Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-01-19
Some Great Railroad Accidents.

Occurred December II. 1876, on the Lakt
Shore road. The New York express from
Cleveland, when about quarter of n mile east
of Angola station, was thrown from the track
by broken rail and two passenger cars
plunged over an embankment so feet in
height, were crushed at the bottom
of the chasm, set on fire, and only two
pass engers escaped unhurt 1t was many
days before the exact number of the casual
ties at Angola could be determined, for num-
bers of the victims We're burned out of all
semblance to humanii', and others were
buried i'll the waters of he Big Sisters creek.
1t was finally ascertained that 20 people had
been crushed, burned and drowned, and 40
persons more or less injured.
THE NoRwALE ACCIDENT
occurred on the New York and New Haven
railroad at Norwalk, May 9th, 1853. The
road crosses small inlet of Long Island
Sound at Norwalk by means of a drawbridge
ball at the masthead was the signal that
the draw was open, but the engineer of the
express train apparently neglected to look
for the draw signal The draw was open,
and the ball up. The draw was 60 feet in
width, and although the peril had been dis
covered and the speed slackened before reach
ing it, the impetus of the train wns still SO
great that the engine was driven clean across
the abyss, striking on the opposite abutment
and falling into the water. The pass
enger cars were piled into the chasm, which
was, including the depth of water. about "a
feet deep Forty-six persons were killed,
and 30 others were severely injured. All
trains in Connecticut have now to come to
dead stand-still before entering upon any
bridge in which there is draw.
TIE DEsJARDINEs CANAL ACCIDENT.
On the 18th of March, 1857, as q train
from Hamilton, Canada, on the Great Western
railway, WAS nearing the bridge over the Des
Jardines canal, the locomotive was thrown
from the track upon the timbers of the
bridge. 1t broke through that structure,
and carried with 1t the whole train, embrac-
ing tender. baggage car, and two passenger
cars. There was nothing whatever to break
the fall OF GO feet, two feet of ice intervening
between the wreck of the train and the bot
tom of the canal, Is feet below. The loco
motive and tender crushed through the ice
and sank. The remainder of the train was
thrown to one side on the ice. and only par
TALLY broke through it. The engineer and
fireman were found crushed under the loco
motive ut the bottom of the canal. and of
the 30 persons on the train 30 persisted, in
cluding every woman and child among the
THE NEW HAMDURoH DISASTER.
On the night of the 9th of February, 1871,
Il freight train was going south on the Hud-
sou River railroad, when near q bridge over
Il creek, not far from New Hamburger, it was
discovered that a car IN the centre of the
train was off the track. The train was finally
stopped on the bridge, but not until a por-
ton OF it had been thrown on the up-track.
l.. =, LII hal har,l fht
to standstill before the acifc..eIpress from
New York came laundering along. The col
lision an instant after was terrific. The con-
tents of an oil car were ignited and flung in
every direction, and the trestle work gave
way. precipitating the locomotive, tender.
baggage car. and passenger car on to the ice,
through which they crushed and sank.
Twenty-one persons lost their lives in this
disaster, and u large number of others were
injured. The engineer OF the passenger
train, whose name was Simmons -iamiliarly
known Us doc" Simmons, refused to jump
from the cab and save his life. He met the
crash firmly, with his hand on the lever. de-
termined to stop the engine or go down with
it.and was instantly killed.
OTHER RAILROAD DISASTERS.
On July II, 1856, an accident occurred on
the North Pennsylvania railroad, about II
miles from Philadelphia. The train was car
ryiRg some /, 100 children who had gone out
on II Sunday school picnic. The tram, being
heavy, was delayed. The conductor thought
the next station could be reached in time to
meet and pass regular train coming toward
him. This was fatally mistaken calculation,
and the excursion train collided with terrific
force with an express bound ior Philadelphia.
The excursion train was " telescoped," and
al, had
succeeding cars were driven on to this mass
and the whole Was set on fire by the ruins of
the locomotives. Sixty-fve innocent child
ren persisted, and over one hundred persons
were injured. The conductor OF the eNcur-
sion train committed suicide when the results
of his recklessness had been made apparent.
In June, 1865, on the Erie railway, at Cars
Rock, near Port Jervis, n. Y, broken rail
threw a train from the track, and it rolled
down steep declivity. jagged with rocks
and bouldeIs, distance of so feet, 81 per-
sons being killed and 50 injured
On August 20. 1865, at Abergele, on the
London and Northwestern railway of Eng
land, II number of cars were started down an
incline and came into collision with the Irish
mail. Several of the carriages caught fire
and every person in them perished, - per-
sons being burned beyond recognition.
On August 2G. 1871, collision occurred
at Revere, Mass, resulting in the death of
~ persons and in injuries to 81 others.
On September 10, 1874, collision took
place at Thorpe, on the Great Western rail-
way OF England, caused by carelessness on
the part OF the telegraph operators. Alto
gether 25 deaths resulted. and 80 persons
were injured.
On December 25 1874, at Shipton- on Cher
wen, on the line of the Great Western rail
way of England. "a passengers were killed
and 65 others, besides four employees Of the
company. were injured.
In January. 1876, a train near Odessa. Rus
sia conveying 4l9 conscripts, ran of the
track and rolled down an embankment. The
carriages took fire and 63 persons were burn
ed to death, and 81 badly burned or wound
ed.
On Janury 81, 1876, a triple collision oc-
Cured during heavy snow storm at Abbott d
Ripton. England, by which Is persons We're
killed and about 20 others injured.
On March II, 1876, an arch OF a railway
bridge oyor the river Ill, near Lutterbach,
France, gave way under tho pressure OF the
flood. passenger train for Strasburgh,
which was crossing. was precipitated into
the river. Owing to the violence of the
stream none of the passengers could be
saved all being either crushed to death oil
drowned. The number of deaths by this ac-
cident was very large, 30 dead bodies being
recovered on the day it occurred.