Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1876-09-28
Serious Collision on the Mont
pelier g. Wells River Railroad.
AN ENGINEER FATALLY INJURED AND SEV
ERAL PERSONS BRUISED.

ERAL PERSONS BRUISED.
A serious collision took place at $40
o'clock, Monday afternoon, on the
Montpelier & Wells River railroad, half
a mile from Montpelier, between a mix
ed train of seven box freight and three
passenger cars, drawn by the locomotive
Plainfeld, going to Wells River, and
the locomotive Windsor, coming in with
single passenger car from Barre. The
latter reached the Barre Junction with
the Wells River road, two miles from
Montpelier, precisely on time, 5:19.
Horace w. Kempton is the switchman
there, assisted by boy Is years old.
The outward bound Wells River train
was sc minutes late, which seemed to
have confused the boy, who had chang
ed the switch and set the signal for the
Barre train to come in. Thomas w.
Bailey, the conductor, asked him twice
if the Wells River train had come, to
which the boy nodded assent. After
the Barre train went along he suddenly
recollected that the former had not
come, AID commenced hallooing franti-
cally for Bailey to stop when it was too
late. The Barre engine and car starting
on ran nearly mile and half, round
ed curve at a speed perhaps Of 20
miles an hour and struck the approach
ing train, going some twenty rods after
the engineer. Benjamin. Merrill, first saw
it. The result was collision and very
serious damage to both engines. The
tenders were Complet ely wrecked, two
of the Wells River freight cars being
piled upon the engine Plaiufeld, hang
! ing on either side of the tender by the
| coupling irons. There were several
/ passengers in the three rear cars of the
| Wells River train, who only slightly felt
the shock, the freight cars in ervening
| and the train not having much Roadway.
| Engineer Charles C. Field and Fireman
| C. N. Pittsman OF this train jumped off
| and each escaped unii 1red as also did
! the fireman IF the Wines Jr; but the
engineer of the latter, Berj amin Merrill,
!. and old aud well known empiaYe of the
| Central and Nnrth ern railroads, while
| sitting on his S. at, had bis rIghr leg h0r-
/ ribly crushed between thai aud The trunk
| of the tender. Tie wss taken 10 his
| home, a mlle distant. Sarg. OnS were
summoned. but there ere bat slight hopes
of bis recovery. There were three pas
sengers IN the Barre car, who escaped
with slight bruises. Conductor Thomas
w. Bailey was thrown violently across
the seats and his left shoulder was Sc
verely bruised. and he received cash
two inches long on the back of his head !;
but his injuries are not considered seri-
Gus. Dexter Moody, the brakeman on
the Barre cars, rushed to the brake al
the first signal, turned il to its utmost
tension, and then jumped into ditch in
season to escape instant death by being
crushed between the platform and the
engine tender, which were both badly
broken up. Moody was famed. but went
directly to Work caring for Engineer
Merrill and Conductor Bailey. The news
of the accident soon spread, and people
| 10cked to the scene by hundreds. The
| Central locomotive Richford arrived at
| 7 o'clock. ami a wreCking train soon
| after, which went To WORK clearing the
| track. The Wells River train had been
| delayed, getting cars ready 10 send down
| and bring passengers 10 The Washington
| County Fair, 10 lmmenCP, Tuesday.
! near The Barre junction. The blame OF
| this sad accident seemsto be wholly at
tributable to the switch boy there, who
is reported to have nearly gone crazy
when he found what mischief he had
done. The surgeons have ampUtated
| Engineer Merrlll's right leg
The damage 10 the rolling stock is
estimated at SlO,0 900, and the three en-
gines owned by the Montpelier and Wells
River road are now all disabled by col
| lision,