New-York tribune., 1874-07-07
RAILROAD CATASTROPHE.
WRECK OF A PASSENGER TRAIN ON THE
SHORE LINE RAILROAD.

SHORE LINE RAILROAD.
A TRAIN FILLED WITH PASSENGERS PREcIrrTArED
FROM TREsTLE BRIDGE AT STONY GREEN
DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT WILCOX KILLED
OUTRlGHT-A LARGE NUMBER INJORED-rHE
DISASTER CAUSED BY THE CARBLEssNEsS OF A
SWITCH TENDER
,rpov ruE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT or THE tribune J
STONY CREEK, Conn, July The impatient
ba.te Of station agent in changing switch at TINS
~ mt ,,r,inr caused The los, OF one valuable life
and the severe injury OF half more OF persons
Inflated disocation upon iu hundred people
and brought about complete wrecking OF passenger
rain Stony Creek is a little hamlet near the Sound,
With a small number OF scattered dwellings and
few dininutive hotels IN which summer visitors are
received II Il miles New Haven to the East, upon
tse shore Line division OF the NewYOrk New-Haven,
and Hartford Railroad To the west OF the town slug
sish creek nds toward the Sound through wide salt
marshes covered high tide. This stream
and its marshes the railroad upon long treste
work. the place OF this mornings sdisaster. The
wrecked tram early way train which left
the Connecticut River for NewHaven at 6:l5 a. M, and
reached stony Greek at 7:I2 a. IN. The train com
posed OF three passenger and baggage car with
40 unusual number OF passengers many Of them return
ng from a holiday ana Sunday spent at some Of the
summer resorts along the sound. At this place the
rain was backed apon side track 20 take on two more
passenger cars Toe superintendent OF the Shore Line
Division, Wm. Wilcox, tse train going from his
nome at Madison his daily work in New-Hayen.
he directed the station agent, William G. Black. 10
serve the switch hy winch train transferred 70
the side track. Ths sNica about 800 feet from the
eastern end Of the resle bridge the creek and its
marshes. Tle Heightened train. with its six cars and
more than 20o passengers moving from the siding
The main raoS when the rear truck Of the car at the
end left the rails.
The general report Of the railway officials. and the
belief OF the passengers and the people OF
rle place. 90 10 show this could only have hap
oened by the part Of Beach. IN moving
ae switch just the was passing over,
thus dscounecng rails OF the siding from the main
track upon winch the train passing. Beach srenu
o1syidenies tins and claims that the truck ran on the
track while switch its proper place. But he
can ass ~ Tor the displacement Of tho truck
a. he admits that he saw Obstruction on the track
ana the rails were OF sound steel and little worn As
the train was heavily laden. the grade ascend
ias and me start laboriOus at the best the en-
yneer did not notice the trouble at the back OF his
tr3in and the displaced truck went burning along
che ties for hundreds OF feet, out upon the
trestlewOrk and at length of, dragging the car
down upon tae marsh Is feet below. As the car
vas tOppung the engineer perceived the danger and
reversed the engine Slptrint ,n1ent Wilcox, who was
standing AZ the OF the blsgagecar also felt that
sometAnc was wrong and reached for the oelrope. 1t
was too late. The falling car quickly dragged on
al the others. the engine ami tender remaining on the
which bound the train to the tender. The cas- reeied
down pellmell one turning over completely and the
with suuken the mud Or canIed over partly
on the roofs.
A great cry went up from the tumbled heap Of
humanity tossed together and tangled up In the
breaking ears. The only person killed outright was
superintendent Wilcox. He jumped from the baggage
car 70 the only in time to be crushed uader the
bulk at the fas:ouowing For about half the other
ersons on the train there cuts with broken glass
or .un,ered wood. bruises Of all kinds broken bones
for several, and sprans internal shocks and dsloca
ons for not a few others. But ali in ALL there was for
tunate escape from very great cllamlty; Tne ude
Sas not high there mlgnt nave been enough "@Vei
upon the hatsshalow though would oe-sd grown the
iipdernost in the struggling heaps men. women and
and chd.en The sOf, mud kindly cushion against
heavy hurts 20 Of them and the surgeons VINO at
onded the injured that the number who seriously
needed careful surgical treatment was not much over
thirty. OF the hurt were so seriously stricken that
70 was impossible 10 convey them away IN the course VI
Tie day either by rsilSa or carriage.
Aid FOR the suf rers w0s long delayed Surgeons
we're summoned by telegraph, ana IN few hours there
we're seven at WORK. some Of these came from New
Haven including Dr. Gallagher tine regular surgeon OI
of The railway company, and Others we're summohed
nom the mnediue nelghb0rho0d Of stony Creek MISS
T Miller telegraph operator Of New-Haven, gave I'M
,-t,nt service in the telegraph Oioe she was the
only person present who could take messages Oy sOnnd
she brlvey be ped on the work, although she had
p.eD one OF the sufferers by accident, and had
lr1i.es upou her head, arms. and person. Most oil
those VINO hai received painful, not serious, wounds
showed quct, praisewOrthy resolution IN bearing VheH
8.sconfor,s one man brought out admiring remarks
bv the WY in which he bore sharp
.de IA a rough wagon 70 the place Wnefe the
f1rgeon picked big pieces Of glass from MS Douy
though some OF the passengers dangerously hurt
the nrgoDs EXPRESSED tRe opinion that the lives OF
none were in immediate peril Those most Dadiy ID
jured we're The following:
Mrs smith. Clinton. Conn; hip dislocated' very Sc
we're bruises auu internal injuries II IS feared her IL
llres may prove 'atal.
JBM Namon Burnside, Conn.,; left arm broken ana
head bruised. ,,,.. -, ,.ao,
{. C. Post wgs,brook Conn; cuts and bruises about
" RI Hunt Madison. Conn; severe internal injuries
L benton GullOrd, Conn. cuts ana bruises upon 'Ae
John Villains Apsonia Conn. three ribs broken.
L Il. Fonda, Westylle, Conn., shoulder uAsO0@'9u
to. DWigaf Hail wanngford, Conn. broken ribs.
l. Hlnck.cy. NeN Haven, Conn., severe cu'S oA INV
aud arms. . 49, hooA
Tue ksy. T. L. Hall, East Haven Conn., lhIernAl 'n
1unes
Among the many vino received lighter injuries are the
following
sohu Billiard Meriden Conn.
John Gay Merdeu Conn.
hsgge Orthn. He Haven, Conn.,
q. q. Atkinson, MdCletOwn, Conn.
5eOrge Pratt MIddietOwn Conn.,
Lew i. JOe, Merldeu, Conn.
John McGulre, Merideu, Conn.
II. Hart, GuilfOTd, Conn.
C6Supcev McCreeTy' brakeman on the wrecked train
Henry K. Kimberly, BridgepUrt, Conn.
/. A. Murphy, Brooklyn \. Y.
~ K Butler, Mrrlden, conn.
IDe Hon. ". e. HOugn. Essex, conn.,