sodus Rural Cemetery.

Marion Short MOORE (1863-1933) is buried in Newark Main Street Cemetery.

Bert J. TURNER (1870-1957) is buried in Sodus Rural Cemetery.

Mitchel N. WILSON and son Oliver are listed in the 1914 Farm Directory, Town of Macedon.




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