Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-01-13
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
A TRAM LEAVES THE TRACK AT HAV-
ERHlLL MASS.
Crushed Beneath a Huge water Tank
Nine Killed and 22 Injured Narrow
Escape from Plunging Down 100
Feet into the Merrimac River.


in charge of Conductor Weymouth, met
with serious accident at 1859 p. m. at
Haverhill bridge over the Merrimac by
which nine persons were killed and some
% injured. The train consisted of the
engine Norris, Engineer Thomas French,
and eight cars The train does not stop at
Bradford and was running at great speed.
The Georgetown branch train was standing
on a side track near the water tank house
waiting for the express to pass. The en-
gine tender was just passing on to the
abutment of the bridge when owing, as is
supposed to the spreading of the rails, the
forward trucks of the smoker left the
track and the two passenger cars follow
ing the smoker We're thrown from the
track and completely wrecked, crashing
into and demolshing the water tank
house. In this house the section hands
were eating dinner. j. O'Brien, a retired
merchant Of Bradford, was talking with
the section hands and was killed with
William Taylor, one of the hands The
first car that crashed into the water tank
house knocked the foundation out and let
ting the heavy tank upon the car it crushed
through the top, doing fearful work with
in. The next ear behind telescoped into this
car adding to the fearful havoc. Those kill
ed and wounded We're mostly in these two
ears. The cars behind these ran down by
the side of the Georgetown train, barely
escaping collision.
The people in the smoking car had
fearful experience one of the wheels on
the front truck broke, the car bumped
against the end of the bridge, causing it
TO careen. This released it and the car
ran on the bridge for some distance OIL
the track and finally careened the other
way and finally leaned against the iron
work of the bridge. About 30 passengers
inside found themselves at the top of the
car, while it seemed that the car was
tumbling Off the bridge. The passengers
managed to crawl out none very serious
ly injured. Such as We're able rushed back
and helped those imprisoned in the wreck.
The entire force of phy sicians in the city
were summoned by telephone, and We're
quickly at hand, and the wounded cared
for. The alarm was sounded and the de
parUment responded, but their services
were not needed rs the cars did not take
fire. The work of clearing the wreck was
Immediately pushed forward. \ $3.50 nine
bodies We're taken from the ruins, several
distigured beyond recognition. John Mad
den, section boss, was eating his dinner
in the tank house with the others aud had
his leg broken and Will probably die
Dennis Shannahau, with Madden, was al
so probably fatally hurt. There We're
many very narrow escapes. Hngh A Let
tengren of Brocton, was in the smoking
car and escaped with broken leg, and
was unconscious when taken from the
wreck. A little boy, Berte Allen, enroute
10 Exeter, received terrible scalp wound.
An unknown man having Il card in his
pocket with the name OF j. Hayes q Son
was killed
In the station house the scene was ter
rible one. The men were laid on the floor
upon which hay had been spread In the
ladies' room were five or SIX women who
We're suffering terribly. Many of the in
iured We're taken away in hacks aud by
friends. 1t is impossible to learn the
names of all. One of the saddest sights
was the death of Mrs c. p Goodwin of
Kenuehunk, Me, with her little child in
her arms. Both We're instantly killed, as
was aiso her husband.
Frank Litchfeld of Portland, Me, in
the smoking car in an interview said He
was, riding in the forward end of the
smoking Car, in conversation with another
gentleman as they were about entering
the abutment OF the bridge, he was sud
denly thrown over two seats and was rem
dered partially UNCONSCIOUS. He knew
nothing for several minutes, but regain
luS COuSClOllsHtSS CTdWlel out OF tDe VIII
dow and escaped with several cuts. He
was injured about the body. Following
is the corrected list of the dead
THE KILLED.
l.. B, Adams, Newton, Mass
G.. N. Goodwin, wife and child, Lawrence
Mass.
Josephus Shaw, Boston. of Shaw & Thaycr.
-, CLARENCE iazcIwood, l9s walnut avenue,
Boston Hlgt hnle.
4. :. Walker, Harrison. Me.
william Ial lOr. bradford. Mass,
John O'Brcp. BrddioId Nuss.
The accident was supposed 20 have been
Occa-iuutd by switch rod breaking af-
ter the engine and three forward cars had
passed over 'he switch, and careful exam
nation made Dy General MANAGER Fur
ber assisted by several other railroad of
hcia.1 have found The wi ee- on The
coacueE, and wrecked cars all sound
and the journals per ect. The switch and
connecting rods were so badly broken
y was impossible to ascertain correctly,
but II Is the general opinion Of the rail
road officials Shat it was broken switch
rod winch caused the accident. IL has
been dscertaned, however, that the acct
dent was cansed by a broken flange on
the forward right hand truck wheel of
me smoking car evidently the result of a
QelecJlNe casting. The train was by
far one OF the finest tuuipped on
the road, arranged in the fOllowin
order MIX car, baggage, parlor smok-
ing ana louf new monitor top pHsseuger
cars with Westinghouse air automatic
brake. The train was running according
to the engineers story at Is miles an
hour, After the smoking car had broken
apart from the rear portion of the train il
bounded forward on the bridge and the
automatic brake was automatically an
piled. Il is probable that, but for the ac-
tion Of this brake, the car would have
fallen into the river 100 feet below, killing
all OF the 40 passengers inside The
bridge which is of iron withheld the
severe strain and was not injured
All the cars contained the Baker steam
heater and in spite Of the severe test
they went through the shaking up
No part of the cars caught fire The dam
age 10 the rolling stock viii not exceed
$50 $50. The first passenger car which
ran into the water tank and section h0us e.
was ground almost 10 atoms, the heavy
tank crashing through the monitor top
and crushing 10 like an egg shell. Ia this
car were six killed aud nearly all the rest
OF the passengers received severe injuries,