Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-12-31
serIou. Railroad Accident o. the Ce.,rai.

TWO SLEEPING CARS AND A PASSENGER CAR
THROWN DOWN AN ExBANKNENT At MID
: DLEsEY.-soEE FORTY PERSONS INJURED
NOBODY KILLED.
As the night express train from Boston was
passing through Middlese1. Mondoy morn
ing, at four o'clock, three cars of the train
"a common passenger car and two Pull
man sleeping cars Zone from Boston and
the other from Springfield. Mass were
thrown from the track, few rods this side
of the station, by broken rail, resulting
in the entire wreck of passenger car and
the inJuring of some forty persons. Sur
prising to say, no one was killed and no
bones broken.
The train consisted of six cars-two
sleepers, two passenger coaches. mail car
and baggage car. drawn by the engine IN.
G. Elliott" Charles Pierce. engineer-sll
in charge of Conductor II. c. Cheney. The
train did not stop at MiidleseI, but slack
ed up somewhat, and at the time was run
ming, as the engineer thinks, about If
teen miles an hour. The engine and the
baggage car passed over the broken rail
safely, but the resr trucks of the mail car
left the track. as did all the passenger
cars. The train became disconnected-the
engine, baggage and mail cars remaining
together, the first passenger car breaking
away from those both in front and behind
1t and keeping upon the embankment,
while the remaining cars rolled of the
bank, there some thirty five feet high The
second passenger car was broken to pieces,
and in this occurred most Of the injuries to
passengers. 1t took fire from the stove, but
the fire was eZtinguishei by some of the
passengers, and no one was burned The
superior strength of the Pullman cars kept
them comparatively whole and, though
thrown upon their sides, and their con-
tents OF men, women, bedding, &c, thor
| oughly shaken together, no one was injured
in them beyond soma slight cuts and
| bruises.
As soon as possible after the accident the
engine was detached, and sent forward to
Waterbury for surgical aid, and in some
two hours returned with the four physicians
of that place. Doctors James. Fales, Frink
and Hill. who ATTENDED to the injuries of
those needing their care. Conductor Hes
selton. who was at Essex Junction with his
train, was ordered to go to Middlesex. and
bring On the passengers, and did 50. A
special train also came down from St Al
bans, bringing Superintendent Hobart.
Assistant Superintendent Arnold, and Mr..
foss, master OF transportation Those,
with the conductors, did everything posi-
bic Tor the care Of the wounded persons
About 9 80 the train left Middlesex. bring
ing away all the wounded Several of those
most seriously injured were taken to St.
Adams, III charge of the physicians, but
most of them have beel able to 60 to their
homes About twenty-five Of the passen-
gers came to Burlington. arriving here at
1870. Among the passengers on the train
were Messrs William A. Crombie. A F
Conaut, K. W. Kirkham and Fred f. Fay,
Of this city, and +. G. Lucas, of ST. Al
bans Auditor of the Central Vermont
Railroad Company.
We have obtained irJu Mr. Eonant The |
following statement
Mr.. CONAST's STATEMENT
took the train at RoYalton. and. not |
having many hours 10 ride, did not think |
it worth while TO take a sleeping berth / !
was in the FIRST passenger car. and, curling |
up on seat, was doing away the time, |
till about four o'clock, when the sudden |
change Of motion and bouncing Of the ear |
over the ties, told all on board that We wero /
of the track. The car vas violently shaken.
breaking the lamps and some of the win
dOws, and throwing the passengers into ex
treme CONSERVATION. Gradually the car be- /
gan to pitch and to turn upon its side; and |
II seemed certain that it must capsize but /
its motion finally ceased, before it turned /
over and it became stationary. Hurrying
out Of it. found it wholly disconnected |
from the rest Of the train, and looking |
back. saw the other passenger cars lying |
al the foot Of the embankment Ii was |
dark but not very dark night. The sec
ond passenger car was then on fire, and |
pretty well broken up. 1t had turned three /
quarters Of an entire revolution, and the |
top was broken off The passengers were |
pillng out OF 1t, some with bloody faces. /
and the screams of the inj ured made the |
sound, as well as sight, startling one. The |
two Pullman cars lay on their sides. held |
firmly together by the Miller platforms |
and were comparatively uninjured The I
passengers who were unhurt rallied and |
soon put out the fire with snow. The in
jured ones were brought up the bank, and |
placed first in the trst passenger car, and |
on the arrival Of the train from Essex June |
ton were transferred to that and taken |
away Some two hours or more after the |
accident. the engine returned from Water |
bury with four doctors, who bandage he /
cuts and bruises and attended to the care OF |
the injured | understood that those worst |
hurt were a Mrs John Hickey. OF Spring |
field. Mass. who was severely injured In |
the head and side, and her daughter. |
child Of six years, who received terrible |
blow on the forehead. which the doctors |
feared had caused conclusion of the brain. |
l counted the rails from the break TO the |
first passenger car. and found that it ran |
about go ieet. The engine and mail and |
baggage cars ran perhaps thirty rods. The |
mail car had tipped over against ledge of |
rocks, and the side was somewhat shstter-
ed. The conductors and railroad officials |
cid all in their power for the care of the in
jured. One of the doctors told me he had |
the names of 10 or l. persons injured, and |
thought his list comprised nearly all need |
ing surgical care.
NOTES AND INCIDENTS
The rail which was the cause Of the acci-
II u 4 + 4