Litchfield enquirer., 1876-05-18
Accident on the Kaugatuck.
MANY HURT, BUT NONE KILLED.

On Thursday morning the down train of the Naugatuck railroad met with se- rious accident at Reynolds Bridge the first station below Thomaston. There were five passenger cars croaded with excursion ists for Barnum's show. We condense the following from the report in the American:
 After the train crossed the sN itch at the Plymouth quarry, Engineer Abel felt a jerk and supposed that brakeman had put on brakes" for the flag station. Just then the conductors bell sounded, and he immed ately "blew for brakes" and reversed his engine. The fireman look out just in time 10 see the rear car roll over into the river with all it's occu- pants. As soon asthe train stopped Con- ductor Beers and the train men rushed back to the scene of the accident and passen- gers were rescued from their unpleasant predicament in remarkably short time. The car stood in water about four feet in depth. The passengers were taken out through the windows, and crawled out of hole which had been made in the bot tom of the car. 1t was found that the &C., cident had not resulted in loss of life, which Is marvellous, when 1t was taken in- to consideration the car was so crowded that many were obliged to stand, and that 1t rolled down stone embankment about eight feet. The injured numbered over thirty, though only three or four were se- riously hurt. Every one received quite soaking. and some narrowly escaped drowning. The wounded were helped aboard the freight train. which had fol- lowed the passenger traiQ, but which had been stopped by a flag, and were taken back to Thomaston. where most of them belonged.
 Among the wounded vas Policeman Sage. of Winsted, who had an broken Michael Kelly also had an arm broken; Augustus Baldwin, and Sammy Hannibal John Can and boy named Grilley were badly hurt iu the shoulder; Mrs. Hine, in the back. Among those bruised and slightly wounded were Mrs. s. s. Lyon, Ms. Tucker and son, Mrs. Bidwell, Mrs. w H. Barker, John Fitzsacket. Frank Baldwin, Robert Alfred, Fred Merritt, Mrs. John Hopkins, Cora Barton, Thom- as Riley, John Carr Shoulder bad), Ida Beardsley, Chip wound). Miss Beardsley, Patrick Hogan, Richard Higgins, John Miller, Mir. Pierpont, and Wolcottville man named Quinn. With two or three exceptions the injured are residents of Thomaston and Plymouth.
 The accident was caused by the break Ing off wheel on the forward truck of the rear car. This threw the car from the track and caused the truck to swing around under the car lengthwise. As it was dragged over the ties, it forced large hole through the bottom of the car, which offered means of egress for some of the passengers after it had tumbled into the river.
 Later reports say that all of the passen- gers who were ill the car that turned over, were more or less bruised. There were dozen or so quite severe cases of cuts or dlslocations. Two children had dislocat- ed shoulders; Mrs. Henry Smith, of Ply mouth Hill, was badly hurt, having two ribs broken. The greatest wonder is that none were killed. One passenger says the middle of the car sprung right up very high. twice during that short ride, which made it difficult to stay in any particular locality in the car.