Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-23
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
SATURDAY, JUNE IS, 1870.
The Vermont and Massachusetts
Railroad Accident.

We Siean from our exchanges full par
ticulars of the terrible railroad acciden
on the Vermont and Massachusetts, Rail
road, on Thursday, of which we CAV
some account in our Geographic columns
yesterday morning.
The morning train from Boston owe
the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad
on Thursday, met with most unfortnn
ate accident about half-past 10 o'clock a
"Long Bridge between Royalston an
Athol, being almost completely wrecke,
by collision with hand car. 1t seem
that Mr.. Morse, the section master, mis-
taking the hour indicated by his watch
and thinking that he had ample time t
reach Royalston before the train fror
Boston arrived here, started with on
man on hand car from Athol in that di
rection. A sharp curve in the road on tn
Koyalston side of Miller's river prevented
him from seeing the train (which was ap
preaching at full speedy until he entered
the bridge at one end, the train entering
the other end about the same time TIL,
engineer of the train had just gone to thu
front end of the engine, leaving his engine
in charge of the fireman, who, seeing thu
hand car, whistled "down breaks" but i
was too late.' The section men Jumped
from the hand car and caught in the brace
OF the bridge, just as the engine strucl
the car, completely demolishing it. In
stantly, an iron bar on the hand cal
caught under the engine, throwing il
from the track. The wheels of the engine
displaced the timbers of the bridge and
the baggage car, when it came to the
weakened spot, fell through into the river
below. The first passenger car followed
in such way that its front end shot I'M
der the rear end of the baggage car. The
second passenger car fell endwise, re-
naming in so nearly a perpendicular
position as its wrecked condition would
allow. The last car did not go down, the
forward truck only falling through the
bridge.
After the cars had gone down, the en-.
CINE was pulled down backward, the ten.
der falling first, then the engine going
down leaving the forward end of the
frame caught in the bridge. The engineer,
being n front of his engine, did not fall
and right knee in the collision. He i'm
mediately went into the river, and with
what assistance he could get, commenced
throwing water on the heated portions of
the engine, continuing till all danger
from fire was passed. But for his prompt
ness and courage, the bridge would have
taken fire and the calamity would have
been aggravated in fearful degree.
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED.
Most of the passengers in the last car
escaped with slight scratches and bruises,
but those in the other cars were maneled
in horrible manner. Four persons were
fatally injured, the list being as follows !:
Mrs. Brewer of Royalston, an aged lady
who died shortly after being taken to the
Methodist church in Athol; johnson, a
man who sold popped corn on the train,
killed instantly; Conner, laborer going
from Lowell to the Hoosac tunnel, who
was dead when taken from the wreck :;
and Mrs Jonas Turner of Royalston, who
suffered a compound fracture of the right
leg near the ANGLE, and was also injured
on the head and internally. She survived
the accident but few hours.
The wounded, who number about
twenty, were (: III. M. Jones, fireman, COM
pound fracture of wrist and cut in the
face and arm; A. S. Whitcomb, mail
agent, two ribs broken; George M How
ard, brakeman, injured severely in the
head and internally; A. G. Doolittle of
Gardner, leg broken William M. Elliott,
baggage master, hurt severely; Mrs. Levi
Wheeler, severely in the head; A. II.
Rockwell, express messenger, cut over the
right eye; Miss l.. l.. Bullock of Royal
ton, injured ON the head NJ M. Field of
Tauaton; p. S. Young of Boston; Mrs.
Charles Dean of Sunderland; John MUIR
ply of Lowell; John Murphy, Cd, of
Lowell; Miss Emily Sibley Of Athol
Miss Jennie Bruce of Royalston William
A. Foster, engineer, lip and right knee |;
Mrs. Ellen King and infant child; Mas
ter Theodore Jones, head slightly injured ;
Nettie Whitaker, Alice B. Mather, Sally
Fish and Angelina Laters. Most of the
ten last men toned were not seriously in.
jured.
CARE FOR THE WOUNDED.
When Conductor Bangs, with his train
from Greenfield, arrived at Athol, where
he should have met the Inflated train, he
telegraphed to Royalston and learned that
the train had left that place on time.
Fearing an accident had happened, he
moved forward slowly, and, when within
half mile of the bridge, he met a man
from the other train who informed him of
what had happened. Mr.. Bangs took
such of the wounded as had been removed
from the train and returned to Athol for
assistance and was soon at the scene of
the accident again. The people of Athol
were ready to an individual to render
what assistance they could. Word was
sent to other towns, and physicians came
to the aid OF the local physicians in re-
lieving the sufferers. About half the
wounded were taken to the Pequoig
House, where Landlord Bangs did all in
his power for their relief and comfort.
Many more were taken into the vestry
of the Methodist church. and some were
taken to private houses.
INCIDENTS OF THE DISASTER.
Mr.. b. Il. Bartlett of Groton Junction
was riding near Mrs. Brewer and Mrs.
Turner at the time of the accident. Hear
ing the whistle and the crash he slipped
between the seats to the floor, and escaped
with few slight cuts ON his head.
Mrs. King was sitting in the last eur
and the shock threw her child, eight
months old, through the window. She
held the child, and would have been car
ried through the window but for gem
tfeman who caught her. The child re-
ceived several severe cuts on the face, and
a bad bruise on the forehead. 1t was a
sadly touching sight, the little patient
sufferer covered with blood, looking won
deringly and pleadingly into the faces of
those who noticed her. Mrs. King was
on her way from her parents home in
Ashburnham to meet her husband at
Shelburne Falls.
Charles w. Davenport of Athol was
sunsturck while at work removing the
killed and wounded from the train; and
r. w. Waterman of the same place, while
assisting at the wreck, had leg hurt.
Mr.. Holden, conductor of the wrecked
train, was in the last car at The time of
the accident and escaped unhurt.
Mr.. Moore, the section master, acknoWl
edged his mistake in time was the cause
OF the accident. He is said to be as care
ful a man as there is on the road, respon-
III