Another Victim of the Bridge Disaster.
“Our community received another shock on Saturday last, hardly less severe than that of the news of the disaster itself. The announcement that Charles Collins, the Chief Engineer of the L.S. & M.S. road was dead, without any cause but that he was found lifeless in his bed, carried every one back in mind to the bridge calamity, and there was an intense eagerness for an explanation. The evening papers brought that explanation, but with it an increased effect upon the sensibilities of our citizens. He was, to be sure, found dead in his bed, but beside him were the implements telling the manner of death. He died by his own hand. The story of his death we abstract and condense from the Cleveland dailies, as follows: Mr. Collins’ assistant—Mr. I.C. Brewer, of the Toledo division, sought his presence at his office on Water street, on Saturday morning, but not finding him or hearing of him, passed over to his residence, and being informed by the colored man in charge that he was not there, determined to make an examination of the house for the settlement of the question—whether he was in the house. Upon passing through the house everything indicated order and quiet, but loneliness, until the bedroom was reached. Here he found the person of his search, dead, and in the first stages of decomposition, marked with blood, a revolver at hand, with which the deed was done, and the handle of another just showed from his pillow. The determined purpose that controlled him was shown by the means for making his destruction sure. A razor was also found upon the bed. It was found that the muzzle of the revolver had been placed in his mouth, and the direction of the ball was upward through the roof of the mouth, and out through the upper and back part of his head. The first shot seems to be the fatal and only one.
“In casting about for a cause for this violent and shocking death, circumstances point to the effect upon his mind of the bridge accident at this place. We find that he laid it deeply to heart, and when he first beheld the scene, he wept over it in an outburst of grief. That effect he seems not to have been able to shake off. It followed him night and day, leaving no taste for food, and driving sleep from his pillow, until he was led to say to some of his more intimate friends, that he believed it would drive him crazy. His was a gentle, sensitive nature, and his profession carried to its utmost perfection and success, which was shown in the superior condition of the road, and all its appointments were his chief pride. This pride, we apprehend, never extended to this bridge, as his rather guarded observations in reference to it, from the beginning, sufficiently indicate. In the minds of many of the best informed in this community, he rather shrank from the responsibility of it. The special care of it, therefore, seems to have been in a great measure, at least, committed to other hands. Whatever his feelings, however, he could not in his position escape responsibility. The sense of that responsibility seems to have had a striking effect upon him in the recent examinations by the Legislative Committee, and conferences in which he was present on Wednesday afternoon and evening—the night, probably, upon which the fatal act was committed. His state of mind was not unobserved by some of his intimate companions. We are told that Mr. Brewer, his trusted assistant, had, at his earnest solicitation, consented to remain with him during Monday and Tuesday nights, and was surprised at the alarming state into which his mind had fallen.
“It was further shown by the act, and the manner of it. He had tendered his resignation to the Board of Directors, on the Monday before, when with tears he said, ‘I have worked for thirty years, with what fidelity God knows, for the protection and safety of the public, and now the public, forgetting all these years of service, has turned against me.’
“The resignation was, of course, not accepted, and he was assured that his view was entirely unjust and unworthy, but all to no effect. The thought of possible injustice still haunted him.
“On Wednesday night Mr. Brewer intended to go, as he had done the two previous nights, and stay with him at his residence on St. Clair street. But, upon calling at the office and being assured that he had left no word for him either in regard to the evening or concerning the trip of inspection contemplated for Thursday, he concluded that the deceased had left for his home in Ashtabula, where of late he spent much of his time. Thus affairs rested till Saturday morning, when, learning that he was not in Ashtabula, Mr. Brewer feared that some evil had befallen him, and going to the house he inquired of the colored man, went through the house to the family bedroom, and found the remains of the deceased as described above.
“There is little doubt but that Mr. Collins intended to go on the proposed tour of inspection on Thursday, for his traveling-bag was found neatly packed in the bed-room. It is probable that the act was one of momentary desperation, when the troubled thoughts of the previous days and nights, weighing upon him, made life hard to bear.
“Mr. Collins’ family had been in Ashtabula, where his wife’s relatives reside, for several days, and the colored man supposed that he was alone in the house. But the quarters of the latter are in the back part of the house, while Mr. Collins’ room is in the front. It is supposed that Mr. Collins came in without the knowledge of any one and went to bed on Wednesday night. Everything in the bed-room confirmed this opinion. The various articles of his dress were disposed about the room, his collar and necktie upon a stand near the head of the bed, his pants, shirt and coat were laid over a chair, and his shoes and stockings under the edge of the bed. The vest was carefully placed under the mattress. The scene presented to view upon entering the room, was most horrible. Three chambers of the large revolver at the right of the corpse were empty, but only one wound was found. There was a hole in the wall of the room, recently made, such as a ball would make, and it seems evident from this fact that the deceased was sitting up when the fatal discharge was made. There was no appearance of a struggle, but the discoloring of the blood from the wound which had flowed from the mouth and nose, was terrible to behold. The face was badly stained and presented a horribly ghastly appearance. From the fact that decomposition had already begun, it is inferred by the coroner that death took place some 48 hours before, or on Thursday morning.
“The deceased was born in Richmond, N.Y., in 1826, and was, therefore, 51 years of age. He was from an old and highly respected family, received a liberal education at one of the eastern colleges, and his professional education and graduation, from the Renssaeler Polytechnic Institute. In this latter institute he gave full promise of the abilities which he was destined to display in after years. Immediately after graduation he was employed for several years in practical engineering in various parts of New England, and next took charge of some important work on the Boston and Albany railroad. He came to this section of Ohio in 1849 to take charge of locating the C.C. C. & I. railroad. He was an engineer also in its construction. Next he was for a time superintendent of the Painesville & Ashtabula road, and when the L.S. & M.S. consolidation was brought about, he was given his present position.
“As an engineer, Mr. Collins enjoyed the confidence of many of the leading railroad men of the country. Among them was Commodore Vanderbilt, whose friendship he also enjoyed.
“We are told that when any work was to be performed upon the great lines of which he had control, Mr. Collins’ plans and methods were always accepted by the great commander, without question, as the cheapest and best.”
