Connecticut western news., 1871-09-01
More Appalling Disasters.

More Appalling Disasters.
 A terrible accident occurred at Revere, on the Eastern railroad in Massachusetts, last Saturday night, in which twenty four persons were killed outright and between thirty and forty wounded. An express train going at full speed, crashed into the rear of an accommodation train which was standing at the Revere station, and unmer- cifully slaughtered scores of the passengers. At the time of the collision the accommo- dation train had it's red signal lights behind, and the red signal light was hoisted at the mast head of the signal post for the express to hold up, which it did at Everett, but subsequently proceeded and was under full headway, when near Revere station, the engineer evidently not being aware of the proximity of the accommodation train, until within perhaps sixty rods of it. He then whistled ''down brakes" but not soon enough to prevent the calamity. Some of those in the rear part of the accommoda- ton train heard the omnibus whistle, but too late. On came the express train at great velocity, and the engine struck the rearmost car full in the center, and forced it's way in telescope fashion, two-thirds of the length of the car. The smoke stack was instantly knocked off, and the boiler penetrated all of the distance named into the Tear car, the rear part of the latter being smashed into thousand splintcrs, the debris being thrown out on either side of the engine aud tender of the rear half of the Car. Not d fragment as big as house window could be found. The front part of the engine Was utterly demolished, the piston bent and its rods broken. The car was crowded with people, every seat being occupied and many standing in the aisles. In among these the engine rushed, just as the accommodation train had started, mang- ling in the most frightful manner. But this was not the worst visitor the unfortu- nate passengers had. Simultaneously with the collision, the head cap of the boiler was broken, and in an instant the sufferers were shrouded in cloud of hissing steam and boiling water, which brought instant death to many of the wounded, and will prove fatal to others who had probably not been otherwise seriously injured. The lamps spilled thelr contents, and the fire here, if any there was, was undoubtedly extinguishcd by water and steam AL. though the accommodation train was just moving when the collision took place, this motion did not prevent injury to the cars in front of the last one. The coupling between the two rear cars broke, and the platforms of all of them were jammed up together, the smoking car overlapping the baggage car, and rods and timbers were Intentionally mixed and interwoven. For | tunately the entanglement was not so great, but that the passengers succeeded in get | ting out quite speedily. Happily was it for them they did, for the kerosene oil lamps were upset and their contents spilled upon the upholstery, and in an instant the smoking car was in a blaze. The flames travelled with great speed from one car to another, until three of them were embraced in their fiery folds. These subsequently, moved up the track half dozen rods, and left to burn until there was nothing left for the fire to feed upon.
 ANOTHER.
 A mail train bound west on the Philadel- phia and Erie Road, collided with the En- pire freight train goin East between seven and eight o'clock last Saturday morning near Westport, middle division of the Phil adelphia and Erie railroad. Six persons were killed and from l5 to 20 seriously in- jured.
 The passenger train was about an hour late in Williamsport, and running at thirty five miles per hour. The freight train was running eighteen miles an hour The trains meeting on sharp curve were not visible to each other till they were only few yards apart, and their speed not being checked, the baggage and smoking cars o1 the mail train were telescoped, all but { few feet. The passengers in the two cars in the rear are uninjured. Official investi gation shows that the accident was caused by the neglect of the conductor and engi neer of the mail train to obey the order: given them not to pass Westport until the freight train had arrived there. A copy of the order was found in the pocket o1 the engineer, who was believed to be fatally injured, but later intelligence reports hin improving, though still unable to speak