Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-09-06
NEW JERSEY RAILROAD ACCIDENT
FULL PARTICULAR:


NEW JERSEY RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
L- FULL PARTICULARS.
The New York papers give full particulars of
the catastrophe On the Camden and Ambey
Railroad. The following particulars we take
from the New York Times -
The morning mail.triin left Phihdelphia at
~ A. NJ, and reached Burlington (twenty
miles) few minutes ahead of time-say u quar-
ter OF an hour after ii o'clock. There were
sac passenger cars in the train. By the rules
OF the Railroad Company, the train first arriv-
ing ut Burlington, which is the place for the
meeting Of the trains, is to wait ten minutes,
and IT the other train does not arrive then, the
first is entitled to the road both trains to run,
looking for each other. There is but q single
track.
The up-train waited, according to orders, Tor
the train from New York, and then came on
When about three miles this side of Burline ton
the trains met, saw each other in season to re-
vease, reversed rapidly, and the train which had
lett Burlington II few minutes BEFORE ran back
for two miles, until it had reached cross road
half o mile this side of Burlington.
AT this point, wagon with two horses, driv-
en- by Or. Hannegan, an old physician, residing
just out OF Burlington, was crossing the, track as
ne tram PACKED The hind car struck the houses
killing them Instantly, and this caused that car
TO be fllrown from the track, while those in
front piled up on top of it. -Four out of the
SIX cars were thrown off the track in this man
ner, and three of them were utterly DESTROYED
Iney were all well filled with passengers nearly
all OF whom were injured more or less seriously,
and 1t is feared that the number who were killed
eot'lght was even greater than we have an
houhced above. The accounts gathered how
ever indicate that TwENrY-THREE persons are
khied. while not less than seventy were injured
NciDENTs.-Mr. l.. A. Phillips, costumer of
this city, had his wife and small child, six
/ years OF age, on this train. At six o'clock last
evening he received dispatch from Burlington,
signed simply Phillips" which he supposed
was from his wife, requesting him to come on
immediately. On the arrival of the late train
ne iound u gentleman on board who informed
nun That he had rescued his (Phillips') wife
from the ruins of car. Her first inquiry was,
) ." here is my child!" 1t is vet unknown
whether the child is safe or not. We may state
In this connection, that the telegraph operator
IN Jersey City refused to transmit the answer
which MIR. Phillips desired to send to his wife.
on the plea that his Office hours wera over
Mr. James Z. Ray, hosiery merchant, of this
city, was on board the third car from the end
r Of the train. He states that the car in front,
being the fourth which was thrown off, passed
entirely over the car in which he was, making
a leap OF about fifteen feet, and grating the one
under 1T. Mr.. Ray escaped with slight inju-
ries. He says that the appearance of the wreck
was frigf tful in the extreme The hind car and
the ono next to it were dashed into small frag-
ments. OF the car in which he was riding,
D there was nothing left but few backs and the
trucks.
Mr.. Benjamin K. Mills, of Bridgeport, Ct,
came on in the late train The car where he
was, he says, flew into fragments instantly A,
the first conclusion those in the rear part of the
car rushed forward, and he had just risen to
beg them for Gods sake to sit still, when, before
D he knew what had happpned, he saw the win
dows and timbers flying in every direction.
gentleman named Humphrey, of Peoria,
ILL.,, was sitting on the same seat with Mr.. Mills,
and had just been taking his counsel as to the
best route to Boston. He was killed by his side,
the back of his head being completely cut off,
MIR. Mills says that the first he knew, he found
e that he was going through the bottom of the
| car, and thought his last hour had come. He
fell among the trucks, his face in the sand and
, his throat across u bar Of iron. His leg was
badly confused, and he suffered somewhat from
internal injuries.
Mrs. j. I. Leay, of this city, was very slight
ly injured, but lost one thousand dollars worth
Of jewelry.
CAUSES OF THE ACCIDENT-The conductor Of
q this train was Isaac Van Ostrand. The eng.
6 neer was Mr.. Adams. We have heard Mr.. Var
Ostrand's conduct censured in the highest terms
1t is said that he was entirely incapable of di
: rectlng, and the engineer was not much better
Neither took any active part, and we are in.
formed that the passengers even threatened VIC
j lence to the conductor 1t is not fair, however
Q to charge the accident upon either the conductor
or the engineer 1t seems to have been occa
stoned more by the inadvertance of Dr. Hanne
r gan in driving upon the track without due pre-
eau ton than from any neglect of duty upon tn,
part of the engineer or conductor. 1t is saiC
n that DR.. Hannegan is hard of hearing and di,
J, not hear the train. His family was with hin
in the wagon, but all escaped unhurt Tn
train was backing, us We understand it, at tn
rate of twelve miles an hour when it struck tn
b horses. We have heard it stated that Dr. Han
negan was warned by a girl standing in the doc
], OF the house on the cross roads, that the trail
q was Approaching, but paid no attention. |
was, however, very unusual for a train to bac
at this point.
The Tribune gives the following:
The train being on the move backward. tn
engineer did not sec The horses and carriage, an
O was not aware Of the collision until he saw ON
OF the carriage-wheels lying on the track as tn
!. engine passed over it. The conductor saw tn
horses and carriage, and apprehended that th
!. train would strike them, bal the bell-rope wa
!, out of order, 50 that he could not warn the en-
gineer. lie started through the cars, for tn
purpose of doing this in person, but was to-
q late; and the car and horses struck before h
could get there. The conclusion threw the frs
passenger car off the track, and down an EN-
: bankment eight or ten feet high, and with tn
: momentum that the train had at the time. tn
next two passenger cars were drawn down, on
q after the other, on top of the first, while tn
$ fourth was thrown clear over all of them will
!. tremendous force. The fourth passenger ca
!. becAine detached from the baggage car, an,
this. together with the engine and tender, wa
lett on the embankmcnt above, and very littl
9 injury was done to these cars, or those who oc
cupied them.
o The four passenger cars which went down tn
: cmbankment were literally broken into frag
ments, and the wood work of one of them wa
reduced to pieces, none of which were over fou
' inches wide, every pannel having been orushe
= apart.
II Here followed scene which those who behel
t 1t represent nB truly appalinV---one that woul,