The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-01
TIE P1rr5FoRD ACCIDENT.

Burdctt, Mcssrs Craudall, ltorner, Whuer,
md u number Of railroad and newspaper
men. al, at the scene OF the wreck was
confusion. The moon was obscured, but
it wss Light enough to distinguish the main
features with tolerablo d%istinclness. The
bridge was about $50 feet long, and at the
time it fell the engine, baggage, passenger,
and drawing room cars, were inside of it.
Tae cars apparently fell to the cast, and
the roof Of the bridge fell entirely clear of
them. But for this it would have been
almost impossible Tor all the passengers TO
escape. The bridge stood on two abut-
mcnts and - pier, which was on the south
bank Of the river in low water. The engine
and baggage car were between the south
dbulmert and pier, the engine lying on its
side completely stripped and broken, there
being nothing left whole but the boiler.
The baggage car fell directly down, break
ing the trucks badly, but not berg other
wise much damaged. One end Of the pas
senrer car struck on The pier, the other
end dropping onto the ice. There is but
one whole light of glass left in the car, the
seats arc torn up, and the Zinc Of the roof
is off. The passengers crowded out
through the door at the lower end. The
cor fell very east Y. and turned partly onto
its side, the passcD gers feeling no jolt what
ever. The drawing room car, "Platts-
bureb," fell directly though upon the ice
brcaking through into the water. The
two passengers, Captain and Mrs. Ford,
were badly Jared, and the conductor f..
S. Hcrrck was thrown through Il window
out upon the ice, his head ard hands being
| somewhat cut and one foot bruised. The
colored porter, B-il, wGs uninjured.
when 'he wreck train reached the bridge
The train men were looking after the mail,
baggage. etc. In a few minutes the pas
sengers came tramping across the river
| through the s1ow for the train. All were
| good insured and plucky though some of
them limped a little and some showed cut
hands or scratched faccc. Moses Pratt.
| tha engineer, had his head Dandaged but
maintained stoutly thai he was rot hurt.
Herrick, the drawing room conductor, and
ali the railroad men also declared that they
were al right.
PASSENGERS STATEMENT.
Oae Of the passengers in the passenger
cec gave a vivid description Of the scene in
side. He said they were going slowly when
they heard a whistle and felt a rough, un-
even movement of the car. Then they en-
tered tho bridge and the car began to go
over easily and with no jolt or Jar. The
sensation was not as if the car was going
| over, but as If the other side of the car was
falling onto him. Although enc cad of the
| car fell 20 far he did not move IN his seat,
which was near the middle, till the CO
stopped. The lights, candles, diG ~ 90
out, and but one scream was heard-thstCi
| 2 lady whose child was thrown from lcr
aims. The passengers crawlcd out Of The
door at The foot OF the car, Snow, The
brakeman, though quite badly cut him7eli,
holding it up for us 10 go out. The stove
was in this end Of the car ard | do not re-
member or understand how we got over
this without being burned. We got out AMI
stood on the roof OF the bridge which had
fallen beside the car. Mrs. Chambers, of
Bipghanp:on, was cut about one of her
ears quite severely; her three months old
baby never got a scratch. Mr.. &. L. Ste
vens, Of Rutland, had an arm sprained, and
his wife had her face badly bruised Mr..
E. d. Keycs hal his leg somewhat bruised.
Mr.. II. 4. Sawyer of Rutland was par
t%icularly active in helping the ladies out.
As soon as we found that no one was seri-
ously hurt we walked back to Pittsford
| station and te.eg,aphed to Rutland for
help. Mr.. Stevens then walked up to the
lotel, about a mile and a half, and sent q
| team down, 10 which all the ladies and
several gentlemen were taken to the hotel.
| We stayed there till We heard the whistle
| IF the wreck train when we came down
| and were Brought to Rutland. So far as |
| can learn, none Of H. passengers lost any
thing, all the hats, even, beng restored to
heir rightful owners.
w. w. Dawley of Ludlow, Thomas
Mullin Of Brandon, and A. f. Sawyer OF
Plymouth, occupied the front seats in the
passenger car. They got out of the front
door, jumped down onto the bridge, and
Dawley went to the d~rawing-room car,
where he helped the conductor eXtric.te
Mr.. and Mrs. Ford, who we're taken back
to the depot.
No one seems to understand in the least
how the engineer and fireman escaped un-
injured. 1t certainly seems impossible that
any one should have fallen with the engine
aud not be killed
Bell, the colored porter, was. in the
South Wallingford accident last winter.
WHAT HAS Been DONE SINCE.
A large force Of men-about l50-were
kept AT work c,clriug up the wreck satur-
day and Sunday. Much has already been
accomplished, and the trains are expected
to run Nv Thursday. The cagine has
uctn iilht-d up, the front truck resting on
the south abutmeut the drawing room car
has been rolled over preparatory to being
drawn up the engine Lawrence Barnes
has been eng .ged on the north side draw
ing timbers out Of the wreck Of The bridge,
and a tr.s.le has been Goa1i, laid from the
south abutment to the pier. We under
stand that only a temporary uc5,'e will be
crested for the present. It is Impossible to
estimate the loss, bat It IS not far from
$4,000.
NOTES AND INCIDENTS.
Sunday the gcene was crowde with Wis
itors from Rltlanu, Pittsford and Brandon.