The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-02

hbiou IL tuo x1ibtoIy VI NerHOut- otdtomoHt
Of one Of the Engineers Notes, Etc.
On the arrival of the morning train from,
Whitehall word came that terrible COLI
lsion had occurred on the Rensselaer, rail-
road at Farhaven, about sixteen miles vest
of Rutland. There were many vague ru-.
mors as to its extent, and GLoBB reporter
was dispatched to the scene of the eatas-
trophe. ~
TUE SCENE OF TIE wREoK.
TIE scene of the catastrophe is upon the
side track about eighty rods west of the
Fairhaven station, around curve with a
ledge of slate on the south side and steep
declivlty on the north sioc. 1t Ia ~ very
romantic and beautiful spot usually, but
what an appalling sight il presented to
our reporter yesterday On the side track
and almost upon the rails were piled threo
fine engines and as many cars in one betero-
geneous mass. Banged and battered aud
torn all to pieces was one of them, another
with its tender knocked 10 pieces It's smoke
stack off and its fancy bead work twisted
and damned, the third one with its head
stove in and its tender jammcd up, and
three or four cars in complete state Of
ruin.
- II now 1T HAPPENED.
1t appears that the fault au,l the blame
rests with one of the 'braktmen whose
business 1t Yves toturn the switch, named
James Carswell, who paid dearly for bis
negligence He was on the Ticonderoga
No. 1877, and after thht engine had brought
up the express freight 1T the ezffy morn.
ing, as far as Css,leion, 1t had hacked
down to Fairhaven and went onto the side
track, Carswell afler~turning the side-
track switch as. usual neglected toturn it
back and secure it for ne passing of the
local freightfrom Whitehall, which passes
Fairhaven at 4:45, en- The lly. The up
train Thinking thatestry,h,ng was correct
came on at rapid rate with 4 big line of
cars and two engines drawing them, with
two cars between them. How it happened
is told by Dick Nelson, the driver of No.
1877, which was On The side trick.
THE RN6iaRRRs trArRMENr.
Dick Nelson, on being interviewed by
our reporter, answered his Questions read
lily, and we gined the following facts
from him. ! am driver yof Ticonderogi,
No. 1877. My brakeman was the unfortu-
nate James Cirswell, and my fireman was
Johnpy Shgy, who WAS also killed. help
draw the express freight which leaves
Whitehall at one o'clock. up to Castleton,
and from there l backed down to Fair
haven and went upon the side track got
hero at about $50; Carswell,i whose bust
ness it was to look after the side switch, got
off and let us on TO the side track aud
% FORGETTING TO TURN IT
back right, he locked it where it WAS and
came back on TO the engine. In answer to
my questions he told me that everything
was right, and so | waited tor the up train
to pass. At 445 the train came booming
along under fun steam, with two engines
on, the Montreal, No. 1888, in advance aud
back two cars was the Julian Clark, No.
81. saw, when it was too late, by the
glare of the head light, that the train was
coming on the side track, and the switch
was wrong. / jumped TO the throttle and
pulled 1t wdeiopen so as to go ahead and
case the blow, for could see that col
lision was inevitable, as they were coming
under full head then hollcred to Cars
well and Shay to n ~ TeHu
JUMP FOR THEIR LIVES,
and jumped myself. The Montreal struck
the Ticonderoga from behind, knocking
her into bunch and over onto her side
down the hill. The force of the collision
was SO great that the two cars between the
running engines were telescopcd and the
head part of the Julian Clark stove in. The
Montreal which struck the Ticonderoga
was piled over on her side on top of the
Tlconderoga and the Julian Clark and the
cars on top of the heap. Carswell and
Shay were caught on the under side of the
bottom engine and instantly killed. Shay
was caught under the driving wheel and
his head mashed fine, &
sTHE BRAINS AND BLOOD
smearing the wheel, and his body present
ing CHASTITY sight, crushed and mangled
under that heavy engine. James Carswell
was right beside him, the engine AS 1t fell
over catching him and doubling him up in
such position that nearly every bone In
his body was broken. As soon as the acci-
dent occurred the citizens assembled and
worked like beavers to get out the bodies,
but it was not till four hours later that they
were extricated from the debris.
TIE MEN ON THE TRAINS
AS they struck the driver of tue Julian
Clark. Ed. Terry, was thrown out of the
car window, into the cattle guard, but sus-
tanned no other injury than q few slight
bruises. His fireman, George Watson, and
the brakeman, John Sutton, jumped out
just in time. H
The driver or the Montreal, George
Downs, with his fireman, Billy Frost, got
away without injury. The local freight
was in charge of Conductor Charles Frost,
and three brakemen, Tom VIM, Clarence
Bolster and Carlos Vincent, none of whom
were seriously injured, few sprains cover
ing the whole. lw
The bodies of the two unfortunate VIC
tins, after being dug out, were boxed up
and sent to their relatives. 9 james Cars
wells remains we're sent TO his father,
Vim. J. Carswell, formerly conductor on
the Rutland and Washington, at Salem.
He was single man, about thirty-one
years of age. John Shay was married