The Portland daily press., 1888-01-11
STORY OF THE WRECK.
Terrible Scenes at the Place Of the
Disaster.


HAvERHILL. Mass, Jan. 10.-The Port
charge of Conductor Weymouth, met with
serious accident at 1.59 at Haverhill bridge,
over the Merrimac, by which nine persons
were killed, and some 20 injured. The train
consisted of the engine Morris" and eight
cars. The engineer was Thomas French.
This train does not stop at Bradford, and
was running at great speed. The George
town Branch train was standing on side
track near the water tank house, waiting for
the express to pass. As the engine and ten
der were just passing on to the abutment OF
the bridge, owing, as it is supposed to the
spreading of the rails, the forward trucks OF
the smoker left the track. The two passen-
ger cars following the smoker were thrown
from the track, and completely wrecked,
crashing into and demolishing the water
tank house. In this house. the section hands
were eating dinner. ]. O'Brien, retired
merchant of Bradford, was talking with the
section hands. and was killed, with VIM.
Taylor, one of the hands. The first car that
crashed into the water tank house knocked
the foundation out, letting the heavy tank
down upon the car, crushing through the
top and doing fearful work within. The
next car behind telescoped into this car, ad-
ding to the fearful havoc. Those killed and
wounded were mostly in these two cars. The
cars behind these two ran down by the side
of the Georgetown train, barely escaping
collision with the engine of that train.
The people In the SIN Jking car had fear
full experience. One Of the wheels on the
front truck broke, and the car bumped
1.E 4t.r 81
careen, This released the car and it ran on
the bridge for some distance and finally
careened the other way, leaning against the
iron work of the side of the bridge.
Abo ut 80 passengers inside found them,
selves at the top of the car, while it seemed
to those who had the presence of mind to
think, that the car was tumbling off the
bridge to the river below. The passengers
managed to crawl out but none were very se-
riously injured. As soon as they got out,
such as were able rushed back and helped
those imprisoned in the wrecked cars.
The entire force of physicians in the city
was summoned by telephone, and were
quickly at hand. The wounded were cared
for as soon as released, while an alarm Of
fire was sounded and the department re-
sponded. Their services were not needed,
however, as the cars did not take fire. Work
| in clearing the wreck was Immediately be-
| gun and at $50 o'clock nine bodies were
taken from the ruins, several disfgured be-
| yond recognition. John Madden, for a num-
| Der of years section boss, was eating dinner
in the tank house with the others and had
his leg broken. He win probably die. Dem
mis- Shannahan, with Madden, was also prob
ably fatally hurt. There were many very
narrow escapes: Hugh A. Lettengren Of
Brockton, was in the smoking car and es-
capped with a broken leg He was uncon-
scfous when taken from the wreck. A little
boy named BERTHE Allen, en- route to Exeter,
received a terrible scalp wound. He will
probably recover. L. V. Spaulding of this
| city, was in the parlor car but escaped in
| Jury. Mayor j. F. Wiggin of Maiden, was
| on the train, but escaped unhurt.
| IN THE CARS.
Two of the passenger cars are complete
wreck. The smoking car, though badly dam
aged, can be fixed at small expense. The
damage to rolling stock will not exceed $780,
600. The inward tracks were cleared at {
O'Clock, and trains bound for Boston started
as usual although throughout the afternoon
passengers on through trains were transfer
red over the bridge by special local train
The first passenger car which ran into the