Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-10-16
Terrible Railroad Accident.

We give below further particulars OF the terri
BILE railroad accident which occurred on the old
Colony Central on Tuesday evening OF last week;
A Boston Herald reporter who was on the
wrecked train says that, Immediately after the
close OF the race, n crowd OF twelve or fifteen
hundred persons at once made rush for the
train, which stood on side track in waiting, and
soon filled 1t. The train consisted Of two loco
motives, baggage car, an English compartment
car and eighteen ordinary passenger cars. From
Plympton to Braintree the rate OF speed at no
time exceeded fifteen miles per hour, but at the
latter point the double track was reached, and
the pace was somewhat increased until Quincy
was reached, ten miles out OF Boston, when 1t
was reduced to the original rate Everything
appeared to be all right up to this time. On pass
ing Wolaston, the passengers were made aware
Of something unusual by two sharp blasts Of the
whistles OF the locomotives, which followed
each other In quick succession, after which the
air-brakes were applied. Quicker than it can be
related, the train was off the track and running
over the sleepers. This seemed to last several
minutes, but in reality 1t was only seconds, and
while the train was moving three or four hundred
feet. Then came thud aud shock, not forcible
enough to throw the passengers about much, fol-
lowed by a strange grinding, crushing noise, and
the train came to stop
The reporter was in the fourth compartment OF
the English coach, only three removes from the
one occupied by Reagan and Mrs. Faulkner, his
rowing partners wife, both Of whom were killed.
The reporter threw himself upon the floor, to al
low wreck to pass over his head. In seconds
time the whole left-hand side OF the coach was
torn out, and the passenger car next following
plunged into the opening This cleared the
DEBRIS and liberated the passengers imprisoned
in the coach. All was confusion. Mingled with
the noise Of the escaping, scalding steam were
the shriels OF the wounded and the dying, while
the atmosphere was filed with dust and smoke
and the ground was strewn with wrecked cars
and dead and wounded passengers The scent
defed description On the ground near the
English car lay the bodies OF Reagan, the de
feated oarsman, and George Faulkners wife
while the injured were on every hand. The two
passenger cars behind this coach were teescoped
and shattered and it was In these that most Of
the horrible work Of the accident took place
Everything was in the widest confusion, from
which it was impossible to gather anything def
mite. Many of the wounded were conveyed tC
Wollaston and taken into adjoining houses, whit
many who were not injured were brought Il
Boston by carriages.
1t is probable that the leading engine tn,
Easton, left the track first, followed by the second
the Bristol. These two lay on their sides across
the inside track, headed toward the outward rail
The tenders Of each were detached and lay in
confused heap close by, beyond the engines. Tn,
baggage and the compartment cars were thrown I,
the ground the former down an embankment ant
the latter just on the verge As soon as the en-
gines went over steam began to escape in vol
umes thereby increasing the horror Of the situa
ton A strenuous, though not very well-drectet
effort was at once made to rescue the wounded
and succor the dying, and in less than ten min
utes nearly fifty Of the dead and wounded wer,
taken out of the wreck. The former were care
fully laid on improvised stretchers by the side o
the road, while the more seriously injured wer,
placed on beds made of car-seat cushions PLACED
in any convenient spot. Axes, bars and jack
screws were employed in clearing away the wreck
The number of deaths Is twenty-five. Four per
sons are missing, and there are one hundred anC
twenty-six suffering from wounds.
The board of state railroad commissioners hav,
made their report, in which they exonerat,
the railroad company, and impute the blame t,
Charles Hartwell, conductor OF the freight train
rhe latter has been arrested on a charge o
mansaughter.