Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-11-22
TERRIBLE RAIL ROAD DISASTER !
The NOrwalk Tragedy Reproduced.
a LOGON tive and Part of n Train Run
Into Charles River.

met with Il terrible accident at about ten min
utes before seven, just before reaching the
depot in this city. The train consisted of an
engine, tender, smoking car, and three long
passenger cars, and was full of passengers,
residents of various suburban towns. Every
thing was all right with the train until it had
reached the last draw bridge in Charlestown
before entering the city. This bridge is a
double one, half of which was closed at the
time, and the bridge tender was engaged in
closing the other half. The tender states that
he had the signal up for the train to stop.
When the train came along, it stopped be-
yond the draw, as usual, for few moments,
and then came on slowly. The merning was
very dark and foggy, a heavy rain was falling,
and the probability is that the engineer, Mr..
Simeon Garland, could not see the signal.
The train, at a slow rate of speed. approached
the open draw, which was doubtless seen by
the engineer too latelto avert the catastrophe.
The shrill whistle was heard giving the alarm
The engineer attempted to save himself by
leaping off the machine, and in so doing prob
ably struck the side of the bridge and dropped
into the water. He was saved by the crew of
schooner near by, badly injured internally
The engine and the tender fell through the
opening, and were buried out of sight in the
water. Next came the smoking car, which
was full of passengers, estimated at some for
ty or fifty, which also made the fatal plunge,
one end-that used for the baggage-going
down into the water so that it disappeared for
nearly two thirds of its length, probably rest
ing upon the engine and tender beneath.
When the smoking car went down, accord
ing to the description of gentleman who oc-
cupied front seat in the car, the shrill
whistle was heard, which created much con-
fusion In the crowded car; sort of humping
noise followed and then the car went over
sinking down and throwing the passengers in
heap at the forward end the water rushing
IN in every direction. For a few seconds
they remained piled in heap, and then came
the struggle for life. Mr.. Gallagher of Mel
rose, who was in the car, by desperate eff
fort, succeeded in extricating himself from
the crowd, crawled out of the window of the
car, dropped into the water, and was rescued
by rope thrown to him from the bridge.
Many others of the passengers succeeded in
escaping from the windows, while some made
their way through the door at the rear end of
the car.
The persons upon the bridge tore up the
plankS and threw them to those in the water
for floats, which probably saved some lives
At least thirty of the passengers went under
water, but a considerable number of these es-
capped. There was great confusion through
out the whole train when the accident oc-
Cured, especially amongst those in the first
passenger car, which, fortunately, stopped on
the extreme edge OF the chasm Deacon
Corcoran of Melrose, and other passengers
IN this car, jumped out of the windows, while
others made rush to the door and jumped
out. The tide was high at the time of the ac-
cldent The names of the draw-tenders are
James McGee and Michael Comontort
Where the blame rests for this accident it
is not for us to say. 1t does not seem to rest
with the conductor or engineer. 1t was a reg
ular train, coming in daily within a few min
utes of the time when the accident happened,
and the draw should have been closed. The
whistle Of the engine was sounded several
minutes before reaching the bridge, and pas
sengers remarked that it sounded unusually
long. The draw is that nearest the Boston
side, the regular one by which vessels pass
up the channel toward the other bridges. 1t
is double draw, or two draws side by side.
one of which on the outward line was shut
and this inward one open.
NARROW ESCAPES.
In the forward or baggage part of the smok
ing car, separated from the rest of the car by
partition was a had named Frank Litch, a
son of Samuel Litch, the pavior, of this city.
The front of the car must have been badly
smashed against the tender, because he him
self was thrown out into the waler. That
was the first he knew of the accident, and be-
ing a swimmer he struck upwards. He came
in contact with two objects as he rose, but
gained the surface in safety and climbed
ashore.
MIR. Callaghan, a tailor, of Melrose, sat in a
front seat in the smoking room. Finding him
self in the water, he made his way up towards
the back door OF the car till he got his head
out of water, and holding on with his hand
out of a window, he reached down and assisted
others up. He thinks no one in the smoking
room could have been lost. Among those in
the smoking car was Mr.. Wheeler, the news
paper dealer at the Maine depot in this city,
He got out, and aided others also to escape
George Hagar, car repairer, was somewhat
injured while escaping from the smoking car.
He was taken to his home at Charlestown.
VIM. Remck of Melrose reports that he
was the last man who got out OF the car. He
was sitting in the rear end of the car, and SAYS
that they all were thrown to the forward end
together. He helped man out before he got
out himself. Charles Perry, of Maiden, es-
capped through window and swan to Il pier
lie sand that there were four or five behind
him when he escaped. Edward, son of p B.
Holmes, Of Maiden, was sitting in the forward
part Of the smoking car He says that part
of the car went under water and Immediately
filed. Finding that he could not breathe in
the car he stopped down, opened the window
and escaped. He thinks most of those in the
car with him escaped. The watch in his
pocket stopped at seven minutes of seven
o'clock. The engineer, Mr.. Garland, has
wooden leg. He was injured in railroad ac
cident about year since. Physicians, upon
examination, say that he was not fatally in
Jured, and he was sent home.
Nearly all the carS windows were found
open, as the smoking car was raised One or
two Of the windows were entirely broken out,
IN the efforts of those inside to escape. The
news of the accidern, in an aggerated shape,
spread about the city with great rapidity, and
large crowd assembled about the depot to
learn the particulars, some having friends on
board.
The forward part of the smoking car was
raised from the water at about IL O'Clock, and
two bodies were taken out of the ruins of it.
The baggage room and front platform were
completely smashed to pieces, but the parti-
ton between that and the smoking room was
left entire. The two bodies were taken to the
car house on the Charlestown side, where the
other two bodies had been carried. These
four make all that are known to be dead, and
their names and occupations are as follows -
Justin Il. Holt, drowned in the baggage
room, silver platter, at 96 Union street. He
resides in Somerville, and was As or so years
OF age. k. ii. Dyer of Somerville drowned
IN the baggage room, works in the DEMO &
Roberts building, on Causeway street. APP
pears about 30 or 35 years of age. Leaves
wife and two children. Harvey C. Taylor,