Daily Kennebec journal., 1878-10-11
Details of the Sad Disaster on the
Old Colony Railroad.

moe than ore thousand excufs1ohi-ts VINO were
returning from the regatta at Silver Lake. Egh-
teen persons were killed and large number were
injured. Among the dead is Ps,sey Reagan, the
dt tcafed contestant in the race Of the day, and
Mrs. George Faulkner, whose husband is we'll
known oarsman. The cause of the disaster was
a placed switch. The regular switchman, it -
SAID had left his post to attend the regatta. and IN
hi, place was inexperienced man, this being, 1t
Is reported, the cause of the accicent. Bntto
The DETAILS.
The train left Silver Lake at 5 Sc p. NJ, con-
si,tng Of two engines, the Easton and the Bris-
tol, baggage car, an English coach car and pine
teen passenger cars. These cars were all hlled,
and large number were satisfied with standing
room. The passengers were 1.arly all men aud
hoys not more than three or four ladies' being up
on the train Two Of these, Mrs. Faulkner, vile
of George Faulkner, and Mrs. Blake, the wife of
the boat builder occupied the coach car, which
also contained Pstsey Reagan, the osrsman, the
Judges and the referee of the race and several
newspaper men. The train was running on eS-
press time for Boston. The passengers had al
ready congratulated themselves upon a safe re-
turn home after the enjoyment of long days
sport.
Soon after passing Wollaston station a slight
shaking up was felt, and il was at once realized
that the train or at least part of it, had left the
iron. For few seconds the current of event,
was irdescfibable. The forward cars swayed back
and forth As they broke their couplings and then
were crushed against each other like eggsbells.
When the fnal crash was over, both engines with
their tenders lay in one heap across the inward
/ track, smashed almost beyond recognition, and
/ turned nearly upside down. The next car, a bag
gage, had shot past the ruin OF the engine and
! stood with one end on the outward track and the
other down the bank. The running gear was
! Knocked to pieces and the car was generally
sms.hed. although retaining its shape.
| The next car was the English coach, and it
stood pa alIe with the baggage van and obliquely
across the outward rail. Both ends and one side
were smashed in, the roof partially destroyed and
the running gear ruined. This car received it,
full share OF the shock, and had not been for the
| Miller platforms and the unusual strength of the
car every person in il would doubtless have been
crushed to death. The next in rear was al
most a mass Of kindng wood, and the two next
! following were thrown IN opposite directions
across the rails, the whole completely blocking the
tracks. The remaining cars, sixteen in number
remained on the rails, and although many psssen-
gers in them were more or less injured, the dam
| age was light, both to property and limb.
| lhe locomotive Easton, which was at the head
Of the train the first to leave the track, car
rying with il the locomotive Bristol down the en-
| bankment on the west side of the track. The
baggage car, which was used for the conveyance
of the boats of the carsmeD, was thrown against
| the outward track, forming barrier across which
was forced the English coach, the car following
which was thrown endwise down the embsnk ment,
at right angles with the track. The position 10
which the first passenger car was thrown opened
| a gap through which the next car shot across the
outward track, striking the rear of the English
coach, which had already been stripped of one side
| by being forced past the first ca. The next car,
which was the fourth car from the engine, then
came crashing down the track, striking the Eng
lish coach in the rear and raising it to an angle Of
| forty. five degrees.
The fifth car struck the fourth, by which time
the speed of the train had been checked, and the
impetus spent upon the wrecked cars. As soon as
| tha al thosa wi ho n nj ipiu md
those only slightly injured extricated themselves
| from their peril0us position. In this they were
| impeled by the fear Of more horrible death than
| that which had overtaken their companions, but
fortunately the engineers of both locomotives.
with great presence of mind, Immediately pro-
eeeded to extinguish their fires OF those who
were killed larger number met their death in the
English coach than in the regular passenger cars,
and is singular fact that all the killed in this
car occupied seats on the left side. The remand.
er of the killed occupied the first passenger car,
which was thrown end foremost down the EN- .
paukment on the west side of the track, while the
injured were scattered through the five cars which
were wrecked.
The accident occurred at point between the
Wollaston and Atlantic stations, and about half q
mile from the former A spur track branches off
from the main line and is used for conveying
freight to and from the Wollsston Iron Foundry.
The road bed of the main line is sparsely wooded
with growth Of white birch, which forms a thick
tiuup ou tue Wtsi suc VI tue udtk ht tDe juno
ton, hiding the track in the the direction of VOL
lsston fIoa the view of persons on the iron foun-
| dry spur. The land on the eas! side of the track
is low and swampy, but on the west side. where
the ground is encountered with the debris of the
wrecked train, it is gravelly.
AT THE WRECK.
The scene at the wreck even up 10 late bonr.
was one of intense excitement Men and bows
ard occasionally women, were constantly arriving
from the surrounding ceuutry and from Boston,
viewing the fearful scene with eager curiosity
and then going away. Around the shattered cars,
from which the dead and wounded are being tax
en-. stood groups of people watching the move
ments of the workers, and pressing forward to
catch glimpse OF each one removed, and at lit
he distances were smaller groups, excitedly dis
cussing the event and relating incidents that had
occurred. And all the while large company of
men, az many as there was room for, we're working
with unirlng ry, under the direction of Mr..
Gleason, IN clearing away the wreck from around
the imprisoned victims, and as often as apy grew
weary, others stood ready to take their places.
| There was much excitement, but il was well
controlled, and the workers proceeded with their
difficult labor with the GOODNESS and rood judg-
ment 50 necessary at such times. 1t was q slow
and difficult task, and il was nearly five hours be-
fore the last man in sight was exricated Fl ON the
| ruins. This man, L.pnehan lay beneath partly
upturned car, with both legs crushed Just above
the ankles, and pinned between two car wheels,
winch were held lmmOvable under o mass of tim
her and debris. Fully conscious, and enduring
the most intense agony, he lay supported nv the
arms OF his brother, and then by Rev. Father
Denney Of Quincy, while for four hours the work
men labored with jack-serews and levers saws
and axes to remove the tmbers that held him
down.
the officers of the road were upon the ground
as quickly as possible, and doing all in their DOW.
er to render aid. Mr.. Jerould, the road master
came up on the Inflated train as far as South
3iaintree, riding upon the forward engine, AID had
hardly reached his home in bingham when des
patch reached him, telling of the accident. He
hastened at once to the scene and soon had 9
force of wreckers and other workmen engaged in
clearing and repairing the track. In company
with Superintendent Kendrck and Mr.. Sesson
the conductor of the train, he made careful ex.
animation of the premises, to discover, If possible
the cause of the disaster.
In Boston.
At As p. VI. the Deputy Chief was notified NJ
the accident, aud after telegraphng the Chief and
making other arrangements, be repaired to the
Old Colony station, where kilograms had already
been received and a special train had been fitted
ont to send TO the relief of the unfortunate party
This train left the station for the scene of the dis
aster, having on board Superintendent Kendrick
DR.. Samuel A. Green, the City Physician, ant
Drs J. F. Bush, p. ID. Walsh, f. ii. Bradfor
and A. I. Cabot. After the train had left, DEBUT,
Quinn began TO make preparations for the recep
lion of the dead. Details of police were called