Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-11-11
Terrible Accident on tie WOr-
ceSter Kali Road.


\ AN accident, attended with great loss G
lie, occurred on the Worcester Railroad o.
Saturday, about ! y. N. This accident hap
pened on the Springfield tram. which wa
con,lng into the city. The train is due her
ut ~ NJ, but on Saturday it was nearly al
hour behind time. The cars were running
AT the usual speed when they arrived nea
the Brooklme crossing, The Milldam road, I
second class passenger car was thrown from
The tach. II was dragged for some distance
without any injury being Gone-lhe distance
might be 30 or 40 rods. When the cars ar.
rived at The open bridge. on the marsh, jus
east Of The MllIdam, this bridge having only
sleepcrs and umbcrs lald lenglhwisc, for the
rails to be fastened upon. the wheels of the
car thrown off fell through into the water
this, OF course, causing the forward part OF
lac ear To strike with great violence upon
the bridge, until II was completely demol-
lshed, nothing being left Of n but mere
mass Of boards. IL Is statc0. though Of this
nothing il known with certainty, that the
second class car contained fifteen passengers.
Six persons were killed instanlly-not one
individual manlesting any signs of life when
they were picked up. Three other persons.
two men and one woman, were injured-one
had two conluslobs on his head, which rem
dered him slightly delirious-the other had
his arms badly bruised. and the woman was
bruised in the arm and leg. Six escaped
without injury. One man who escaped un.
hurt, and who was sitting in the back part.
snys that all he saw was the car flying into
pieces, until q mere bunch Of boards was
strewed around him.
The bodies were wounded and nanped
in the most dreadful manner. In one case,
the tba, in the leg of one man, was left
bare, sticking out from the flesh, the lower
part Of the leg being bent like a bow-in a.
mother, the scalp wG lying on the ground in
one spot, The brains in another, and the body
in another, the whole lying at quite distance
apart. So manged were The bodies that
they could with difficulty be recognized even
bv their nearest friends.
The accident is stated to have been eau
sed in this manner: As the cars passed the
ship yard bridge, over Charles River. a man
who Is connected with the Railroad observed
that the coupling rod, which connects the
two brakes, Cor the wheels on the right and
left sides, was loose and dangling. The
cars ran but a short distance from this point,
when this rod broke, fell under the wheels,
the cars on the Worcester Railroad, we are
lnomed, chains are connected, whose only
duty it is to prevent an accident Of similar
character To the one detailed. These are
mere safety chains, and in case the rod
breaks prevent its falling on the track. The
car injured belonged to the Western Rail-
road Corporation, and was unprovlded with
these chains.
The bodies were brought to this city
Coroners Pratt and Smith went to view them,
but Old not deem It necessary to hold an in
quest. No names were definitely ascertain
ed, though It is quite probable that one of
the dead persons was a Mr.. Frye, Of Ports
mouth, N. Ii. Coroner Pratt, from whom
we obtained the following particulars. says
he believes that all the individuals killed
were Americans but one. They had but
little money about their persons. some 81 or
50 ; one o.theln had a watch. ln some Gu
ses, there were few papers, affordng slight
indications OF the names of the parties. ln
one or two instances, the pockets Of the
clothes were torn away, SO that 1t was utter
ly impossible to sny whether they contained
articles or not, by winch the bodies might be
identified.
The following is the description of the
bodies and dress
No. Light hair, light complexion, cot.
ton striped jncket. dark vest, grey salnet
pants, cotton handkerchief, common SHIRT,
and boots; appears 10 be about 80 years OF
age feet 8 inches lull
No. =. Brown haIr, green boizc Jacket,
plaid vest Dluc shT', dark striped kersey-
mere pants, and boots 20 to % years OF age .
% teei inches tail.
No. }-Brown hair, large sandy whiskers.
reaching under the chm. white shirt. dark .
top coat, drawers black velvet vest, striped
,at,nct pants.-25 To 2S years of age--5
feet inches tail. From papers and orders
about the per'on, II - supposed that this
man brlongcd t. Conurc,icut
No. J. LIGHT compl" "xIon, dark brown
broadclolh coat, SIX pi,Id vest, black pants,
drawers. aud bno.- % to 80 ycurs Of age
) feet q inches Ia.
No. 3 Brown hair. 'ack frnck coat. black
cloth vest. red larn"l shirt. bark pin,s-
stout built weighs uenry 300 pouuds-25 to
30 years OF age feet 5 inches tall. From
papers found, this mans name is supposed to
b. G. ID. Clark.
No c. Brown whskers. satlnctt sack,
black llnscy vest, cotton shirt, linen bosom,
,bout 40 years old.
Another man was picked up on the rnilroad.
w hen discovered, he was breathing, but he
died m n few moments. The spot where
le was found was some distance from the .
place where the acciden, occurred How
his man came to his death is not known
There was no brulse upon him TO show
hat he had been run over by a train
Whether he was drunk or not, and fell off The !
,ars. IS a matter of uncertainty. lie was an,
Irlshman, and was dressed in black pants
,luc overals, striped vest, and.green jacket.
Boston atlas.