The Great Train Wreck of 1916

If one were to visit the city of Amherst, Ohio, they would probably overlook the train tracks which blend into the city’s landscape. Unlike many other towns in the area, Amherst is lucky enough to have a raised railroad which travels directly through the center of town. Since I was a child, I could remember walking to the depot to check out the trains, but hardly ever do I remember seeing a train during the day. Back in the early 1900s, Amherst was a significant stop for passengers traveling to Chicago and Cleveland.

On the early morning of March 29, 1916, the citizens of Amherst were awoken by the sounds of crashes and screams along the railroad tracks. That morning of the 29^th, a dense fog rolled in causing the eastbound train to come to a stop due to yellow flashing lights. Shortly after that, another eastbound train rain into the stopped train. Train cars were thrown on to the westbound tracks, and only a short time later did a train heading from Cleveland to Chicago run into the wreckage. 

By the morning there were 23 dead, and roughly 45 injured. The newly created Amherst hospital was still under construction, and the wounded had to travel to Elyria, 10 miles away.

Today, the land where the accident took place is owned by the Amherst Historical Society. The property has been turned into a historical village which replicates what the city looked like back in the early 1900s. Visitors to the site can tour a replica train car much like the one which was used during the crash. Inside are copies of newspapers and pictures of the fateful day. Aside from the plaque outside of the train, there is no reference to the collision throughout Amherst. Much like the train tracks, the history of the 1916 train crash is almost all but forgotten.

Erix Infante

Sources:

http://www.morningjournal.com/article/MJ/20160329/NEWS/160329523

https://sites.google.com/site/greattrainwreckof1916/home/aftermath