St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-04-15

; from North ADAMS Oh one SIDE and
Fitchburg on the other arrived with
large gangs of men in due time. Sur
geOns came to minister to the injured,
and unnecessary suffering was soon
alleviated. Three or four bodies of the
dead were taken from the wreck dur
the night, but all marvelled at the
worse consequences that had been es-
capped. With torches and bOnfires the
strange scene soon became weired and
uncanny. 1t began TO snow fast and a
white veil was soon spread over every
thing. The most noticeable feature
was the body of one passenger car from
the center of the train, which was all
that remained intact, and which lay
perehed on end at sharp angle near
the edge of the water. But it was at
day break that the sight became strang-
est of all. Everything, twigs, tele-
graph wires, remains of the wreck and
all else was hung an inch think with
breath weight snow. The sun burst
out clear for a few moments over the
nearest mountain. There was nothing
to suggest disaster and suffering in the
magnificent, dazzling river gorge save
the presence of 300 or 400 men toiling
above and below the steep ascent. The
return of daylight, however, only re-
doubled the efforts of the wOrkmen,
and they made more rapid progress.
Three or four more bodies were taken
from the debris before noon. Thirty
or forty bags of mail matter were ia
ken from the river, and few articles
of baggage were recovered. A con-
siderable quantity of property was re-
covered from the river some miles be-
low at Deerfield. Meantime, half the
wounded and survivors had been taken
to Greenfield and half to Shelburne
Falls. 1t was not until after several
hours rest that any involved in the
calamity were able to rehearse, even
in their own minds, their thrilling ex-
periences. In the coarse of the day
some of the detailed facts regarding
to the disaster began to appear.
The occupants of Troy and Boston
car No. II, which followed the smOk-
ing-car, were the only comparatively
fortunate persons on board the illfat
ed train. This car simply slid off its
trucks and front foremost at a sharp
angle down the bank, stopping before
it quite reached the bottom. Mr.. j.
NJ. Watkins of OwegO, New York, says
there were only about dozen Occu-
pants of this car besides himself. Ev
erybody got a bad shaking up, and
two gentlemen were severely bruised,
but all were able to leave the wreck
unassisted and most of them assisted
in rescuing those in the burning wreck.
Not even window in the Troy and
Boston car was broken.
Mr.. c.. P. Bell of Nashua, n. H., had
an experience as fearful as any that a
man could pass through and live. He
sat in the rear of the Fitchburg car,
which was next to the last on the train.
The car plunged over without the
slightest warning. 81 had no chance
to catch hold of anything" said Mr..
Bell to-day. "The car whirled over
and over 1 don't know how many
times-certainly five or six. We
brought up in the water which came
pouring into the car, Then suddenly
it seemed as though as if the car burst
open, and without knowing how [ got
there found myself struggling in the
swift waters of Deerfield river. [ be-
gan to swim with all my might toward
the shore. | seized some rocks that
stood out of the water but the current
was too strong and | was torn loose. L
succeeded, however, in clinging to a
larger rock little farther down. L
held on for a few minutes to collect
my strength and take my bearings,
and then struck out again for the shore
and finally reached it. [ saw four or
five struggling in the water below me,
and don't believe they reached the
shore. l think they must have been
swept down stream to their DEATH"
'How did the other passengers fare
in your car ?" was asked.
81 hardly know" said Mr.. Bell, "it
was all so sudden that no one thought
of any one else. Two little girls near
me were killed, | learned afterwards.
The only thing that came to my mind
as we whirled down the precipice was
about my wife and little one"
Mr.. Bells injuries he hopes are not
serious. He had a scalp wound, an
injured back and lame leg, besides a
few bruises.
Mr.. William H. Wilcox of Syracuse,
N. Y, had an experience quite similar
to that of Mr.. Bell and an escape fully
as wonderful. He was in the middle
of the Fitchburg passenger coach, the
fifth car. He thinks there were about
twenty passengers in that car. When
the terrific plunge began he succeeded
in getting a firm grip of an arm of a
seat and he managed to maintain his
hold throughout the wild whirl heels
over head for five or six immense SOM
ersaults. When the river was reached
the sequel was just as Mr.. Bell de-
scribes it. The car, quick as flash,
flew open from end to end, and in an
instant Mr.. Wilcox was padding for
dear life to escape from swift current
twelve feet deep. He escaped in the
same manner as did Mr.. Bell, but he
was not swept quite so far down
stream. He was so little hurt that he
was able to assist in rescuing one or
two imprisoned passengers from his
car, which had caught fire before he
reached the shore. There was no time
for thought of aught but instructive
self-preservation he says during the
time the car was rolling down the
rocky declivity. Mr.. Wilcox is only
bruised.
gives marvellous record of what he
passed through. He sat near the rear
of the same fifth car mentioned above.
He felt one or two sudden heavy
bumps. and then as the car whirled
over he received blow upon the head
which deprived him of consciousness.
He knows nothing about the cars pas
sage to the foot of the bank. When
his senses returned he was lying at the
bottom of Deerfield river, he estimates
under about ten feet of water. He was
able to struggle to the surface and to
clutch floating car seat to keep his
head above water. The seat soaked
and became less buoyant, so he got
hold of floating piece of wreck, part
nf tho rido Of tho onr ha tLirI-r LIZ