Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-10-02
Fatal Observation-Disclosures on
the Central Road.

Within the last ten days there Ia been an I'M
usual number of accidents on railways, rs well
as the most fatal steamboat cxplo,i,n that has
occurred this season. On one the Maine rail-
road, two persons we're killed and several lnjur.
ga, uy running ravlne whore a nrluge No.
been taken up for repairs On the Slony-sruok
road, Mass, a conductor has been killed by Stri-
king a bridge on the New York and Ere road
there has been a collision, with fatal results; on
one of the Pennsylvania roads a car thrown
down an embankmcnt, killing several persons ;
at Cleveland locomotive exploded with fatal re-
suits and on the Vermont Central road there
has been by far the worst accident that has oc-
Cured since the road was put in operation. On
"Wednesday morning last the through freight
train up, consisting OF forty-thrce double cars
heavily loaded and drawn by a powerful engine,
came in collision with the down passenger train
on u curve short distance below West Hartford
Notwithstanding one baggage and one pas
senger car, well nigh using up both engines, and
injurns eighteen persons on the train. Mr.
Bcckley Morse of Bethel who was in the SER
vice of the road section hand, WAS on a
platform of one of the cars at the time ofthc CO.
lison, and so injured that he died in ten hours.
Mr.. Pratt, who in the employ Of the Compa-
ny as a machInist was also on one Of the plat
FORMS and had both legs and an arm broker. ,ir
Wallace of Newbury was severely wounded in
the head. A son of Maiac naimer of Mortified,
baggare-n.s.s,er, and MIR. Kimba the Conduc-
tor were severely bruised Mrs J. b. Danforth
of Barnard was wounded on the head, and for a
time was thought To be seriously injured, but hap
PLY the event proved Otherwise aud twelve 9th
ers were less severely hurt Deporablc the
extent OF injury was, II is yet wonderful that any
body in the first passenger car escaped. " e
are told that tins car was well filed with passen-
gen and was entirely destroyed, the baggage
ear being forced nearly through or rather under
h-yet nobody in it was dangerously wounded
except persons who were on the platform: osiri-
king exemph6cation of the wisdom Of the rule
Of the C'm"-ay which proiiihils passengers from
standing upon the platforms. The engineers md
hremen escaped by jumping from the engines
To- cause OF the accident is to lac found in a
palpable violation Of the rules ofthe road. The
freight train was behind time, and by the rules
of the road was forbidden to run within fifteen
minutes OF the time of the passenger train. In.
stead OF that II was running on passenger train
time when the collision occurred. or at the best
within seven minutes of ITS time We observe
statement in the Boston Traveller that the
freight tram had ample time to reach West Hart
lord when II left the next station below, Wood.
stock'l but that time was lost BY an accident 10
the uain' ana the chance Of arriving at West
Hartford IN time was quite as good as the chance
OF getting back to Woodstock before the passen-
ger train would be down This statement is de-
MED, however, and it is charged that the engin-
Ger Of the freight train was warned, both al
White River and Woodstock, not to proceed A.
DOPING the most favorable account for the en-
glneer, to wit, that given b. the Traveller, he
was still gailty Of inexcusable violation ofanoth.
er regulation, which requires signals to be sent
FORWARD on curves when one train is compelled
to run upon the time Of another. The accident
Is loud caution to the Central, and every other
road, to employ none but cautious. selfpossessed.
and perfectly reliable men for engineers of their
trains, and rgdy To enforce It's rules for the safe
ty Of human life and property.
r. ;. The Vermont Chronicle intimates that
The engineer is habitually hard drnker," and
leaves At to be inferred that this deporable event
Is chargeable To that bad habit. We know moth.
ing OF the facts, and can neither confirm nor de-
ny the MITIGATION OF the Chronicle; but ws Az
know that If the Chronicle is correct, very i'm.
PoHant regulation OF the Company was neglect.
ed not only by the engineer, bu, by those to
whom he was amenable.