Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-01-25
CRASHING THROUGH A BRIDGE.
A Railroad Train In Connecticut, breaking
Through "A BridGe-MRny Killed and
Wounded.

A Railroad Train In Connecticut, Breaking
Through BridEe-lIany Killed and
Wounded.
The recent railroad accident near
Hartford, Conn, by which over thirteen
persons were killed and fifty wounded,
is described as follows The special
which left Hartford at nine o'clock p. NJ,
had two heavy engines and eleven cars,
containing about six hundred pass
engers. 1t passed through Tariffville at
ten o'clock, and two minutes later a
terrific crash was heard in the direction
of the Pennington river. But one ex-
gone through the bridge. White-faced
men, hurrying back into the town few
minutes later, announced the catastro-
phe and aroused the citizens to hasten
to the rescue. "Both engines and four
cars filed with passengers are in the
river" they cried, "and strong and
willing arms are wanted" The news
was telegraphed to Hartford and Win
sted, with calls for wrecking trains and
surgical aid, and the people hastily
dressed and hurried in the piercingly
cold wind to the bridge.
The entire western span was wreck,
together with four passenger cars, the
other seven remaining safe upon the
other span. The leading engine was up
side down upon the river bank its
companion upon its side, half buried in
shattered beams and twisted iron work.
The baggage car (Which had been occu-
pied by passengers) was a dismantled
wreck, and having broken through the
ice had nearly filed with water. Next
to it was the first passenger car, also
sunk and shattered to pieces. while the
second and third rested their forward
ends against it with bodies tilted to q
sharp angle and the rear ends resting
against the center pier. The remaining
cars, striking against these, had kept
upon the track. The passengers in the
second and third cars had been tossed
rudely together in the lower ends, and,
bruised and jammed by their fellows,
were struggling to gain the open air,
fearing the firing of the cars from lamps
and stoves. Another and greater
danger presented itself to the occupants
of the first passenger and baggage cars,
which, sinking to the bottom of the
river gradually, let in food of icy
water waist deep. Assistance arrived
none too soon. The passengers were
rescued, many uninjured, more badly
bruised or cut. From the torn front OF
| the first passenger car, and through the
broken roof of the baggage-car, one
after another was taken out, many OF
them wet through and suffering intense.
ly in the wind, the thermometer being
far below the freezing point. These
unfortunates were wrapped in overcoat'
stripped from the shoulders of theil
rescuers and carried to the uniniured
cars. The wounded, numbering thirty
OF more, were taken to the same com
Portable quarters, drawn upon rude
sleighs devised for the occasion.
Two hours of hard work sufficed fol
the saving of all who were living. Ther
search was begun for the dead, report
ed in the excitement of the moment tC
be fifty or more, for it did not seen
possible that many of the occupants O.
the baggage and first passenger cars
could have escaped. Yet these appre
tensions, happily, were ill-founded
The corpses found were placed in car
and the train was then pushed into th'
village, car by car, by the men at tn,
work. Medical attendance was obtained
the people of Tariffville threw open
their houses to the sufferers, and soor
afterwards relief trains arrived iron
Hartford and Winsted with physician
and men to help the villagers. Afte,
the badly wounded had received atten
ton, the excursionists resumed thei
homeward journey via Hartford, Plain
vile and the Canal road to its junction
with the Connecticut Western line
beyond the broken bridge.