By a wreck on the Lake Erie & Western railroad Friday morning at the first road
crossing north of Tyner, Fireman Perry Johnson, of Peru, aged 28 years, lost his life and Engineer Harry
Williams, was injured. The early morning train was coming south and as it was passing through a deep cut a
mile northwest of Tyner, the engine struck a bank of sand that had been washed on the track by the heavy
rains of the night before. The wheels instantly clogged and the locomotive jumped the travk and went down
the bank, being overturned and dragging with it the two forward cars, which were demolished. The fireman,
Perry Johnson, was caught under the engine as it overturned and was terribly scalded by water and the escaping
steam. The engineer tried to pull him out, but the steam had cooked his flesh so that it came off when attempt
was made to rescue him. His sufferings were intense.
It was only with time and great difficulty that the unfortunate fireman was released
from the heavy mass of iron and steel that was holding him fast. The firenanwas attended by Dr. Thompson, of
Tyner, and later was placed in a car and taken to Peru, where in the greatest of agony he died.
The passengers on the train were not injured. The Lake Erie company sent another
train as quickly as possible which took the passengers and dying fireman southward. Until the track had been
restored and the debis cleared away trains from Walkerton and Plymouth were detoured on the B. & O. and the
Vandalia.