, 1886-04-08
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT
To a Passenger Train on the
Fitchburg Railroad.
Cars Thrown Over a Precipiee
200 Feet High.
Many Persons Killed and
Others Badly Injured.

d~HkENflELD, Mass, April IA ter
rible disaster occurred on the Fitchburg
railroad to night, midway between Bard
wells ferry and West Deerfeld station.
The east-bound passenger train, due at
Greenfield at Cos p. M, going over an
embankment 200 feet high. Six bodies
have already been taken out of the ruins
and it is not known how many others
have been killed. The train was the
eastern express and consisted of a bag
gage car, smoker. sleeping car, mail car
and two ordinary passenger cars. The
train was in charge of Conductor Foster,
with Herbert Littlejohn as engineer. The
point where the accident occurred is the
most dangerous on the road. The train
runs on the ridge of an embankment 200
feet above Deerield river. The bank is
steep and is covered with huge boulders
and masses of rock. When the train
arrived at this point the track commenced
to settle under it for a distance covering
its entire length. The coaches broke
from their trucks and went rolling over
and over down the precipice. The en-.
CINE broke from the tender, tearing up
the track for twenty feet. Below rolled
the Deer6eld river, on the very edge of
which the cars were thrown. As soon as
they struck they caught FIRE from the
stoves. The sleeping car was an entire
wreck. 1t was occupied by several pas
sengers, not one of whom at this hour is
known to have escaped injury. One
man, whore name is unknown. is i'm
prisoned in the wreck of the sleeper,
where he is being burned alive. One Lit
tie girl was picked up dead. As soon as
the news reached Greenfield a special train
was made up and started to the scene of
the disaster, having on board several ply
~sicians, section men and a few citizens. On
arrival at the scene Of the wreck a horrible
sight was witnessed Darkness had set
tied over the spot. f ar down on the river
bank could be seen the smouldering EN-
bers of the frightful holocaust. 1t was
impossible to tell who was wounded and
who was killed. Stout, hearty trackmen
were lowered cautiously down the treach-
erous height and the work ofrescue began.
Merritt Seeley, superintendent of the Ma
tianal Express company, Of Boston, was
found in the wreck and taken into the re-
lief car. He had a wound four inches
long and halt an inch wide over his left
temple, his left thigh was broken and also
his left leg at the knee, besides he received
internal injuries from which he will die.
d. Crandall, the postal clerk, was plunged
into the river and got ashore with difficult
ty. He was wounded about the head
and his arm was fractured. The Fitchburg
coach was the only one that escaped the
confagration. Deputy Sheriff Bryant, of
Greenfield, who was in this car, rescued
two children from the flames, but one was
dead and the other dying. Their parents
were on board but cannot be found. Some
of the injured and dead were taken to
Shelburne Falls and some Of the wounded
to Greenfield. c. p. Bell, of Nashua, N.
H., was cut slightly on the head and leg,
but not seriously hurt. He was thrown
head foremost into the river and went to
the bottom, barely escaping drowning.
Conductor Foster is reported safe and but
slightly injured. D. c. Wells, of Ando-
yer, had his shoulder hurt and his head
cut. The car in which be was riding was
broken into aud stood on end within a
few feet Of the river bank. Nicholas Dor
gan, of Greenfield, had his arm and ankle
broken and was seriously injured internally.
A little girl who was a passenger on the
train died in his arms from injuries re-
ceived. ]. E. Priest, of Littleton, N. H.,
had his face and head cut. Engineer
Littlejohn, of North Adams, was badly
scalded, it is believed fatally. A X.
Warner, chairman of the Greenfield board
of selectmen, was badly hurt, but lis in
juries are not fatal.
Great excitement prevailed all along
the line between here and North Adams.
Being interviewed by wire tonight at
Shelburne Falls, Conductor Foster said:
Il am unable to state how many were on
the train. Only three men have thus
far been found who escaped injury, and
they set the number of passengers all the
way from twenty-five to 100. No doubt
half a dozen were killed outright while
falling and as many more were fatally in
jured.
The west-bound express was delayed
at Greenfield and West Deerield two
hours while the relief train with
surgeons and their assistants were sent
out on its time. The locomotive is 4
complete wreck, but remains on the track,
while its tender is down the bank.
The following persons were taken .tc
S~helbune Falls more or less injured; ii.
G. Littlejohn, brother of the engineer,
with his wife and two children, all oil
whom have since died; A. D. Connell,
Allen Lewis, B, B. Stowe, A. c. Har
vey, Of Boston, fatally hurt; j. p. Fow
Ter. A. r. Warner, Of Greenfield; IL
Couillard, Charlemont, K. W. Donnells
Waltham; Miss Darby and May Gowing
A Miss Cornell is badly hurt, as is Mai
Agent Putney. A. NJ. Waterhouse il
! missing.
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