Morning journal and courier., 1880-07-21
An Open Switch.

The Valley Railroad Train-Crashing
 Into Empty Cars on the sfding-Con-
 ductor Bacon Instantly Killed-The
 Engineer MangIed and Sca1ded.
 An accident happened on the Valley rail- road at Hartford yesterday morning, by which Conductor Bacon, one of the oldest employees of the road, lost his life. The freight train from Saybrook was entering the city, and when at point near Colts shops struck a misplaced switch and ran into a lot of cars which were on side track, left there the night before-fve passenger and one bag gage car The engineer, Frank Stillman, saw the danger and whistled for ''down brakes.'' Conductor Bacon jumped from his seat and ran for the brake of the caboose. Just as he turned it the car was thrown from the rails and he was pitched forward under the wheels. They passed diagonaIly across his body, crushing his ribs, thigh and legs in horri- ble manner. Marks of his finger nails as visible. In the car with him was-Mr. E. B. Gilbert of Wethersfeld, an engineer of the road, who comes up every morning on this train As soon as possible he hastened to the side of Conductor Bacon, who looked up and said, "Gil, it's all over with me-" He gasped once or twice and died, his eyes open and his face retaining it's usual natural pleas ant expression. The engine struck against car No. 26, one of the five standing on the switch. The smoke stack was thrown thirty feet backward and the forward parts of the locomotive were smashed, the catcher telescoping with the rear of car No. 26. The baggage car came smashing on top of the tender, the entire top of which was car ried against two extra cars stand ing on side track. These cars were badly broken. Over on top of the bag gage car came the first of the freight cars, leaving the trucks upon the track The freight car, No. 1,196, of the New York and New England railroad, was thrown across the two tracks and smashed the forward car into kindling. One after another of the eleven cars struck against each other, demolishing brakes and the forward ends of several All of the five passenger cars standing on the side track were derailed and more or less damaged, the sters and platforms being in every instance torn away.
 Engineer Stillman was thrown from his To-
 
 and his back and arms were terribly scalded. He was removed to the residence of MT. M. V. B. Maine and Dr. Jarvis was summoned He dressed the injuries of MT. Stillman. On the first train down he was taken to his home in Saybrook, where he has 8 wife. He is 2S years of age and has no children He will it is thought, recover from his injuries.
 The freman William Stanton WAS thrown off with the top of the tender and buried be- heath the coal. One of his feet was badly hurt and he was considerably bruised, but he escaped serious injuries.
 The night watchman and switchman at the yard thought the tracks were all right. The switch had been turned the night before by a brakeman on the night freight for Saybrook to let his train out, which had been on the siding for the up train, the brakeman SUD- posing that when his train was gone the night watchman would turn the switch back which was not done. The dead conductor was very popular man on the road He was between 50 and 60 years of age and leaves a wife and daughter, the latter at Saybrook. A jury was empaneled.