Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-17
FATAL TRESTLE.
THE FARM1NGTQN RIVER uoGRoR
Two Engines, Baggage and Three Passenger
Coaches Through the Eridge--Story OF the
Conductor--Thirteen Dead Bodies RecoV-
ered--SpeculatiOns rs to tho Cause OF the
Accident.

Two iIISiueS, luggage ana Ihfee Tasse;soi
Coaches Through the Eridge--story of the
Conductor--Thirteen Dead Bodies RecOV-
cred Speculations rs to the Cause of the
Accident.
HARTFORD, Conn, Jan. 1c.-The. railroad
accident at Fairyille occurred at trestle
bridge crossing the Pennington river, just
west of the village. The train was bound
for Millerton and carried passengers for all
the stations beween this city and that place,
who came 10 attend the
MOODY AND sANKEY
meetings. The two engines, baggage and
passenger coaches together went down on
the west end Of the bridge, tho engines
touching tho shore. three cars breaking
through the ice in three feet Of water, and
one car resting on the end of one pier.
SEVEN BODIES
werssrecovereds.at a. ~, and Others are be-
lieved TO be in the wreck.
Special trains from Winsted and Hartford,
bearing surgeons, reached the scene at and
l:20 a. IN. The factory and church bells
were rung, and the citizens rallied, doing all
that was possible. The bodies were taken
on planks OF rude sleds across the ice to the
Tarifyille side. The
WOUNDED AND DEAD
were mostly put on the Hartford special A
few were left at Tariffville and Hartford, and
the train took the rest round by Plainyille,
ON the Fishkill & Canal roads to New Hart.
ford on the western roads.
LATEST ADvIcEs
from the scene Of the disaster last night, and
from places whore the wounded were taken,
place tho number of dead at 13. 1t is posi-
BILE more may be found in the wreck.
T. M ELMER, CONDUCTOR,
thus describes the accident: Il had been i'll
the mail compartment in the baggage car
where left MI Jones' superintendent, as
sorting tickets, and had started to 60 through
the train, and had got just by the front door
of the baggage car and was about to open it
when felt the rear end settling and heard
loud crash. My hand was almost on the
door knob. Close by III the corner Of the
car was stove in which was very hot fire.
My first Thought was to get away from the
fire 80 as not to be burned. The rear end
of the
CAR WENT DOWN
little and settled, and then the whole car
dropped down with but very little pitching
on one side and struck had jumped back
from the door and was few yards back
close to the window. When the car brought
up just az it struck a
HEAVY BEAM FELL DOWN
on the roof and came through, striking me
on the head, knocking me down, and cutting
me on the temple 1 was stunned by the
blow, but I saw soon what the situation was.
There were three other men in the car, all
passengers, whom l did not know. 1t was
was very dark in the car, 50 that could see
nothing excepting streak of light which
came through hole in the roof made by the
beam and large enough for man to crawl
through. The other men saw the opening
and we tried to get out but found We could
not reach the roof. Meanwhile
WATER WAS RUNNING INTO THE Oar
through the floor and windows and was
rapidly rising 1t got up to point above
our waists and stopped, when we knew that
the Car had struck bottom and we felt safer.
There was no expression of alarm by either
Of US. We waited for the time being without
making an effort to get out through the hole,
but when everything came to standstill we
went to work to rescue ourselves, which was
accomplished by lifting one man up to the
roof and after he got through he assisted
another and then the others we're helped out.
After getting out We went to the car
back of one Of which was lying cornerwrys
cut Of which passengers were crawling
through windows. This car was pitched
down and it appeared as if more of the
passengers must be jammed on the lower
end. The cries Of the men and women
WERE HEARTRENDINa,
many of whom appeared to be suffering from
extreme pain. Some were crying piteously
''Oh, don't step on me-" sect off for my legs
are broken Help rs up, do," and all such
cries and appeals. We assisted several la
dies out, and got out one young man who
was up to his chin in water. After doing
this was SO thoroughly chilled through thai
became numb and had to give up. Mr.
Elmer was about his regular business yester'
day, and ran on trains back and forth te
Tarifyille. He wears patch over cut OF
the temple. The bridge was built by A. D
Briggs 4 Co., Springfield, Mass, in Deem
Der, 1875. 1t had
HOWE TRUSS
with two spans, each span being 1853 fee
long. There seems to have been nothing
wrong with the structure. The timbers
where they were broken of and splintered
are sound. The spars we're long, but SOM
of the most experienced railway men agre
the accident was wholly caused by the tire
mendous weight of two engines passing owe
at the same time. Both weighed certainl
sixty tons and possibly more. One man VIII
stood at the depot in Tariffville as the trail
left there, noticed its make up, and report
he wanted to see whether it would pass owe
the bridge safely, and while he was waiting
heard the crash. The supposition is tn
supporting iron rods broke, causing the tim
ber to snap.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
HARTFORD, Jan. 16.-The bridge is elevat
ed about ten feet above the river. At til
present stage of water it is approached fror
the east by an embankment and from tn
west by long trestle work across the meadows
The first locomotive had cleared the ives
span and had entered upon the trestle wor