Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-04-23
The StOniDgfOn Steamboat Train
Wrecked.
FIFTEEN PERSONS BURNED TO DEATH.

morning at Cne f<icnmObu o"i.ou
the Stonington and Providence Railroad
adds another chapter to the long and harrow
ing history of calamities. The community
had scarcely recovered from the shock oc-
casioned by the shipwreck at Marr's Head,
when they were again aroused to sense OF
the insecurity of travellers by land as well as
bv sea. by the intelligence that train of
six cars bad been precipitated into river
and DESTROYED by fire, and that the wreck
had taken fire and destroyed the lives OF halt
the passengers.
The precise locality where the disaster oc-
Cured was at Meadow Brook, small tribu-
tary of the Pawcatuck river. Meadow Brook
is about one hundred yards east of the Rich
mond switch depot, small one story station,
surrounded by half dozen dwelling houses
and grocery and dry goods store. The
surrounding country is level sandy PLAIN,
bearing a stunted growth of pines.
About twenty rods above, and north OF the
bridge, was a dam which held back the
waters of Wilcox Pond, basin Containing
about thirty acres. The dam was thirty feet
wide at the bottom and fifteen feet at the top,
affording drive away from one side OF the
stream to the other. The dam, which was
built sixteen years ago, consisted OF heavy
granite boulders, with wings Of solid earth
The hight of the dam was twelve feet, and Oh
the day before the disaster the water was
foot lower than usual, not being up to the
top. The mill was operated by Joseph I.
Kenyon, who on shutting down on Friday
evening opened the gates to allow the waste
water to run off and gagged the wheels ac-
cording to custom. Not the slightest ap-
prehension had been felt for the security OF
the d AN, as it WAS crossed on Friday by
heavy teams. Various theories are enter
tanned respecting the origin of the defect IN
the dam, the most probable being that the
structure was undermined by muskrats.
The nearest house to the dam was that Of
Mr. Kenyon, the miller, who was not aroused
| by the rush Of waters.
| From what can be learned, the breakage
happened not many seconds, before the tram
| reached the bridge hence no alarm. The
chasm created was about thirty feet wide
and twelve or fifteen feet deep.
| The night was clear with stars, the track
was clear, and no signal was given to warn
the engineer of impending danger. No
watch or switch tender is stationed at this
point at night. The train was running at
the rate of about forty miles an hour when,
Just at the first streak of daylight, the loco
motive and tender leaped the chasm, and
cars, freight, baggage and a hundred hu-
man beings were mingled in mass Of
ruins
| So great was the momentum OF the train
! that the locomotive reached the eastern shore
of tie stream and buried the driving wheels
| fire box and portion OF the boiler IN the sandy
embankment. The tender turned rear end
| up against the cab. The fat cars and
crates followed and were arrested upon
the bed of the stream. The second-class car
was piled upon them. The foremost first
class car telesc0ped into the sec lnd-ciass, and
the frst-cass car into that. The deck car
went out from the line and tipped over, but
was subsequently burned with the rest. The
frst-class car and the smoking ear, in which
were the largest number OF passengers, re-
manned on the road and were aiterward
drawn back before the fire reached them by
the engine on the Shore line train.
TIE TRAIN on FIRE.
The overturned stoves and falling lamps
set fire t. the cars, an the wretched passen-
gers who escaped death by drowning were
only reserved for the more dreadful ordeal
of fire The engineer aud fireman were both
burned to death at their posts, IN sight OF
the conductor and others, who were unable
to reach them. The former was found with
I
bolt from the engine driven through bis
body, while the latter was beside the brake,
crushed between the tender and the engine,
and both burned by the flames AMI scaided
/ by the scapmg steam IN such m inner as
TO hardly present the semblaace of hImanl-
! ty.
! A. tie secJnd-class ear, 10 which were
sailors and emiLrantS, plunged into Il e gulf,
] 4 IT -
Npas>onEe!s lrown out into the water, esctp-
Ing without injury. The passengers in the
other cars were not, however, as fortunate,
as they were buried in the confused, broken
and crushed mass Of material, which almost
immediately caught fire.
In the burning m So were weiged and en-
tangl the poor victims, who, unable to
hep themselves were struggling. shrieking
and importing aid IN plteJus tones. Those
Of the passengers who escaped, at once, with
strong arms and brave hearts. set about the
work of rescue, and succeeded in saving
many. Several were taken cut wounded
and terribly burned, and cared Tor rs well as
circumstances would admit until the arrival
OF help. Others were seen struggling in the
burning ears, but no aid could be given
them.
Mr. Albert F. Allen of Providence had bis
foot caught in the car, and could not get
out, and In this Position was burned tl
death. But moment before the flame.
reached him he was talking with a gentle
man about his position and the prospect Of
getting out. Although every effort was
made to rescue hlm and Others in there. il
was OF no avail One poor man whose body
wrs partly out Of window, but who could
extrlcate himself no further, cried patheti.
cally tor help, o, save me I'm burnin to
DEATH" The smC Ike hid him from view
but his screams and means continued for
several minutes
TIE KILLED.
1t is impossible to ascertain, and il will
probably never be known, exactly how MANY
lives have been sacrificed IN this latest hoIo-
caust. The earliest reports from the scene
of the disaster both respecting the number
of passengers in the wrecked train. and the
number of dead bodies recovered, were great
ly exaggerated. The number OF passengers
was nInety-0ne, Of whom a great majority
were saved
Seven bodies only, including those of the
engineer and fireman, had been recoverde
from the ruins up to Saturday evening. 1t
is quite certain that at least ive other per.
sons persisted, and conductor Gardner is OF
opinion that the number OF the lost will not
exceed fifteen.
PROVIDENCE, R. L., April 20-No more
bodies have been discovered. The disabled
engine WAS raised ana brought to this city
| nv ha