New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-10-09
THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT.
TWENTY-FIVE DEAD.

IWENl1-flNE DEAD,
THE CAUSE OF TIE DREADFUL CASUALTY NOW
KNOwN-THE ENGINEERS TRY TO SAVE THE
TRAIN.
BOsToN Oct o, 1880 a. m.-The cause of the dis
aster on the Old Colony Railroad this afternoon Is
now explained by the statement of Charles West
gate. the engineer of the leading locomotive.
He escaped without injury. He says that when
about a quarter Of a mile this side of
Wolaston he saw, about 800 yards aheao, freight
car running on to the main track from the Siding"
He instantly whistled down brakes" and reversed
his engine. He, and his fireman, DennisOn, re-
NAMED on the engine, and when it struck the car,
both men were thrown off, DennisOn being badly
scalded Westgate claims that he did all in
his power to stop the train, but that
he had the right of way, and as the switch was all
right he did not expect to see freight car so sud-
denly emerge from the siding" which is sell
dom used On the Old Colony Railroad
all trains run to the left instead of to The right,
as is the custom on other roads, aud the freight car
was being switched upon the right track, and had
nearly crossed when the accident occurred.
Further returns from the scene of disaster state
that the killed number twenty-five or more. Most
of those killed were in the baggage, English coach,
and two passenger cars. The two latter
were partly telescOped, and in these many
we're injured About 500 or 400 persons We're on
these cars. and not less than half the number
were hurt. In addition to the names of the dead
telegraphed heretofore, are John Boyle, coal
HEAVIER: .JnO Wright. n negro OF Boston, Maurice
Green. of Boston, and Paul Cowley brakeman.
A Herald TepOrtCr says that from PlimptOn to
Rraintree the rate of speed at no time exceeded
fifteen miles per hour, but at the latter point the
doube-track was reached and the speed somewhat
Increased until Quincy reached ten miles out Of
Boston when II was reduced again TO the original
rate Upon passing WollastOn, six miles out
the passengers heard two sharp blasts of
the whistles Of the locomotives which
followed each other in quick succession
and Immediately afteTward the air brakes
were applied. Quicker than it can be related the
train was off the track and running over the sleep
ers This seemed 20 last several minutes, but, in
reality n was only seconds and while the train
Sas moving 800 OF 400 feet. Then came
a thud etc, the shock not being forci-
HE enough TO throw the passengers
about much This was followed by grinding, crush
ing noise and the train came to a stop. The re-
pOIter was in the fourth compartment of the Eng
fish COACH only three removes from the one Occu-
pied by Reagan and Faulkner This rowing partner
In seconds time the whole left hand side of the
coach was torn ont, and the passenger car plunged
into it, All was confusion, mingled with the
noise of the escaping scaldng steam. With
all this were the shrieks OF the wounded and the
diving While the atmosphere was filled with dust
and smoke the ground strewn with wrecked
cars and dead and wounded passengers, The
scene dehes description.
MANY of the wounded were conveyed to Wollas-
ton and taken into the adjoining houses, while
many who were not injured were brought TO Boston
by carriages. The Old Colony Road Immediately
ran trains to the of the disaster and built
track around the break.