Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-11-05
The Accident at Athol.

We condense from the Springfield Republ-
can an account Of the late shocking accident at
Athol. The first news Of Il reached US in let
ter from Mr. Jonathan Davis, Of this town, re-
ceiyed Thursday night, and we issued an extra
giving the most important Particular
On the Vermont and Massachusetts Rail Road,
about four miles south Of Athol, between four
and FIVE O'Clock T.. nj. OF Wednesday, 9th ult.,
a train Of freight cars, in passing n new bridge
over Miller's river, broke through, and two ears
and the locomotive were precipitated to the bot
tom, distance Of 20 feet There were eleven
ears in the train, but only two, loaded with iron
and spike, went down, drawing amer them the
locomotive. Upon these were thirteen men, four
Of whom, including the engineer (Mr Wood
bury), and the fireman, were Immediately killed
a fiji died on Thursday morning. Five others
are dangerously wounded, and the other three
more or less hurt
The following are the names Of the FIVE who
were killed MIR Woodbury,of Charlestown,th
engineer; Mr. Il. +. King, and Mr. Francis Hun
toon, Of West Acton; Mr. Wiley, Of Baldwins-
vile, and Mr. Thompson, Of Grafton; all but the
last named being employed upon the road. Oh
the wounded, Mr. Whitney, the freight master
belonging to Shirley, was in dying condition nj
last accounts, and would not probably live long
He has not had bis senses since the accident
lie was found near the steam valve, and is sup
posed 10 be scalded internally. When the bridge
began to give way he was sitting upon the tend
err and Jumped towards the abutment Of III,
bridge, but missed IT, and fell with the fragments
Mr. Joshua Lincoln, had both legs broken. The!
have been set, and he is doing well. Mr. Rey
nolds, attached to the read, IS badly but not ia
tally injured. Mr. Whtmore, the ticket-maste
at Baldwinsyille, is but slightly injured, and
L l. g. anil
Baldwin, both Of Baldwinsyillc, were also injuE
ed, but not severely.
Persons who left the scene Of the disaster o
Thursday evening state that the whole Of th
bridge is in the river. Ii was 1855 feet long, an
the abutments were 2s feet apart. The distanc
from the bridge to the waller Is 20 feet III
whole weight upon tie bridge at the time Of III
accident was between so and 60 tons, Of whic
but about % tons was railroad iron. A lghts
engine, with iron, passed over the bridge fe
DAYS previous to the disaster
Il Z stated that young man who had Jumpe
upon the train Just previous TO its crossing u
bridge, heard the bridge crack and leaped ini
the water, from whence be swan ashore, an
was not in the least injured. He stated that Il
bridge swayed side ways before it wholly gn'
way.
The Boston Courier says that portion Of Il
road where the accident occurred had not bee
opened for travel, and the bridge had not bee
accepted by the corporation. IL was built
Messrs Body & Stone, Of Springfield, and Il
breaking is attributed to defective iron rods
the centre.
Mr. Whitney, a freight conductor on the Fitc
burg Railroad, mentioned above as severely ]
jured, has since died Of his wounds This max
six lives lost by the unfortunate casualty. Il
others who are hurt, are all likely to recover