The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-04-13
Fearful Accident!
MlRAeuLous EscArr or 100 PAssrNaEns

Al nbout o'clock on Monday evening, ms
fhe New York train from Boston. upon the
Norwich and Worcester Railroad, was APP
pronching Baskerville, about I miles tte 9th.
or side OF Webster, they came to bridge
known as Mnson'a Bridge. which crosses n
small factory stream A. the engineer, Mr.
John Hyde, Touched the bridge, he felt IL
swcrVe, and Immediately putting on f'Ili
head of sleam, attempted To cross. Just rs
the locomotive reached tho other side, the
bridge gave way The engine broke from
the tender, and remained upon the trnck; tho
tender and crate car also cleared the bridge,
hut were thrown from the lrnck. tearing OIL
a rail, which went through tho crate-cur aud
one OF the crates, The second class car
broke IN Two pieces, and one portion fell in.
to the river The next caHlull of passengersl
dropped down with the bridge, but did not
reach the water, the timbers Of the bridge
supporting IT, The third car was thrown
upon one end, and all the seats hut three
broken. This car was full OF passengers,
who suddenly found themselves thrown into
a heap al one corner Of the car. To add to
the confusion, the car took fire from the
Stove. bUr tnrtunHtuty ttIu tiru WINS promptly
eXtingushcd The alarm OF the pa ssengers.
at this moment, can loo better imagined Than
COMMUNICATION rurtr order t,ai been pc
stored, md time given to look Rbou!, II was
found that not a passenger haul u bOsiC broken,
though several were considerably bruised -
As near ~ can he ascertnined, there were
about one hundred passengers on board the
train, of whom sXty-three were from New
Hampshire and Vermont, bound TO Caliior-
mia, who came over the Nashua Road, and took
the ttaiIa- ~ -MoFceAieI--At about twelve o..
clock, nearly the whole Of the passengers,
their baggage having been transferred across
the river, proceeded on their journey 10 New
York, some with slight bruises, but most of
them, barring their fright, 10 MS good condi-
ton as when they started from Worcester
The only person killed, was brakeman,
named John Gallagan. He was standing
upon the platform at the time Of the disaster,
aid was proDaeis sirick- =, sifanels on the
head and in the abdomen. A passenger
who was also standing upon the platform,
escaped without a bruise. Another brake
man named John Moran was badly bruised
and cut, aud it was feared, nj last accounts,
mo might bleed To death, His nose was par
tally severed from his face. The conductor
oflhe train, Mr. w. Richardson, WINS consid-
erably bruised, but was able to keep his feet
until the extent of the disaster was ascertain
ed, when he wns taken to Webster. The
bridge in question was about sixty feet long,
and about ten feet from the water, which is
at present eight feet deep. The engineer
has orders not to run fast across the bridge,
aud il was only when hO felt the bridge GO
ing, that he put on steam, and went across.
The accident caused considerable detention
to trains, and the steamboat train from New
York, via Norwich, had not reached this city
at O'Clock. The officers ofihe road are at
the scene Of tho disastet, making every sx-
ertion to clear off the wreck Of tho broken
cars. AS TO the cnuses of the accident, which
4t+s thus hasaEeled the lives foyer one hum
dred human beings, and caused the death OF
at least one, nothing can be said with certain
~ ut present. II is 70 be hoped thar thor
ough investigation will be made, and the
danger OF recurrence of n similar event most
rigidly guarded against for tho future Bos-
Ion Traveller.
ar Franklin TOwusrud Esp trA.sl was