The Republican journal., 1876-03-09
Tho Wallingford Catastrophe.

| Troy Press. Feb. n
A terrible accident occurred last night
at 10 80 o'clock resulting in the loss oil
three lives and serious injury to several
persons, on the Rutland and Bennington
railroad, to the Montreal express train due
in Troy at ) Il. M, when near South Wal
lingford station. The train had reached
Rutland about 10 O'Clock, fifteen minutes
late, and left for the south fifteen minutes
thereafter. The train consisted Of All en-
CINE and tender, baggage car, one pas
senger coach and a Pullman sleeping car
and We're coupled in the order here given
In the passenger car We're about 10 pas
sengers. and in the sleeping car 10 per
sons, including one lady, besides the con-
ductor and negro porter. When near
ing South Wallingtord station the train
going at the rate, it is said, of 40 miles an
hour, making up lost time, the sleepers
in the Pullman car We're all aroused by a
sudden Jar Another shock soon follow
ed, which threw them all ont on the tool
on top of one another; then Il third shock
which broke glass, cracked timbers. upset
furniture, stove, beds, etc.
THEN ALL WAS STILL.
1t was now discovered that the car was
lying on its right side, and was broken
through the middle. All the passengers,
save two-Nlr Bissell and his son, of Chi
cago-were in the front part OF the car.
The first to recover from the effects oi the
shaking was Mr. w. w s. Chipman, man.
ager OF the Merchants bank, Montreal
i who, finding that the car was already full
of smoke, and that no exit could be effect
ed by the door, the furniture and beds be
ing piled up against it, commenced to
break the glass above to make his escape
~ doing this Mr. Chapman cut his arm
badly, which was the only injury he re-
ceived. The voice of the lady OF the party
was now heard above everything in the
confusion and smoke, calling out that she
her to come near him and he would assist
her to get out. Here. however, an un
secmly or at least
UNMANLY CIRCC INSTANCE
occurred on the part OF three of the male
passengers, They pulled the woman and
Mr.. Chapman back from the aperture thai
had been made in the glass and made
their own escape Francis Cunningham
got out first, Senator Woodbridge second
and Young doctor, a friend of the sena
tor's-who afterwards rendered valuable
assistance to the wounded - third, Mr.
Chapman was the next to get out of the
aperture and reaching down, pulled the
lady out, and these Two then pulled tho
ladv's husband out. who by this time
was almost insensble from sut1ocation
The next to make his escape was Mr.
Pitkins of Hartford who is very seriously
injured both externally and internally
How the conductor and porter escaped,
who along with Mr.. DisseI and son, Were
in the back part OF the car. could not bt
learned But they did escape, and lth-
out injury. Bissell, the elder, also made
his escape, without apparent injury In
less than five minutes after the first shock
was experienced the flames We're rising
from the ear and the voice Of Bissell, .Ir
was heard from the midst of them in the
car, calling on his father for assistance
sHOvEIING Up TIE REMAINS OF TWN
The father went back into the car, and il
less than half an hour thereafter his re-
mains and those of his son were takel
fiom amongst the debris, on a shovel, 10y
Cunningham. Another gentleman, tall
with sandy whiskers, and of respectable
appearance, who was seen walking ~
and down the ear after the train left Rut-
land, is supposed to have perished in the
flames At any rate he is missing, but Nc
trace OF his remains could be found in the
debris. These are the only fatal casual
ties by the accident, and, except Mr.. Pit
kins, none of the passengers are severely
although all of the passengers Of the
sleeping-car, with the exception of Mr.
Cunningham. are more or less injured
1t is a marvel, indeed that 50 many es
capped as did; for in five minutes after the
accident,
THE CAR WAS ONE SHEET OF FLAMES
and as has been stated there was no cxi
for the passengers, unless through tht
glass of the side of the car, above them
There is not i vestigc OF the car LETT. !
took fire from the lamps and the stove.
The cause of the accident, it is ascer
tanned, was a bad rail, which caused tho
sleeping car to leave the track. 1t wa
dragged along some considerable distanc,
when the coupling broke and the car rol
led down an cmbankment a distance o
fifteen feet into marble yard The pas
senger coach also left the metals. but 90
on again before the train was stopped-i
distance of sixty rods from the scene o
accident. VIII IN the train had backed tt
where the flame were rising, and the pas
sengers had emerged from it
THE SCENE WAS ONE TO BE REMEMBERED
Senator Woodbridge and his medica
friend were standing in their night clothes
Mr. Chapman in his night-gown and bare
footed; the lady and her husband, suppos
| Il lo ha I,tt hi, IN
and drawers and the former in !; thil
skirt Mr. Pitkins, almost naked, lying
insensible and bleeding profusely from ;
large wound in the head; the flames leap
ing high into the air, and the report il
every body's mouth that Bissell, ST., an,
son had gone back into the flames and
that he and his son were being consumed
in them-tne scene we say was remark
able one, and can better be imagined thai
described. Senator Woodbridge's medica
friend was indefatigable in his attentions
to the injured, who were conducted t
Nallingtord depot.
THE PASSENGERS
uninjured gave the passengers of the sleep
ING car articles of clothing, some of whom
came on to Troy and others went back
The train arrived in Troy at O'Clock thi
morning. The deceased Mr.. Bissell was
proprietor Of the Sherman hotel Chicago
about foriy-tive years of age, his son abou
seventeen years. and had been on visi
to friends in Vergennes, Vt. Senate
Woodbridge was on his way to New Yorl
to argue in legal case, and lost all hi
papers. His medical friend lost his clothe
and valuables, as did also the soldier an,
his wife, Mr.. Pitkins, Mr. Cunningham ant
Mr.. Chapman. There remains one remark
able circumstance to note. When the pas
sengers were struggling to get out of th'
car loaded revolver went off amongs
them, but happily the ball did not strik'
any one.
1t is said that the railroad company arr
accountable to the relatives OF the three
deceased persons for their death, as wei
as responsible for the injuries done to thu
, other passengers, because the acciden
was the result of neglect, this being tn
third accident that has occurred at tn
same point within week, and all iron