The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-04-16
Fearful Accident to the Norwich Steam
boat Neutrality-suspicious. Escape Of
One Hundred Passengers,

At about o'clock on Monday eve
ming, as the New York tram from Bos-
ton, upon the Norwich and Worcester
Railroad, was approaching Baskerville,
about miles the other side of u ebster.
they came to bridge known as Mason's
Bridge, which crosses small factory
stream. As the engineer, Mr. John
Hyde, touched the bridge, he felt it
swerve, and Immediately putting on
full head Of steam, attempted to cross
Just as the locomotive reached the other
side, the bridge gave way. The engine
broke from the tender, and remained up
on the track the tender and crate>car
also cleared the bridge, but were thrown
from the track, tearing off a rail, which
went through the crale>car and one of
the crates. The second class car broke
in two pieces. and one portion fell into
the river. The next car full of passen>
gers) dropped down with the bridge, but
did not reach the water, the timbers sup-
porting it. The third car was thrown
upon one end, and all the seats but three
broken. This car was full of passen,
gers, who suddenly found themselves
thrown into heap at one corner Of the
car. To add 10 the confusion, the car
took fire from the stove, but fortunately
the fire was promptly ex,inguished. The
alarm of the passengers, at this moment,
eau be better imagined than described.
After some order had been restored, and
time given TO look about, it was found
that not a passenger had a bone broken,
though several were considerably bruised
As near as can be asceri aimed, there
were about one hundred passengers on
board the train, Of whom slxty>three were
from New Hampshire s. Vermont, bourd
to California, who came over the Nash
ua Road, and took the train at Worcester
At about twelve o'clock, near the whole
of the passengers, their baggage having
been transferred across the river, pro,
ceeded on their journey to New York
some with slight bruises, but most o
them. barring their fright, in as good
condition as when they started from
Worcester. The only person killed. wa;
brakeman, named John Gallagan. lie
was standing upon the platform at the
time of the disaster, and was probabl,
struck by timbers on the head and in the
abdomen. A passenger who was also
standing upon the platform, escaped
without a bruise Another brakeman
named John Morgan was badly bruised
anG cut, and it was feared, al last &C
counts, he might bleed 10 death. Hi:
nose was partially severed from his face
The conductor Of the tain, Mr.. w
Richardson. was considerably bruised
but was able to keep his feet until the
extent of the disaster was ascertained
when he was taken to Webster. The
bridge in question was about sixty feet
long, and about ten feet from the water,
which is at present light feet deep. The
engineer has orders not to run fast across
the bridge and it was only when he fell
) the bridge giving, that he put on steam
and went across. The accident caused
considerable detention to trains, and the
steamboat train from New York, viz
+ Norwich, had not reached this city at
O'Clock. The officers of the roa are al
the scene of disaster, making every ex-
) ertion To clear off the wreck of the bro-
ken cars. As to the causes of the acci-
dent, which has thus haZarded the lives
of over one hundred human beings. and
caused the death of al least one, nothing
can be said with certainty at present. II
is to be hoped that a thorough invesil'
CATION will be made, aud the danger o
recurrence Of a similar event most rig
idly guarded against for the future
Boston TrdUeAr,