The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-29

As the night express train from Boston
was passing through Mddlesex, Tuesday
morning, at four o'clock, three cars Of the
trains common passenger car and two
Pullman 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.
Surprising to say, says the Free Press, 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
ALL In charge of Conductor II. C.Cheney.
The train did not stop at Middlesex, but
Stacked up somewhat, and at the time was
running, as the engineer thinks, at about
fifteen miles an hour. The engine and the
baggage car passed over the broken rail
safely, but the rear trucks of the mail car
left the track, as did all the passenger cars.
The train became disconnected--th en-
glne, baggage and mail cars remaining to-
gether, the first passenger car breaking
away from those both in front and behind
it and keeping upon tho embankment,
while the remaining cars rolled Off the
bank, there some thirty-five feet high.
The second passenger car was broken to
pieces, and in this occurred most of the in
juries to passengers. 1t took fire from the
stove, but tho fire was extinguishcd by
some of the passengers, and no one was
burned. The superior strength of the Pull
man cars kept them comparatively whole
and, though thrown upon their sides, and
their contents of men, women, bedding,
etc., thoroughly shaken together, no one
was injured in them beyond some 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
tram, was ordered to 60 to Middlesex, and
bring on the passengers, and did so. A
special train also came down from st. AL
bans, bringing Superintendent Hobart, As
sistant Superintendent Arnold, and Mr..
Foss, master of transportation. Those,
with the conductors, did everything pos
sible for the care of the wounded persons
About $50 the train left Middlesex, bring
ing away all the wounded. Several of
these most seriously injured were taken to
st. Adams, IN charge of the physicians.
but most of them have been able to 90 to
their homes. About twenty-five of the
passengers came to Burlington, arriving
here at 11.30. Among the passengers on
the train were Messrs. VIM. A. Crombie,
A. F. Conant, r. w. Kirkham and Fred
F. Fay, of this city, and E. G. Lucas, of
st. Adams, auditor of the Central Vermont
railroad company.
r..' MR.. CoNANT's STATEMENT.
took the train at Royalton, and, not
having many hours to ride, did not think
it worth while to take sleeping birth.
was in the first passenger car, and, curling
up on seat, was doing away at the time,
till about four o'clock, when the sudden
change of motion and bouncing of the car
over the ties, told all on board that we
were off the track. The car was violently
shaken, breaking the lamps and some of
the windows, and throwing the passengers
into extreme CONSERVATION. Gradually
the car began to pitch and 10 turn upon it's
side, and it seemed certain that it must
capsize,; but its motion finally ceased, be-
fore it turned over, and it became station
ary. Hurrying out of it, found it wholly
disconnected from the rest of the train, and
locking back, saw the other cars lying at
the foot of the enbankment. 1t was dark,
but not very dark night. The second
passenger car was then on fire, and pretty
well broken up. It had turned three |
quarters of an entire revolution, and the |
Top was broken off. The passengers were
piling out of 1t, some with bloody faces,
and the screams of the injured made the
sound, a. well ~ sight, q startling one. The
two Pullman cars lay on their sides, held,
firmly together by the Miller platforms
passengers who were unhurt rallied and
soon put out the fire with SNOW. The in
jured ones were brought up the bank, and
placed hrSt In the first passenger car, and
on the arrival Of the tram from Essex
Junction 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 bandaged the
cuts and bruises and attended to the care
OF the injured. l understood that those
worst hurt were Mrs. Hickey, of Spring
field, Mass. who was severely injured in
| the head and side, and her daughter, a
child OF six years, who received terrible
blow on the forehead, which the doctors
feared had caused conclusion of the brain.
| counted the rails from the break to the
about $50 feet. 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 shatter-
| ed. The conductors and railroad officials
did all in their power tor the care of the
| injured.
NOTES AND INCIDENTS
The rail which WAS the cause OF the acct
dent was broken of about four feet from
the end. 1t was, apparently, fresh break
and in all probability was done by the en-
CINE when 1t ran on it. 1t was the first
rail beyond the switch, and the scene of
the accident was just outside the railroad
yard and about seventy-ave rods from the
depot. Middlesex Is flag station and
there ia curve in the track on the east
side. While rounding this, the engineer
Stacked his train, for the possibility Of
red light being displayed, and this would
account for the slow rate rate of speed at
the time Of the disaster.
The embankment is some fifteen rods in
length, and is succeeded by cut through