Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-04-24
Thc Providence and Nfonington
Accident.
THE STORY OF THE DISASTER.

The steamer Stonington arrived ut
Stonington at about two O'Clock this
morning. There were aboard of her 10
passengers, who took the half-past two
o'clock train from that place for Provi-
dencc and Boston. At Richmond switch
a dam across a small mill stream had
been carried away, letting the force of
the water from Ennis pond, which sup
plies the water for a grist mill, down
mon the railroad bridge, located about
800 feet distant. completely washing ii
away. AS no one lived near the pond
the breaking away of the dam was net
known until the train, freighted with
10 souls. was thrown into the chasm
made b. the swollen stream One of
the iron rails on the opposite track was
driven completely through the engine.
The engineer, William d. Guile, of
Providence. and the fireman, George
Eldred, of Wexford, were killed. They
both died at their posts, Guile with his.
hand on the throttle of the engine, and
their charred remains have been taken
from the wrecked locomotive. When
the train ran into the ChaSm the engine
made fearful leap, passing over the
stream and Embedding itself IN the OPP
posite embankment. Shortly after the
engine plunged into the abyss fire COM
municated TO the first-claSs and OHe
sccUnd-clasS passenger car, and these
were burned, with a large number of
occupants. Many who escaped death
| by the flames were badly injured in
various ways Three other cars, not
passenger cars, however, were also
! burned. They were what are known
! among railroad men az baggage flats.
/ The three cars that contained the bag
! gage and express crates were the means
| of saving the lives of the majority of
| the passengers.
/ THE DEAD AND WOUNDED.
When the work of removing the dead
/ and wounded from the wreck was com
| menced the faces of some of the dead
! recovered were found so distigurcd that
recognition by friends will be necessary
to prove the identity of most of those
lost. Nine bodies have been recovered,
| The bodies recognized are those of W.
d. Guile, the engineer George Eldred.
the fireman, both of whom were burned
to a crisp: Albert Allen, of Providence !;
Jerry Dreamer, Of Boston; and John
| Callahan, of New York. Some reports
give only seven bodies as recovered.
| The conductor of the train, Orrin Gardi-
ner. escaped injury Thomas Nolan,
the through brakeman, was seriously in
iured in the thigh. The other brake
man. however, suffered only slight
wounds, Several bodies, it is thought
have been washed down the stream, as
the food was probably at its hight when
the accident occurred.
The list of those badly hurt numbers
some eighteen or twenty. They are rs
follows, so far as known at present !:
Patrick Burns. of New York, broken
leg Frederick Johnson, of New Bed
ford, a serious skHll wound James
Donovan, of New York, badly bruised
and hurt internally; Dennis Hoiferman,
of Hartford. badly injured i'll the leg :
Patrick Williams. of New York, bruised
badly: Thomas Nolan, badly injured in
thiph. Henry Steiner, or Steine) OF
New York, injured in the back; Joseph
Olmstead. of Providence, rib fractured
and hurt in the body Edward Manigan,
of New York, rib broken and head bad
" hurt i: John Garden, of New York.
head cut: George FL. Vernon, of New
York, injured about the head and legs
William Finley, of Boston, head cut
and injured about the legs &; Dennis
Bohen, of New York, wrist hurt james
Freeman, of New York, flesh wound T;
Mary Bohen, of Boston, leg broken and
otherwise seriously injured; Honora
Bohen, her daughter, skull fractured
John Hollingsworth, bruised; JOSEPH
Phillips, South Preston. legs bruised
Miss Lizzie Evans, of New York, right
ankle fractured and J. d. Eldridge, OF
New York, bruised. Some fifteen more
received slight injuries, but not import
ant enough to warrant mention.
OF the above list, E. Manigan, Johr
Garden. John Hollingsworth, William
Finley, Joseph Phillips, Miss Lille Ev
ans, J. D. Eldridge, and Honora Boher
have been brought to this city. The las
named is so dangerously wounded that
} Is not thought possible that she can 1--we
Her mother, Mrs. Mary Bohen, who wa
also badly hurt, is an old lady OF sevent,
, years. ~, a. oot
astrophe were so disfgured by the flame
that consumed them that they could no
+ be recognized. Their limbs were burne'
off and only their trunks remained. In
, coroner did not hold an inquest on tn
bodies of the recovered dead, deemln|
: such ceremony unnecessary All tn
bodies have been carried to providence
t STATEMENT OF CONDUCTOR GARDNER.
! Conductor Gardner's statement is a
. follows: We left Stonington junction
a quarter past three o'clock, the ma