Connecticut western news., 1873-05-02
The StOningtOn Disaster.


 A Frightful Story of Death by Rail.
 The details of the sad accident on the Stonington line are terrible indeed. The train was that which took the pas sengers from the New York boat to Boston, and there were on it total of | 116 persons. At Richmond switch a | dam across small mill-stream had been carried away, letting the force of the water from Ennis pond, which supplies | the water for grist mill, down upon the railroad bridge, located about 300 feet distant, completely washing it away. As no one lived near the pond the breaking away of the dam was not known until the train, freighted with 116 souls, was thrown into the chasm made by 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 Wickford, were killed. They both died at their posts, Guile with his hand on the throttle of the engine, and their charred remains were taken from the wrecked locomotive. When the train ran into the chasm the engine made fearful leap, passing over the 6UEOdu duS 1UoS11 III UllS OP- posite embankment. Shortly after the municated to the two frst-class and one second-class passenger-cars, and these were burned, with a large number of their 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 as "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.
 When the work of removing the dead and wounded from the wreck was con- menced the faces of some of the dead recovered were fouud so disfgured that recognition by friends will be necessary to prove the identity of most of those lost. ts
 Two of the unknown dead by the catastrophe were so disfgured by the flames that consumed them that they could not be recognized. Their limbs were burned off and only their trunks remained. The coroner did not hold an inquest on the bodies of the recovered dead, deeming such ceremony unnec- essary.
 A passenger on the train says: There was no signal heard to show the presence or approach of danger. The first and last thing known was shock that threw people out of their seats, followed by dull crash as the forward cars were being piled up in the ravine. MT. Thorne's car was not broken, and with as little delay as possible every one got out. A scene of the most awful character was presented. The baggage cars and emi- grant cars, together with the platform cars, had smashed up in an indiscrimi- nate heap. The forward trucks of the first of the two passenger cars had slid out, as it were, from under the car, and left that only partially in the water and
 disconnected from all the former part
 of the train.
 Almost at once, before hardly any aid
 could be given to those wounded in
 the confused heap, the broken cars were
 discovered to be in fames, and the fire,
 which at first appealed the size of Q
 mans body, overran the whole heap,
 and spread to the partially wrecked
 passenger car. As soon as possible the
 last two cars were uncoupled and push
 ed back, and attention at once given to
 those imprisoned in the wreck. One
 of the cars, the emigrant, had in falling
 split open so that people were submerg ) ed in the water, and in some cases when not badly injured could climb out. Many, however, were so entangled in the broken woodwork that they could not move, and axes were atonce brought ) and men went to work to save them from the approaching flames. In this, to great extent, they were successful. } With bleeding forms and broken limbs the emigrants were pulled and dragged } out. Some were so caught in the rub ! bish that they could not be reached,
 and undoubtedly perished unseen either by drowning or from injuries received.
 In the foremost of the two passenger l cars several were firmly wedged in, and [ this car became almost at once enwrap- f ped in flames.
 f Hard as the men worked-and, with the imploring faces and piteous appeals f for help before their eyes and in their ears, they did work like giants-it was S impossible to stand before the fire, and ? they were forced to leave the car to it's 2 fate, with the knowledge that two men i were yet in it alive. All that could be
 done for the sufferers was of course speedily done. One of the saddest s sights was that of an old lady of some e seventy or eighty years, who was in the t cars which went into the river, and who s had her leg broken, besides being f otherwise injured. Conductor Gardner | and the baggage-master had just gone e back into the smoking-car when the ac I cident happened. The conductor was V damned in between the seats by the n shock, and showed rare presence ol V mind by immediately calling out tc a some one to go back with signal o1 e danger for the mail train which was e just behind them and coming at rapid e rate of speed. Some one of the un f signalled the on-coming train, and {