Omaha daily bee., 1888-01-11
CAUSED BY SPREADING RAILS
A Massachusetts Express Meets
With a Terrible Disaster.
COACHES THROWN IN A HEAP.
At Least Six Persons Known to Have
Been Killed, While Fifty-Two
Are Injurcd-List OF
the Dead.
An Afternoon Horror.

HAvERHILL, Mass, Jan lO.-Ihe Portland
express, which left Boston tor Port land at 1
O'Clock met with a serious accident this after
noon between Bradford station and the
Haverhill bridge over the Mcrrimac river
caused by the rails spreading near a frog ON
a curve, where the turn is made to run on
the bridge. The train consisted OF an en-
ginc, two baggage cars, smoking, parlor
and three passenger cars. The engine passed
safely but the smoker and two cars left the
track. The smoking car ran on the bridge
and turned over. One coach smashed into
the water tank house and another through
the sleeper. The crash was fearful and the
cries of the people terrible to hear. The cars
did not take fire Six persons are known to
have been killed; several others are expected
to die and many others are more or
less seriously injured. The train was on
time. running at ordinary speed Physicians
were summoned and the wounded and dying
rapidly cared for. Several of the bodies
were mangled beyond recognition.
Fifty-two passengers, in all, were wounded,
some badly One of the saddest sights was
the death of Mrs c. =. Goodwin and her
little child, of Konnebunk, who was riding
in the second passenger car with her little
child in her arms. Both were instantly
killed. as was her husband.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT
HAyERnIII, Mass, Jan. l0.--A frightful
accident befell the Portland express train
which left Boston at o'clock this afternoon.
The scene of the disaster was near Haverhill
bridge, which spans the Mcrrimac river be-
tween Bradford and Haverhill. The train
consisted Of eight cars. This 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 Bradford
and on the bridge waiting for the express to
pass over to Haverhill. AS the express
rounded the curve two cars left the rails and
went crashing into the water tank house, de
molishing it. In this house number of sec
ton hands were eating dinner. John
O'Bren retired merchant of Bradford
was talking to the section hands and was
killed together with William Taylor, one OF
the laborers. The car that crushed into the
tank house knocked the foundation out, let
ting the heavy tank down upon the car
crushing through the top OF the
car and doing fearful work
within. The next car behind telescoped the
one ahead of 1t, adding to the havoc. The
killed ana wounded were mostly in those
two cars The cars behind these two rar
down alongside the Georgetown train, barely
escaping collision with the engine of thai
train.
The people in the smoker had fearful ex
perience One of the wheels on the forward
truck broke and the car bumped against the
end of the bridge, causing it TO careen. II
ran upon the bridge for some distance ovel
the sleepers and then careened to the othe
way and leaned against the iron work OF th'
side of the bridge. The passengers
of whom there were about thirty in th
car, found themselves at the top of the car
--t..I. Nhn,,, hat hn nnr ylvn
tumbling off the bridge to the river below
The passengers managed to crawl out, som
of them being very seriously injured. "A
soon as they reached the ground such a
We're able rushed back to help those VIII
were imprisoned in the wrecked cars
The entire force of physicians III the cit
were summoned by telephone and wer
quickly rat hand, and the wounded wer
cared for as soon as released. The list q
killed is as follows:
CLARENCE HAZLEWOOD, Boston.
JOHN O'BRlEN of Bradford.
G. p. GOODWIN, wife and child, O
Kenuebunk, Me.
WILLIAM TAYLOR, section hand.
A. j. WALKER, of Harrison, Me.
CHARLES THURLOW, of Newton Jun'
ton N. II.
JOSEPHUS SHAW, of Boston.
The name of the man reported unknown
Josephus Shaw, of Boston
The accident is supposed to have bee
caused by the switch rod breaking after III
engine and three forward cars had passe
over the switch. The train was running, II
cording to the engineers story, at abol
eighteen miles an hour, and after the smo
ing car had broken apart from the rear po
ton of the train and bounded forward on Il
bridge, the air brake on the car WI
applied and the car was thrown on its sid
1t is probable that but for this brake, the Ct
would have fallen into the ice bound Merl
mac river 100 feet below There were abo
forty passengers in the smoking car as ne
as can be learned, but they all escaped wit
out severe injuries although nearly all
them were badly shaken up and number
them had their clothing torn fro
their bodies. All the cars we
equipped with steam heaters al
no portion of the cars caught fiji
The two passenger cars We're complete
wrecked. The loss of the road upon I
rolling stock will not reach over 5000 II
track was cleared at O'Clock and trai
bound for Boston were started as usual.
The first passenger car which ran into t
water tank and section house was grou
almost to atoms. The heavy tank crashi
through the monitor top crushed 1t like
egg shell In this car there were six Kill
and nearly all the passengers received lnll