Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-01-11
Another Railroad Horror.

a frightiul accident occurred TO the Port
land express train which left Boston at one
o'clock yesterday afternoon, the scene of the
disaster being near the Haverhll bridge,
which spans the Merrimac river between
Bradford ana Haverhill. The train con-
sisted of eight cais, drawn by the engine
Norris" Engineer Thomas, and in charge
of Conductor Weymouth. This train does
not stop at Bradford. and was going at q
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 the express 10 pass over
to HaverhilI. As the express rouaded the
curve two cars left the rails and went crash
ing into and demolished the water-tank
house. In this house number of section
hands were eating dinner. Mr.. ]. O'Brien,
retired merchant of Bradford, was talking
with the section hands and was killed, TO.
getber with Mr.. Taylor, one of the laborers.
The car that crashed into the tapk-house
knocked The foundation out, letting 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 car ahead oft, adding to the havoc. The
killed and wounded were mostly in these
two cars. The cars behind these two ran
down alongside the Georgetown train, bare
ly escaping collision with the engine of
that traiu. The people in The smoker had a
fearful experience. One Of the wheels on
the front truck broke, and the car bumped
against the end Of the bridge, causing it to
careen, and the car ran upon the bridge for
some distance upon the sleepers, thec ca
reened the other way and leaned against the
iron work of The side OF the bridge. The
passengers, Of whom there were about thirty,
found themselves at the top of the car, while
it seemed to those who had sufficient pres
ence of mind to think that the car was tum-
bling off the bridge to the river below. The
passengers managed to crawl out, none be-
ing very seriously Injured. AS soon as they
recheG terra frma, such as were able bur-
ried back and helped those who were i'm
prisoned in the wrecked cars. The entire
force of physicians in Haverhill was sum-
mored by telephone and was quickly at
hand, and the wounded were cared for ss
econ ss released. The accident is supposed
to have Geea ocoasioned by switch-rod
breaking after the engine and three for
ward cars had passed over tho switch The
train was Que of the finest equipped trains
on the road, and consisted of one of
the compsny's largest locomotives, which
was attached to eight cars, arranged in the
following order: Milk Ger, baggage car,
smoker and four new monitor top passenger
cars with the Westinghouse automatic eir-
brake. The train was running, according to
the engineers story, at the rate Of eighteen
miles an hour, and after the smoking car had
broken apart from the rear portion of the
train and bounded forward on the bridge, the
air-brake was automatically applied and the
Car was thrown on its side 1t is probable
that but for this brake the car would have
falleninto the ice. bound Merrimac river, one
hundred feet below. The hard pine stringers
of the bridge were badly splintered, but the
bridge. which is ofiron, withstood the severe
strain and was in no way injured. There were
thirty passengers in the smoking car as near
as can be learned, but they all escaped
without severe injuries, although nearly all
OF them were badly shaken up, and mum.
Der bad their clothing torn from their bodies.
All the cars were equipped with the Baker
Steam heater, aud no portion of the cars
caught FIRE. The two passenger cars are
completely wrecked, but the smoking car,
though badly damaged, can be repaired at
c. snail expense.