The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-09-08
>JHE NAuGATUcK RAILROAD ACCIDENT.


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Fall Harticuiars-EIsht Live. Lsst-Fsur .
the BPdies Found-vsrdict Of the Coroner
Jury.\ -
The NsegAxuck Railroad sccidsnt-of which the tsIs
graph, always aconic in its utiersnces ana limited q
facts. hard facSs, sometimes very hard facts gave
paragraphic summary yesterday morning-proves Il
have been an occurrence OF uncommonly narrowing
interest, as well from the of the casualties
sutng As from the number OF deaths thereby incurred
No accident has happened upon Eastern road
raj years. which has created in It's immediate vicinity
sensation so painful and general About two miles from
the small town Of Thomaston the Nauaatuck Railroad
crosses consider able tributary Of the Naugs,uck river
junction between this tributary which Of consider
able width at this point and NaugatucI takes place
about half mile south OF the scene OF the disaster.
The facts OF the occurrence are as follows
Late on Thursday night. rather early on Friday
morning. Just as the engine had passed the bridge that
structure loos'net probably by the weight OF this rav
and not having been subjected to critical examination
since the heavy rain of few hours before, suddenly
sank IN that portion occupied by the baggage car The
carcoupns was torn asunder instantly and the vehicle
lse containing sixteen persons, OF whom fifteen were
employees OF the company sank suddenly into the river
and was whed over and over and By the swollen
nood me force OF the current acting upon The baggage
car already at its mercy. swung round with sufficient
momentum TO draw the forward passenger car from the
track ana head IL down the in the wake OF the
vehicle already submerged At this point, however,
the coupling OF the passenger gave way,
and the inmates were saved by fortunate acci-
dent from PARTICIPATION the fato OF The
sixteen who had gone before. The passenger car was
thus left with the forward end swung round at right
angles from the track and three feet of water
and, saving fright and bruises the passengers escaped
unframed. Meantime the baggage car, with lis lated
SIXTEEN swept down the with singular velocity
the stream being swollen to six eight feet more than
Its usual depth by tho giving of dam, known as
Wilson'S dam, about three miles above the bridge Iae
vehicle, made whrgig OF by the current, in ton
minutes had passed the junction OF the stream with the
Naugatuek and still continued fonndering In the cur
rent. Two miles further 1t was swept along with dizzy
rapidity the dam at Thomaston, and mile fur
Their after that leapun II finally grounded ono mile
below the village and three miles from the scene Of
the occurrence. So rapid the motion OF the
current and swiftly the hurried along by the
freshet that foot with the utmost running were
unable to keep pace with It, and horses impressed
into service TO enable the rescuers follow in easy wake
OF the shrekng sufferers During the singular voyag,
three persons all trackmen were washed oil from tho
vehicle and succeeded in gaining the Shore and when
last the unfortunate mpromptu craft made fast
five Others also trackmen who had chung to the debris
throughout its dreary voyage down the river and over
the Thomaston dam were taken OF with sundry bruises
but not seriously hurt
Only one passenger was hurt out of the fifty board
the train and in that single the injury slight
and consisted only of harmless cut upon the head.
The engineer Henry Abel, was considerably though not
seriously bruised, the engine being thrown from The
track and left clnging TO the abutment OF the bridge
The immediate cause OF the disaster,-the remote
though principal cause being the insutciencv OF the
bridge a structure for its purposewas the carry ing
away by the freshet OF dam known as Wilson'S dam,
about three miles above the spot where the accident
happened Al the time of the occurrence, therefore,
the stream, stated by Mr. A burs, conductor Of the
train, must have been some eight or nine feet higher
than usual and had been beating with all the monlcn-
tum of water suddenly let loose and struggling to find
It's level against the insufficient ers OF the bridge,
which, though the newest and sal on the road was
after all safe. The conductor In the first passen-
ger car when the accident took place. and, on getting
out and seeing tho baggage car gone, states thai
having Rp'0 Within three minutes from the moment
OF the accident been swept far out OF sight Th'
scene the swept down the stream, the unhappy
mariners who chung thereto shreSing Tor help. aud
fitting OF shore to and fro with lanterns aud
shOuting 10 the other at the top OF their
voices must syhesls for pom painting which
TO have witnessedi mieht have thrilled with some sort
sensation gull, OF boodless philosopher The
dam at Thomaston which the car was carried was
built upon the principle OF the slOping face and thus
the vehicle was driven without beiuR wrecked IN
its descent though had II not been secured before the
second dam, some miles below had been passed,
both craft and unfortunate mariners must have been
dashed in pieces by the force OF the fall As It was the
roof and doors Of the car were forced OIL oy the cur
rent, circumstance which, no s0ver, contributed more
the saving OF those within than all the rantic hur
rying to and fro the intended rescuers on shore.
Eight persons were last evening reported dead or
missing OF whom the bodles of four found In the
course OF the day Every effort has been made to re-
cove. the bodies Of the missing foa though n1,er
recent thunder storm had 30 affected the telegraph
wires that couple OF messengers had to b. sent on on
foot to convey the intelligence OF tho affair to Water
bury, whence about halfpast eleven O'Clock the next
morning train ed of to the relel OF the
compsnied the tram.
The following are tho names or those whose bodies
have been fond :-Lucus skinner messenger of Adams
Rocher, Of Wooca,vilIs and James Bunbury Of Wool
c0tviIle The latter two were tracksmen-
still missing aud unaccounted for arc the following,
known to have in the at tn. time Of the failing
Of the pier :-John Lofty. foreman OF tho wnstsd d.
vision OF the road John CAVITY, OF Wi lsed; Mr. Quinn,
OF Woolcotvile, and Mr. Mckee. OF Woolcotvile The
last three we're tracksmen
Tho following are the names Of the persons saved
Lawrsnce McDermott, baggage master John Ives, viii
liam LAWYER. Patrick slatterly two tracksmon by the
name Of ODonohue and two others whose names have
not been asceraiHed
Three mail bags lost together with the baggage
OF the a'ty passengers some little OF which, badly
damaged, has been recovered.
Yesterday morning a coroner's Jury was empaneIed
inquire Of the deaths Of the -four whose
bodies had been recovered ~no, after ewing tue
evidence rendered the following verdict In degree
The undersigned jurors being duly empansed and
to inquire into the aud manner Of the deaths
Of Lucius skinner Egbert Spery Patrick Rocner and
James Bunbuy, whose deaths were sudden and untme-
". and the and manner OF which we're Unknown,
having viewed bodes Of said deceased and considered
the evidence given us do oaths that tue said
Lucius Skinner Egbert Sperrv Rocher and James
caused By the cars Of the Railroad being pre-
cipitated through a bridye, which, the minds OF the
Jurors. insufficient structure.
f. ;whitismors. foreman, G. Shelton,
william w. King, j. n. Peck,
=. NJ. Foster, IRAN BevAs
Robert AIcott, David Shelton,
Chauncey Bidwen, John A. Wood,
A troop OF workmen employed BY the company were
busy ell day yesterday dragging the river with hooKs and
appliances but IL Is highly probable that the four
the Nauga,uck into out OF the way crasnss not
plored until the freshet shall have subsidized
TINE HOMICIDE Of JONI orlyMH.