05/21/2026
On this day in history:
On Saturday, May 21, 1892, Daniel Heisman, brother of the famous John Heisman, was working near the railroad line with a crew to unload barrel staves from several freight cars. As they pushed the now-empty first car down the tracks, the unthinkable happened. The second car, fully loaded, was not properly secured, and it silently slipped down the tracks on a collision course with the first car. Daniel was between the two. Reported in the lurid detail typical of the period, the Monday edition of the Titusville Herald claims that Daniel cried out, “My God, boys, I’m killed” when the two cars broke apart. And indeed, he was. Carried home, two doctors arrived but were unable to treat his severe internal injuries.
Daniel Heisman died shortly after 5p.m., his family and his pastor by his side. He was only 25 years old. It is not known if John returned home for his brother’s funeral, held on Tuesday, May 24, at the family’s home—the Herald reports that it was “attended by a large concourse of friends,” including most of the city’s coopers. Their father Michael was probably present, having arrived as quickly as he could from Cleveland to help his grieving daughter-in-law. Mother Sarah was unable to come due to “feeble health,” according to the newspaper, but within days the family did place a notice in the Herald expressing their thanks for the community’s support during this most terrible time. Daniel was interred in Woodlawn Cemetery, laid to rest in a grave that remained unmarked until 1984.
