The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-01-13
DEATH WITHOUT WARNING.

"A Passenger Train in Massachusetts
Wrecked Nine Persons Killed and Over
Fifty Wounded.
HAvERHILL, Mass, Jan 1.-THE Portland
express train, which left Boston at / D. m,
was wrecked yesterday near the Haverhill
bridge, which spans the Merrimac river be-
tween Bradford and Haverhill, and nine
persons were killed and over fifty hurt
more or less seriously. The train con-
sisted Of eight cars, in charge
of Engineer Thomas French and
Conductor Weymouth The train does
not stop at Bradford, and was going at great
speed The Georgetown branch train was
standing on the track near the water tank
house at the Bradford end of the bridge,
waiting for tie express to pass over to
EaverhilI As the express rounded the
curve two of its cars left the rails and
went crashing into the water-t tank house,
demolishing it. In this house a
number OF section hands were eating din
ner John 0'Brien, a retired merchant of
Bradford was talking to the section hands
and was killed, together with William
Taylor, one of the laborers The car that
crashed into the tank house knocked the
foundation out, letting the heavy tank down
upon the car, crushing through the top
of it and doing fearful work within. The
next car behind telescoped the one ahead
of it, adding to the havoc The killed and
wounded were mostly in those two cars
The cars behind these two ran down along
side the Georgetown train, barely escaping
a collision with the engine Of that train.
The killed are:
Clarence HaZlewood, residence unknown;
John O'Brien, of Bradford C. P Goodwin
wife and child, of Kennebunk, Me-; William
Taylor, a section hands A. L. Walker, of Har-
rison, Me-; Charles Thurlow, of Newton juno
ton, N. H., and Joseph Shaw, of Boston. -
The following wounded are at the city
hospital:
George B. Wentworth, of Dover N. H., scalp
wounds and shoulder-blade broken: Rebecca
Mckay, of 3meryille, N B., compound frac-
ture of the leg; Fred Mckeon, OF
Somerville, newsboy, scalp wound
and severe contusions of the head,
Miles Bolin, of Brockton, back and leg injured;
Hugo Slettengen, of Brockton, back and leg
injured; w. +. Kimball of Kimball Bros, Bos-
ton, leg fractured; John Madden, of Bradford,
compound fracture of the right leg; Mr. Hart,
OF Portland, Me- bruised arm and bad scalp
wound; d. Shannon, of Bradford, feet and leg
badly crushed scalp wounds will probably die
BERTHE Allen, boy en- route for Exeter, terrible
scalp wound; Zenas Thompson, Of Portland,
Me-, carriage manufacturer, head and back
hurt and arm broken; Frank Williams, of Bos-
ton, head cut; George Fl. Odell, of Boston, face
cut; Calvin McKenna, of Auburn, Me-, head
cut and injured about the body; Mrs. John p.
Felt of Wareham, Mass. injuries not serious
These are at residences in Bradford:
Miss Eta Owen, right leg and hand badly
bruised; John Kellogg, of Boston, several
slight scalp wounds.
The entire force of physicians in the city
were summoned by telephone, and were
quickly at baud, and the wounded were
cared for as soon as released. The fire de-
partment was called out, but as the cars
were heated by steam the horrors OF fire
were escaped. The people of Hayerhill
are doing every thing possible for the
wounded
The accident is supposed to have been
caused by switch rod breaking after the
engine and three forward cars had passed
over the switch The switch and it's con-
nections were SO badly broken that it is i'm
possible to ascertain the exact truth The
train was running, according to the engi-
neer's story, at about eighteen miles an
hour After the smoking car had broken
apart from the rear portion of the train and
bounded forward on the bridge the air.
brake on the car was applied and the car
was thrown on its side. 1t is probable that
but for this brake the car would have fallen
into the ice-bound Merrimac river, 100
f eet below