Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-08-06
RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Marrow Escape from Frlghtful Disaster.

Narrow Escape from FrIghtful Disaster.
THE UP WHITE MOUNTAIN TRAIN DERA1LED AND
THE FORWARD RUNNING GEAR PILED UP IN
WRECK HALE. MILE BELOW THE BBNrTLE-
BoBo STATION.
This afternoon the White Mountain train
going north struck an empty fiat car just be-
low the ice house half mile south OF the
Bratleboro station the engine and three
cars we're derailed, the track was torn up for
a distance Of several rods, and an ugly look
ing lot Of wreckage was atrewn about and
piled up. BY what seems little less than
miracle no one was hurt except the baggage
master OF the train, aud II IL hoped that his
injuries will not prove serious.
The accident was caused, evidently, by
carelessness In allowing an empty fiat car to
run back aud of switch no that IL stood half
way over the main track ten rods below the
ice house A freight train had been brought
up with several cars OF wood and let on
side track, and a gang Of Frenchmen from
below we're unloading them. The rear one
had boon omptied and the brake partially set
up but not enough to hold il, and II ran back
and of the switch over the main track 30
stated. A small boy who lives in one Of the
houses near says he saw the car run back. and
one report says that the men knew that II had
run back, but they were too stupid to go
down the track and flag the passenger train
which was just then due.
just below the switch, on the main track
is a curve. The White Mountain train came
up at full speed, and the engineer did not see
the fat car until he was close upon II. He
instinctively put on the air brakes and re-
versed his engine, but there was no time to
slacken speed and be struck the fat car un
der full Roadway. The engine was No. 43 Of
the Connecticut River road, one OF that COM
pany's heavy and fast machines. 1t was run
by N 'wton Ball Of Springfield as engineer
with Fred Q Illins az fireman. Both are very
reticent about the accident, but II seems that
both stuck to the machine and were in the
cab at their posts when it hnally brought up
in pile of wreckage at the ice.house
The fl Vt car WAS lifted bodily on TO the
front OF the engine aud the smoke stack
thrust up through the bottom it was carried
in this way in an upright position the whole
I
ties show that the a It car was struck about
half cars length below the switch. The
pilot OF the engine was doubled up aud
smashed at once. The end Of the switch
frog was broken off and all the way up brake
Shoes car springs, and other broken pieces
are strewn down the bank.
The train consisted OF six cars baggage
car, two parlor cars, and three coaches. The
baggage car and one parlor car were thrown
from the track and dragged over the ties AMI
through the earth, aud the forward trucks Of
the other parlor car we're also thrown of
The other cars did not leave the track
Tue engine left the rails at tbs switch and
~ already stated, brought up at the ice house
10 or > rods above. II stands tipped partly
over GU the right side, its right drivers deeply
buried in the earth. The tender il turned
around at an angle with the engine, aud it's
trucks torn of and piled up in hssp beside
the baggage car. The baggage car and for
ward Pullman are tilted partly over and the
forward trucks OF the baggage car are twisted
clean around aud buried deep in the sand.
1t il difficult to say how much the engine
is damaged until it is righted up. but the
damage does not look to be great, though the
machinery is more or less smashed and twisted
The main injury to the cars is IN the running
gear. The ties are splintered, strewn about,
or piled mp by doz'ns. just above the switch
where the accident occurred another side
track comes in, and the rails Of both these
tracks are torn up. bent in all shapes, aud
even broken in two.
Taken all together the road bed under the
side track is a complete wreck, though the
damage TO the main track Is co nparatively
slight, owing TO tho fact that the train left
the main track aud plowed over the ties aud
earth OF the side trAcks.
The chance il hardly one out OF a hundred
that such an accident should have happened
without resulting in bodily injury and loss OF
life to many persons. The train was we'll
filed with passengers. Those in the parlor
cars naturally felt the shock most Here
women and children were thrown violently
from their seats but there seems to have been
no injuries worth mentioning. In the other
cars the shock was not severe. Gen. Grout,
who WAS in the rear car on his way home
from Washington, did nos at first realize that
there had been an accident and was surprised
to ind such wreck in front on getting out
Of the train.
The baggage car was we'll filled with bag
gage aud the heavy trunks were thrown about
promiscuousy. The baggage master was
caught between some OF these in the back and
stomach, and seemed to be suffering from
some internal injury, though assured by
ply sician that he would be all right in a few
days, and the man himself stoutly protested
that he was "all right" and scarcely hurt at
all
1t will take the better part of the night to
get the cars on the track, clear away the
wreckAge, and set the track to rights. Mr..
Brooks at once ordered an engine up from
South Vernon, the passengers from the north
we're transferred to the uniDjnred cars and
sent south, while those on the wrecked train
we're put aboard the waiting cars from the
north, which thus went back over their course
day sooner than was on the program The
trains we're got out in both directions about
4:3O, and the delay was thus only about an
hour and a half
No blame eau attach to tho Connecticut
River engineer and with what knowledge
can now be had the whole blame seems 10
rest with those who had the freight train in
charge. Taken all in all tho escape WAS
narrow and a most fortunate one for the rail -
road companies and the passengers.
Dr. Cages Cures.