The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-01-13
A BROKEN FLANGE DID 1T.
A RAILWAY DISASTER SENDS NINE
VICTIMS TO ETERNITY.

About Fifty Wounded More or Less Sc
vereiy-Two Cars Crash into n Water
Tank House aud Demoiish 1.-THE List
OF Unfortunates-Death In an Aims
House-Bad Wreck In Dakota
HAvERHILL, Mass, Jan. ia frightful
accident occurred to tho Portland express
which left Boston at o'clock Tuesday after
noon. The scene of the disaster was near
the Haverhiil bridge which spans the Mer-
rimac river between III iverhil and Brad
ford The train consisted of eight cars and
an engine, in charge OF Conductor Wey-
mouth and Engineer French. The train
does not stop at Bradford, aud was going at
great speei. The Georg etown branch train
was standing on the track near the water
tank house, at the Bradford end Of the
bridge, waiting for the express train TO pass
over To Haverhill.
As the expresss rounded tho curve two cars
left the rails, aud went crashing into and de-
molshad the water-tank house. In this
house number of section hanls were eating
thinner. Mr.. j. OBren, retired merchant
OF Bradford. was Ia king with the section
hands, and was killed, together with Will m
Taylor, one of the laborers. The car that
crashed into the tank house knocked the
foundations out, letting the heavy tank
down, crashing through the top or the car
and doing fearful work within The next
car behind telescoped the one ahead OF it,
iding 10 the havoc. The killed and wound
ed were mostly in these two cars. The cars
behind these two ran down alongside the
Georgetown train, barely escaping collision
with the engine of that train.
x1l-a I,..1 t.ir~ al
experience. One of the wheels OH the front
truck broke, and the car bumped against the
end of the bridge, causing it to careen, and
then ran upon the bridge for soma DIS.
lance upon the sleepers, then careened the
other way and leaned against the iron work
OF the side of the bridge. The passengers,
of whom there were about thirty fou ID
themselves at the top of the Car, while it
seemed to those who had presence OF mind
enough to think, that the car was tumbling
of the brids to the river below. The passen-
gers managed to crawl out, none being very
seriously injured. As soon az they reached
solid ground such as were able rushed back
and helped those who were imprisoned in the
wrecked cars. The entire forcs of pbysi-
clans in the city were summoned by tele-
phone and were quickly on hand, and the
wounded were cared for es soon as released.
The list OF killed foots up nine, as follows:
L. B. Adams, Newton. Mass; c. N.
Cole, wife and child, Lawrence, Mass jose
rhus Shaw, Of the firm Of Shaw & Thayer,
Boston; Clarence Hazewood, Boston; A. s.
Walker, Harrison, Me-; VIM. Taylor and
John O'Brien, of Bradford, Mass.
The following is n list of the ounded:
At city hospital-Gso B. Wentworth, Dover,
N. H., scalp wounds, shoulder blade broken;
Rebecca Mckay, Somerville, N. B., leg
fractur |; Fred McKeon, newsboy, Somer-
willie, Mass. severe Commissions on head;
Niles Boin, Brockton, heal and arm in
red; Hugo Stettingren, Brockton, back and
leg injured; w. +. Kimball, of KImball Bros,
Boston, leg fractured; John Madden Of
Bradf ford, compound fracture of right leg;
Mr.. Hart, of Portland, Me-, bruised arm and
scalp wounds; Dennis Shannon, of Bradford,
fe t and leg badly crushed and alp wounds,
probably fatally Injured: an unknown
woman, apparently IS years old, with dark
hair, breas pin marked 81. >" injured on the
head and internally, probably fatally; Mrs.
John r. Felt, Of Waltham, Mass, not seri-
ously injured. Two other wounded are at
residences, and large number of slightly
wounded continued their journey, and their
names were not learned. In all about fifty
Were wounded.
The accident is supposed to have boon &C.
casioned by switch rod breaking after the
engine and three forward cars had passed
over the switch. None OF the wheels are
broken and the journals are perfect. The
switch and its connections were so badly
broken that at present the exact truth can
not be ascertained. The train was one Of the
finest equipped on tho road and carried TIE
Westinghouse air automatic brake,
After the train broke in two the brake
OIL the smoker was automatically
applied, and but for this il is thought the
car would have fallen upon the ice in the
river 100 feet below. The bridge was
strong one of iron and was not injured by
the strain. The cars hai the Baker steam
heater, and therefore did not catch fire.
LATER The cause OF tho accident was a
broken flange on the forward right-hand
truck wheel Of the smoking car. A careful
i spection by General Manager Furber re-
vealed the fact that section OF the lange
was missing, the break evidently resulting
from defective casting.
pIioNiMH ne AM Al Mc LnIiCE