Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-11-26
Wreck of a stock Train in West SPRING


field.
An accident to Shattuck's train, the second
night freight from the west, by which eight
stock cars were demolished and seyenty-three
cattle slain, occurred at Mittineague at about
two O'Clock Sunday morning. The train num-
bered thirty-fve cars, of which the first fourteen
were loaded with cattle for the Brighton market,
for Perkins & I'VE of this city and D. H.
Baldwin of Mittincague. mile up the grade
the engine with the two first cars, which were
to be left at Mittineague for Baldwin, were cut
loose and ran ahead, leaving the conductor and
one brakeman TO control tue main portion of
the train. The engine ran down the grade like
the wind, stopped Just below the station, and
had backed one OF the two cars upon the side
track, when the balance of the train came round
the curve at fearful speed and struck the ear
next the engine, tossing it from the track and
over upon its side. The tender and the first
striking car closed in deadly embrace the en-
CINE reared aloft and fell sidewise in the sand
while the engineer in the top Of his cab and the
first brakeman sailed out into the darkness to-
gether. The momentum of the train was simply
terrific, the first cars stumbled at the PROSTATE
locomotive, then jumped over it, falling head
long beyond; the rest came on, doubling and
writing together, standing straight up an in.
slant us they struck, aud then leaping upward,
piled one upon another, with awful crashes of
wood and iron until eleven cars filled with cat
tie, the engine and the tender, formed pile
twenty feet high by few rods long. The top
of the steam escape was knocked off and the
rush ofescaping steam, mingled with the groans
and believing of the cattle, aroused the vii
layers who hurried to the place.
The agonized noises OF the wounded and dying
cattle were irghttu to hear, and their suffcrin9S
fearful to witness. Mr.. Baldwin was sent for,
and he, with his men, rendered efficient aid by
releasing many OF the uninured cattle, and put
ting an end 10 the sutferings of many of the in
jured. The cars containing MIR. Baldwln's
stock were so far up the side track that only TWO
OF his cattle were killed Perkins & Nye were
less fortunate, and lost every one of their ami
mails. The dead were taken in charge by Mr. Bald
win, and several teams were employed during
the day in removing them to his premises
where, when Invested of their hides, the bodies
will aid in forming manure. Wreckers from
the city were on the spot before O'Clock, and
the work of clearing up the debris at once COM
menced. Many of the confined cattle, as soon
as set free hObbled off, hut others, too severely
injured for this, were obliged to suffer until
some humane human hand put an end to their
lives. The az Dung owl" arrived about O'Clock
and the passengers and baggage were trans
ferred to a train which stood at the eastern side
OF the wreck, and were Immediately conveyed
onward. By y O'Clock the south track was
cleared, and the freight trains which had been
waiting passed on TO the West Springfield yard.
The remnants of the cars were reduced almost
to kindlngs, and looked as little like the
remains OF eleven cars as could be imagined.
The north track was torn up for length of
several rods, but this was at once relaid, and
this morning both tracks will be ready for
travel.
When the wreck was cleared up a little
steer was found uninjured in one Of the cars at
the center of the heap, but nothing could make
HIM leave it. Finally the effort was abandoned
whereupOn the steer, with much snuffing, picked
path to terra dTma, but no sooner had his feet
rested upon the earth :han he rushed at the
nearest gang of wUrkmen. There was sudden
uplifting of pick axes and shovels, then hastier
scrabble for safer localities. One man was fat
and couldn't rum he tried, but the OK thought
of biz kindred slaughtered by man, and gained
on the man, overlook him, and then, grown sud
denly magnanimouS simply tossed the man
into brook near by. He then scattered bevy
OF girls, chased man into the railroad station,
looked for him around the building a few min
utes, and then set off for the hills. Crowds came
and went all day about the scene of the acct
dent, and hundreds walked over from this city
to see the ruin. The fireman had lett the train
to set switch when the shock came, and the
engineer was the only person that was much in
jured, he having several ribs broken. Superin.
tendent Russell visited the spot in the afternoon,
and the train on which he went over drew back
the battered "Charemont and half dozen
platform cars loaded with the debris. The road
will lose about $4,000 by the smash. Whether
the brakeman that was left on the train could
hold thirty-three cars and didn't try, or whether
the wet, slippery track made 1t impossible, is of
little importance in determining who was to
blame. Whoever ordered flying switch made
at that point, where of all Others train should
have been brought to a full stop before switch
ing, was TO blame; and it is to be hoped that
this experience will teach the managers of the
road lesson on the subject, which they will
not fail to impart to the conductors.-Spring.
field ReB ubHcGn