Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-09-04
Accident on t,,e Hudson River R.R.


The telegraph, Saturday morning, gave
a briet account of collision on the New
York Central and Hudson River Rail
road, Friday morning, which fortunate
" resulted in nothing more serious than
the wounding Of a few persons. We
compile the following particulars from
the New York papers of Saturday:
The passenger train, known as the
first Atlantic Express, left Albany at l
a. m. of Friday, as usual, bound south,
and upon nearing Coldspring Station
came up with an empty caboose stand
inc upon the same track, near Break
Neck tunnel. The engineer, John Rem
ington, slowed down in time to prevent
a collision, and pushed the caboose be-
fore the train, knowing that it must have
been accidentally dropped from the rear
of the Albany freight train, under charge
Of Conductor Brown, which had imme-
diatcly preceded him. The CHOOSE was
pushed down to Coldspring and left on a
siding, and the express continued on its
way. This incident had delayed the
train, so that by this time it was nearly
fifteen minutes late, and was running
nearly on the time of the Second Allan
tic Express, which left Albany at 1:35,
under the direction of Conductor Lee
brum, and was due in New York only
fifteen minutes behind the preceding
train, When the first express reached
Fort Montgomery - forty-fve miles
from New York and seven miles below
Coldspring-it found the freight train
waiting for the arrival of the Caboose.
1t was on the down track, and had stop
ped about 100 rods south of a tunnel, at
a curve in the road, just below Mont
gomery station, the conductor of the
freight train having tagged the passen-
ger train at the tunnel 1t is claimed by
the men on the first express that they
had just stopped behind the freight train,
and had sent out a man with a flag to
warn the approaching down express
train to stop, when the second express
came dashing out of the mouth of the
tunnel ard ran into the rear of the other
passenger train standing on the track.
Both trains fortunately had but few pas
sengers the first consisting of eight
sleeping cars and two or three coaches,
and the second being of about the same
size-together containing not more than
eighty passengers. The second engine
crashed into the rear end of the last of
the sleeping coaches, tealing away about
twenty feet of the flooring and sides,
breaking it badly, and lifting it off the
tracks. The conclusion also forced in
the ends of the other two adjoining
sleeping coaches, breaking them and
throwing all three off the track.
Mr.. e. w. Bedell and wife, of New
York, and Mrs. Elizabeth w. Chaplin
were the most seriously injured.
ACCIDENT ON THE HARLEM ExTEN-
SION RAmRoAD.-An accident occur
red on the Harlem Extension Railroad,
Friday forenoon, at Arlington village,
a few rods north of the station. As the
mail train, E. S. Mcclure, conductor,
from Rutland, was entering the village
about noon, running around curve, it
ran against an extra freight train which
was standing on the track and had not
been switched off in time to prevent the
collision. One passenger was thrown
down and somewhat hurt about the
head, though not seriously, and a little
girl was also thrown down. No others
were hurt. The two engines met, and
remained standing on the track after the
collision. The mail train tender stove
in the next rear car, and one of the cars
on the freight train oYerran its neighbor,
so that the shock was less severe, and
this probably saved the trains from be-
ing thrown from the track.
Superintendent White, with help,
soon came from North Bennington, and
after about three hours delay, the pas
sengers proceeded on their way in freight
cars, extemporized for the purpose.
Favoring circumstances prevented
great loss of life and property, and it is
hoped that this will prove an effectual
warning against similar mistakes in the
future. 1t is said that the conductor of
the freight train, G. G. Woodward, was
warned against leaving it on the track,
but to no purpose.
The Rev. j. Isham Bliss, of Benning-
ton, the Rev. DR.. Cushman of Manches-
ter, and others, were among those on
board the mail train. The track, where
the accident occurred, was considerably
elevated, so that an overthrow of the
cars must have been very destructive of
life, limb and property.
The locomotives Hiland Hall and Lu-