Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-04-08
Many Persons Killed and a
Large Number Injured.
The Cars Badly Smashed and Fire
Adds to the Horrors of the
Scene.
The Accident Caused by the
ROadbed Il eing Washed
Away.
greenfield. Mass, April

GREENFIELD. Mass, April
A terrible disaster occurred on the Fitch
burg railroad tonight, midway between Bard
east bound passenger train from No. Adams,
due in Greenfield at 6 05 p NJ, having gone
over an embankment 200 feet in height. Six
bodice have already been taken out of the
ruins and it is not known at this time how
many are killed. The train was the eastern
express and consisted of baggage car,
smoker, sleeping car, mail car and two pas
senger coaches. The train was numbered 35,
and was in charge of Conductor Foster, with
Herbert Littlejohn, engineer. The point
where the accident occurred is the most dam
gerous on the road. The track runs on the
edge of an embankment 200 feet above Deer
field River. The bank is very steep and is
covered wife huge boulders and masses of
shale rock with which the roadbed has been
filled. When the train arrived at this point
the track commenced to settle under it for
distance covering its entire length Coaches
broke from the trucks and went rolling over
and over down the precipice. The engine
broke from the tender,
Tearing up the Track for 20 Feet.
Below the height rolled the Deerteld river
on the very edge of which the cars were
thrown. As soon as they struck they caught
fire from the stoves and conflagraton
adj laA 70 thn nf Ek,n
shrieks Of the wounded and dying filled the
air, and for time the scene was indeed ter
rible The sleeping car was an entire wreck
1t occupied by several passengers, not
one of whom, at this hour, is X own to have
escaped injury. One man, whose name 1t is
impossible to learn, is imprisoned in the
wreck of the sleeper and is being burned
alive. One little girl was picked up dead
As soon the news reached Greenfield a
special tram was made up and sent 20 the
scene of the disaster accompanied bv Phys
clans. section men and few citizrns. On
arriving at the wreck
A Horrible Sight
was witnessed. The darkness of the night
had settled over the spot. Far down on the
river bank there glowed the sm0nldering en-
bers of the holocust. 1t was impossible to
tell who was hurt and who was killed. Stout
hearted trackmen were continuously lowered
down the treacher0us height and the work of
rescue began. Mr.. Merritt Seeyle superin-
tendent OF the National Express Co, 300
Washington street, Boston, found in the
wreck and taken into the relief car. He had
a wound four inches long and half an inch
wide, over the left temple, his left thign was
broken and also his leg at the knee, besides
which he suffered other internal injuries from
which he will die. ID. l.. Crandall of Athol
postal clerk. found himself plunged into the
icy waters OF the river and got ashore with
difficulty, wounded about the head with his
arm fractured. Deputy Sheriff Chauncy
Bryant of Greenfield, was in the Fitchburg
coach forward of the sleeper, and escaped
urhurt. The coach he was in slid down the
bank end first and was the only car that es-
capped conflagraton. He rescued the bodies
of two children from the flames, but one was
Dead aud the Other Dying.
Their parents were on board and the mother
is believed to have been injured Their
names cannot be learned tonight part of
the injured and dead were taken to Shelburne
Falls and part of the wounded to Green
field. c. 7. Bell OF Nashua, n. H, was cut
slightly on the head ana jammed about the
leg and arm, but is not seriously hurt. He
was thrown head first into the river, went
twice to the bottom and barely escaped drown
ing. Conductor Foster was reported missing
but at 10 o'clock the report came from Shell
burne Falls that he was there and only slight
" injured. ID. c. Wells of Andover. had
his shoulder hurt and head cut The car he
was in broke in two and stood on end within
five feet of the river hank. Nicholas Durgan
of Greenfield, had his left arm and ankle
broken, and was injured intsrnally but not
fatally, little girl passenger on the train
died in his arms from injuries received J.
F. Priest of Littletown, \. II , had his face
cut. Engineer Herbert Littlejohn of North
Adams, was badly scadej, it is believed IA
tally A. X. Warner, chairman of the
Greenfield board of selectmen, was badly
hurt, but the I'M uries are not fatal. He was
taken 10 Shelburne Falls.
Great Excitement
prevails all along the road between here and
North Adams. just how heavy the list of
killed and wounded will foot up cannot tonight
be estimated. Interviewed by wire tonight
at Shelburne Falls Conductor Foster saws
Il am unable to state how many were on the
train. Only three men thus far have been
found who escaped injury and these set the
number OF passengers all the way from % to
100. No doubt halt a dozen people were
killed outright while falling and as many
more fatally injured, besides many who es-
capped with broken limbs and gashed heads"
The west bound express was DELAYED at
Greenfield and West Deerfeld two hours
while
Relief Train With Surgeons
was sent out on its time. Locomotive No. IL
is a complete wreck but remains on the track,
while the tender is down the bank. The fol-
lowing persops were taken to Sbelburue
Falls more or less injured: H. G. Little
John, brother of the engineer, and his wife
and two children, both of whom have since
died; A. d. Cornell, Allen Lewis. E. B.
Stowe, A. B. Harvey, of Boston; J. P. Fow-