The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-29
GALWAY ooLhr'io
.n,polior and Wells River Railroad.


A serious collition took place at 5.20
Monday afternoon on the Montpelier and
Wells river railroad half mile out of the
station at Montpelier, between a mixed
train of seven box freight and three pas
sengcr cars, drawn by the locomotive
Plainfeld," going to Wells River, and
the locomotive Windsor" coming in with
a single passenger car from Barre. The
latter reached the Barre junction with the
Wells River road, two miles out,
precisely on time-5:19. Horace W. Kemp
ton is the switchman there, assisted by a
boy 1G years old.
The outward bound Wells River train
was thirty-sx minutes late, which seemed
to have confused the boy, who had
changed the switch and set the signal for
the Barre tram to come in. Thomas W..
Bailey, the conductor, asked him twice if
the Wells River train had come, and COM
menced hallooing franticallY for Bailey 10
stop, when it was too late. The Barre en-
CINE and car starting on, ran nearly a mile
and half, rounded curve at speed of
perhaps twenty miles an hour, and struck
the approaching train, going some twenty
rods ATE the engineer, Benjamin Merrill,
first saw it. The result was collision
and very serious damage to both engines.
The tenders were completely wrecked, two
of the Wells River freight cars being piled
upon the engine Plainfield, hanging on
either side of the tender by the coupling
irons.
There were several passengers in the
three cars of the Wells River train, who
only slightly felt the shock, the freight
cars intervening and the train not having
much headwny. Engineer Charles c.
Field a1d fireman G. M. Pittsman of this
train jumped off and escaped uninjured,
as also did the fireman of the Windsor, but
the engineer of the latter, BENZ. Merrill, an
old snl well known employe of the Central
and Northern railroad, while sitting on his
seat had his right leg horribly crushed be-
tween that and the trunk Of the tender,
and was otherwise seriously injured. Tie
was taken to his home, a mile distant.
Surgeons were summoned, but there are
but slight hopes of his recovery. There
were three passengers in the Barre car,
who csc ,ped with slight bruises. Conduc-
tor Thomas w. Balleywas thrown violent
y across the seats aud his left shoulder was
severely bruised, aud he received a cash
two inches long on the back of his head
his bruises are not considered serious.
Dexter Moody, the brakeman on the
Barre car, rushed to the brake at the first
eignal, turned it to its utmost tension aud
then jumped into a ditch in season to es
cape instant death by being crushed be
tween the platform and the engine tender
which were both badly broken up. Moody
was famed, but went directly to work car.
ing for Engineer Merrill and Conductor
Bailey.
The news of the accident soon spread
and people flocked to the scene by hun
dreds. The Central locomotive Richfort
arrived at o'clock, and wrecking trair
soon after, which went at work clearing thu
track. The Wells River train had been de
layeI getting cars ready to send down anC
bring passengers to the Washington county
fair, to commence tomorrow near Barre
Junction. The blame of this sad accident
seems to be wholly attributable to thu
| switch boy there, who is reported to have
nearly gone crazy when he found what mis-
chief he had done. The surgeons have am
putated Engineer Merrlls right leg. III
remained under the influence of ether at
n. m.