The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-07-07
ACCIDENT ON THESHORE LINE
RAILROAD.
One Man Killed and about Fifty
Wounded.

New HAVEN, Conn, July 6.-The shore train
due here at 40 a. m. from New London Was
thrown from the track near Stony Creek, on a
low pile bridge over the flats. Every car was
upset, but the engine is partly upright The
accident was caused by the switch becoming
misplaced before the whole train had passed,
throwing the last truck off the track. The ac
tion of replacing the switch too was uninten-
tional. The Shore Line Division Superintend-
'ent, Wilcox, when he awxthe kind car swing
OFT jumped from the baggage car down 16 feet
below, where the cars fell on him and broke
his neck. He was an efficient officer and pop
ular with all. There were others injured, but
probably not dangerously, although several
have broken limbs. The particulars are not
yet fully received.
By the latest accounts the number of wound
ed is Is, nearly all of them slightly. One lady
of Clinton, Conn. will probably die, having
both legs broken and internal injuries. 1t ir
impossible to get the names of the wounded
now. The favorable locality saved many lives.
second Despatch.
STONY CREED, Conn.,, July Gas near as
can be ascertaned about fifty persons were
more or less injured, but most of them escaped
with bruises. Superintendent Wilcox is the
only one known to have jumped from The train,
and he alone, so far as known, was killed. A
young man was found beside Mr.. Wilcox under
the car, but he is only bruised. Superintendent
Reed is here with large force of men. and the
wreck is being rapidly cleared away. The rear
Car was the first to leap the track. The whole
train went off with the exception of the engine.
Various rumOrs are af1oat as to the cause of the
accident the most probable being that the
switch was turned before the last>car left it.
The bridge is about ten feet high. Six pfysi-
Clans are on the ground attending to the suffer
ers
Third Despatch.
NEW HAVEN, July 6.-Among the more seri
ously wounded are Edward Hnckley of New
rio of n A,I II Il
inson of New Haven. w. q. Huff of Essex,
r. w. Bartholomew of Meridian, ohn VIII
liams of Ansonia, Henry Ball of New Haven,
A. W. Mitchell of New Shoreham, James e..
Wood of New Haven Michael Donelly of Nor
walk, George Benton of Guilford, John Smith
ton, r. j. Barnes of Farhaven, j. Beattie of
Strong Creek, George Bates of MiddIetown,
Richard Benton of Guilford, Captain Hale of
Wentford, G. A. Murphy of Brooklyn, William
Fidgewel' of Middletown,. c: G. Post of West
brook, George 0. Payne of New Haven, John
Mcclure of Meriden, George Fisher of Hart
ford, E. A. Murphy and J. B. Naman of New
York, N. b. Hunter of Madison.
Fourth Despatch.
The accident occurred as follows: The train,
after taking on two passenger cars at the station
started for this city. The station master, VIM
Black, replaced the rails just before the rear
truck of the last car had passed the switch,
consequently the train bumped along with that
truck off the track few rods until trustle
work bridge, over salt marsh, was reached,
when the rear Car rolled off the bridge down
fifteen feet to the meadow below, dragging
with it all the rest of the train except the loco
motive and tender.
The cars were badly demolished. Superin-
tendent Wilcox was in the baggage car, and as
soon as he felt the 10 ting of the rear car on the
ties he jumped for the bell rope, ringing it and
then jumped out of the side door into the
marsh The car immediately followed him,
fell ON him and broke his neck. He was quite
young man and a very efficient officer. He
leaves wife and one child. Owing to the
somersauts turned by the passenger ears few
escaped without some injury. The Pala dunn
of tomorrow morning w Il contain a list of 105
persons vino received injuries, but most of them
were not of serious oh .racter There are two
or three whose Cases are critical, among the N
Geo. Davis of Guilford and Rev E. E. Hall Of
Fairhaven. Several have q broken arm or a
broken leg, but are otherwise unnjured.
A Cor0ner,sJury this morning rendered a
verdict that Superintendent Wilcox came to his
death by reason of the careless action of the
station master, Beach, but the latter claims
that he did not reverse the switch until the
train had all passed. and until he had noticed
that the rear truck was off the rails. This ex.
PLANTATION is not credited
The track was cleared at half-past three il
the afternoon, and trains have been running as
usual since. The train was purely local one
and the casualties are confined, with few ex.
ceptions, to inhabitants of this city and adjoin
ing coast,