Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-07-04
ON THE RUTLAND
RAILROAD.
THE BAGGAGE CAR, TWO PASSENGER OARS
AND TWO SLEEPING COACHES THROWN
FROM THE TRACK.
FORTUNATE ESCAPE FROM LOSS OF
LIFE OR LIMB.

serious accident a short distance south
of Vergennes, having its origin in the
same causes as the fatal accident, on the
same road, at the Summit, June 9Th,
1870, but, fortunately, unlike that, re-
sulting in no loss of life or serious in
jury to any passenger or employe of
the road. The accident and its fortu-
nate results may serve to remind us of
the very narrow boundary between
death and life, and that the most ample
precautions, the most painstaking vigi-
lance and the utmost watchfulness and
care will not, always, prevent railroad
disasters.
The train, which was made up of one
baggage car, two passenger cars and
three sleeping coaches, with about forty
passengers, drawn by the locomotive
''H. Z. Chamberlain, Moses Pratt, en-
gineer, left Burlington, son time, with
George w. Stewart as conductor, and at
1914, Saturday night, had passed about
one and one-half miles south of Yer
gennes station when, in passing over a
narrow and shallow culvert, the engln
eer feltaj jar. The locomotive, however,
passed in safety, but no sooner had it
crossed and the baggage car was par
TALLY over, when the culvert cayed in
and the track over it gave away, throw
ing the rear trucks of the baggage car
from the rails. The engineer, as soon
as possible, stopped his locomotive, but
not until the couplings of the entire
train were all broken, except those at
taching the engine and tender to the
baggage car. The momentum of the
train, of course, forced the rear cars
forward, and the first, or, as it is called,
the ''Troy passenger car, was forced
from its trucks and hurled to the side of
the fence, distance of some three or
four rods The next ear, the Boston
passenger car" followed, but not so
great distance. Next to this was the
sleeping coach, destined for Boston,
which was forced through the passenger
car in front, while its trucks, keeping
on the road bed, landed in the now open
cuivert. Tie sleeping coach, with
through passengers for Troy, came on
and, fortunately, her trucks too went
into the culyert, resting on the trucks Of
the other car, and filled up the gap,
forming barrier and preventing the
rear coach from passing off the rails.
The entire train was now at a stand still,
the locomotive and forward trucks of
the baggage car and the rear passenger
coach being on the iron, but with tenn
porary impossible barrier between them.
The two passenger coaches, now truck
less, were south of the gap, while two
of the sleeping coaches were partially
without trucks and off the track north
thereof. An examination demonstrated
that the recent heavy rains had under
mined the bed of the culycrt, so that,
with the jar of the train, proceeding at
It's ordinary rate of speed, it had given
away, and that no examination or pre-
caution would, probably, have served to
have disclosed the weakness or have
prevented the accident The two pas
senger cars arr badly d"moisAed and
broken up, bat the damage ~ lie re-
mander of the train are comparatively
slight. It was expected That l!ie track
would be cleared, yesterday, 2nd IL"
culyert replaced and road BED repaired
so as to cause no delay In the running Of
the trains to-day.
The0nly person injured, to any ma
terial extent, was Thomas Wing, one of
the brakemeI, and he, although seriously
hurt and left with the sleeping coaches,
was not considered dangerously injqred.
After ascertaining the extent Of the
accident and examining into the cause
thereof, work was at once commenced
and the rear trucks of the baggage car
replaced on the track, to which car the
passengers were transferred and brought
to Rutland, arriving here at three
o'clock Sunday morning.
REV. Mr.. AUsfIa's ADRRFss. - The
audience that attended the address of
Rev L. A. Austin, principal of Burr
and Burton Seminary, at Manchester,
Thursday evening, in connection with
the anniversary exercises of the Rutland
Graded School, was small, shamefully
small, for Rutland, for the occasion and
for the address itself.
Rev. William J. Harris, President of
the Rutland Board of Education, pre-
scented Rev. Mr.. Austin to the audience,
who then proceeded to deliver an admir-
able, scholarly, Inappropriate and eloquent
full of sound and sensible sug-
gestions and advice to parents and teach
ers His subject, as announced, was
''The College" but was, in fact, "the
of a higher culture" We
regret that we have not room for full
abstract of this most admirable address,
but must content ourselves by simply
saying, that he advocated the study of
the classics, mathematics, etc, not only
as means of disciplining the mind, but,
also, as serving to develop the moral
part of mans nature The address was
listened to, throughout, with marked at
tention.
Personal.