St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-07-30
4 DcgnOHf R0ilFOOd .fcci6cUf.

4 Fremont R0ilIO0d .fcci6cuf.
Under the head of Windharn count
we give brlet particulars Of an accidcr
3 near Rockingham, on the Rutland rail
road. From the following graphic ac
count by correspondent of the Boston
Transcript, who was a passenger on tn
tram, II will be seen that there was
very narrow escape from Il tirst-cla>
horror:
About half way between Chester an,
Bellows Falls is the town OF Rocking
ham, where we had all the elements 70,
the most terrible tragedy that ever hap
pencd in New England. i. not in the
United States. They were these: W,
were going thirty-fve miles an hour ON ;
down Grade, round a sharp curve, with /:
misplaced switch, and POO feet from that
a bridge crossing Il ravinc of rough rock,
50 feet below the track laid on thi,
bridge, To cap the climax. locomo-
tive was following Us, and was coming
! ''i'''i' ''O''i tll' 'tbts ilot hllD"illp Dul
the track was clear, as the engineer CHI
not see the switch until within about 10
yards Of it The engine OIL our train
was fine one-the "Chcster''-
the care of Edward EQss. one of the best
engineers on tie road On rounding the
curV,- ne saw the open switch, and i'll
,tantly reversed the engine and whtStled
for brakes, but the momentum was so
great that the whole tram ran on the
slccpers till the bridge was reached, and
then the engine took a slight turn toward
one side, but being under such Roadway,
it crossed the bridge and plunged head
long down the cmbankment on the oppo-
site side. turning nearly over and with
the driving wheels turiously revolving
us the engineer had not shut off steam
The tender was wrcnchcd from the en-
zine and baggage car, and lay some dis
lance down the bank, while poised at an
anglc of 10 degrees within a foot of the
cl"e OF the bridge. stood the smoking and
first passenger cars one foot more and
the train with its 100 or more men, wo-
men and children would have been dash
ed on those cold, gray rocks, 50 feet be-
low The passengers, when they real
lied their condition, were silent with hor-
ror. 1t would hardly have been possible
Tor one to have escaped if the car had
@onr over the awful brink The engi-
urcr was badly cut AMI bruised, but WAS
able TO walk 10 a house some 50 rods
distant. where medical aid was sent. ami
it was found that though badly hurt no
bones We're broken, and it was thought
he would he able TO be conveyed to his
home in Rutland that evening. He
stuck bravcly 10 hi. engine in the face ct
almost ccrtai. death. The fireman AMI
the depot master OF Chester twho was
on the cngine) escaped with only few
bruises. The baggage was scattered
about among the tres and bushes. and
one trunk rolled down INTO the stream
and tloatcd about until secured bv the
bag@age master. With wonderful pre-
euce of mul. the ba.La.r master rushed
back with a tn" and stopped the comm"
locomotive Just in season to prevent AN
additional catastrophe OF no ordinary
character and yet | was told that al
huu4h the & hester" carried tiag, our
CONDUCTOR lid Lot know it. and that il
'ur baggage master bad been killed. !
here WAS no one on the train to attend
O checkin- the coming cn@inc. Not "A !
passenger received a. much aS a scratch. /
md the Passenger cars We. not injured /
n the least And now it will be asked. .
.'Who was 10 blame p" walked back
o the switch. and found the Jock living
III the ground and the switch wide open
asked, "Who tends this 80 "No one.
,ir: tho company do not allow Us to
nave a key: the conductor of the t-,ight
ram Las the key, and they took car
rom this side track this morning and,
lett the switch open; We have
nothing to do with it," The hand ear
IF the track rcpaircr stood within ten
yards OF the switch. and why he did not
see the DANCER no one can tell