Morning journal and courier., 1881-07-29
Sad Railroad Accident.

Ell c. Latin of this City In-
 stantly Kfled-Brakeman Injured
 Perhaps Fatal1y-smash up of Freight
 Trains.
 A serious accident occurred on the Con- solidated road at Rye station yesterday after noon about o'clock, resulting in the death of Conductor Eli O. Latin, of this city, and dangerous if not fatal wounding of Brake man William Hallock, of Norwalk. The &C., cident was caused by collision of two freight trains, Conductor Lattin's 1908 freight down from this city, containing thirty-two cars, and Conductor Spaulding's up freight from New York, which met each other on the same track short distance this side of the Rye depot. How the accident could have happened aside from carelessness on the part of some of the employees is a mystery, as the down freight had the right of way, and was on time.
 News of the accident reached this city shortly after it's occurrence, and a wrecking train was dispatched to the scene, Vice Pres ident Reed and Master Mechanic Kittendorf being on board. The collision resulted in the total destruction of three fiat cars, and badly damaging several others. all being at- tached to Lattins train. The conductor and Hallock stood on one of the flat cars and either jumped, or were thrown of, the car turning over and falling upon them. Latin was instantly killed, his head being badly smashed, an arm and leg broken, besides receiving cuts and bruises. Some of the splinters penetrated Hallock's abdomen, from which his intestines protruded. The man suffered intense agony, and the physi- clan attending him pronounced his case an almost hopeless one. No one on the up train was injured. The engineers and fremen on both of the engines escaped injury by jumping of just before colliding As there is sharp curve at the point where the accident occurred, neither engineer was aware of their imminent peril until too late to avert it. What is somewhat remarkable, neither engine jumped the track, although both were very badly broken forward. Both tracks were strewn with the debris of the broken cars, completely block ing travel for over three hours. A telegraph pole was knocked down, breaking the wires, which caused the suspension of telegraphy for short time.
 All sorts of rumors concerning the accident were in circulation around the depot unti Conductor Scofeld's p. m. train out oi New York reached here three hours an6 twenty minutes late, when the true extent oi the damage was ascertained. At one time ii was said eleven persons had been killed another, that both conductors with the engi neers and 6remen were dead, the greatly exaggerated stories causing considerable ex oitannnt The r11aff0rno crowded with passengers waiting to take trains east and north, and to relieve thu pressure an extra was run to Hartford al 5:55, taking the place of the regular 5:35 p m. train. Passengers at Belle Dock and alsc those to go up the Air Line and Canal roadi were obliged to wait for the up trains. Conductor Lattin's body was brought III on the limited express train due here at 6:O3 but which did not arrive until 9:05 p. m., il | charge of Brakeman George w. Elkins. | was taken to Blair's and will be conveyed tt his residence, No. Morris street, thi morning. The deceased, who leaves wife | but no children, was about thirty-fve year ! old. He was genial, sociable man, es | teemed by his employers and liked by al | who knew him. He had been a conducto | since last October. MT. Booth Latin, broth \ CT of the deceased also freight conductor ol the New York road, had the sad task o | breaking the news to the dead mans wife | The brothers passed each other daily shor
 distance below Stamford ,and greeted each oth
 CT passing by wave of the hand from tn
 caboose door. This they did yesterday, a
 usual, and within half an hour after it El 1 Latin was killed.
 The employees on the down freight beside
 the conductor were Engineer James Minty | Fireman John Roemer and Brakeman Geo
 w. Elkins. jr., Robert Tracy, James Searles
 William Earnest and William Hallock, wh
 was injured.
 The up trains that were delayed continue
 to arrive about ten or fifteen minutes afte
 each other until all had reached this city | The down trains left the same as usual ez
 cepting the White Mountain express, whic
 left at 7:25 instead of 6:52 p. m. The u
 track was clear by 8 o'clock, but the dow was still encumbered at midnight.
 Sad as the accident was, it seems almos
 miraculous that more persons were not kille
 or injured.