Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-09-06
CLEARING UP THE WRECK.

The first wreck train to arrive was that
from Rutland. 1t brought half a dozen
more doctors. On it were also Supt.
Burdette, Master Mechanic n. L. Davis,
Roadmaster Horner and Foreman Nc
Intyre and gang of men. By o'clock
the st. Albans wreck train arrived.
Vice-President E. G. Smith, General Man.
ager Hobart, General Superintendent
Foss, General Freight Superintendent
Chittenden, Superintendent of Motive
Power Robertson and large number of
men from the shops were aboard it.
Additional fires were kindled on either
side of the track, and by the aid Of their
light preparations for clearing the wreck
were made. 1t was hard task at best,
but those who had the work in charge
had had similar jobs to do and knew how
to take hold. Operations were carried
on simultaneously at both ends of the
heap of wreckage, the 13 comparatively
unharmed stock cars having first been
drawn TO New Haven and side-tracked,
and the seven passenger cars brought to
Middlebury. The platform of one of
these latter was broken and the end of
the smoker next to the wreck was broken
up for a distance of five or six feet from
the platform. Two or three of the hog
cars that surmounted the heap were first
rolled to one side and their vociferous
occupants liberated. There were not far
from 800 hogs in the eight cars wrecked,
about 300 of which were killed or maim-
ed; the Others on being released wan
dered down into the woods. The crew
of men at the north end then busted
themselves in pulling from the mass of
wreckage the trucks, Is in number. Some
were not much damaged, while of others
the axles were broken square off. Every
few minutes this work had to be suspend
ed while men with hooks hauled out the
dead hogs. At the south end attention
was given to getting out the pieces of
cars. Engines were used at both ends for
pulling and the usual heavy tackle was
employed.
Daylight found this work going on,
and it was kept up all day. Early in the
morning DR.. Smith and men helping him
succeeded in getting out the body of Mr..
Allen. The body of Engineer Embery
was not reached till the middle of the
afternoon. 1t was in the ditch at the
place where the heap of wreckage was
highest. All the bodies were brought to
Middlebury and taken to Brewster & Co.'S
In the evening DR.. Smith accompanied
that of Allen to Vergennes; Embery S
was conveyed to st. Albans and Conduc-
tor Biodgetts to Northfield.
The track was open for the passage OF
trains at o'clock Saturday afternoon
The wreck crews, however, did not cease
their labors till darkness set in. They
came up Sunday and worked all day, as
also on Monday. Monday afternoon the
disabled locomotives were placed on the
rails and on Tuesday drawn to St
Adams.
Middlebury was deserted village or
Saturday, more than half the population
being at the wreck. Residents of this
and surrounding towns began to assemble
in force at the wreck before 8 o'clock il
, the morning and by noon over a thous
and people were watching the workers.
The disabled pigs were slaughtered for
with. Sunday the carcasses Of the slail
were loaded and sent on to Boston to b.
, converted into lard oil. The live one
were hunted up, CARED and forwarded t
their destination. Many of them whicl
, survived the wreck died of thirst ant
heat. The cars with the live ones stop
ped here and the animals were wet dOwl
in the cars with the hose from the SUI
mill, which was strung to the track neal
the Allen block.
= TIGATE.
r Monday afternoon Railroad Commis
. of st. Johnsbury came down to tn
e scene of the wreck. They were accom-
. panied by the clerk of the Board, Alfre,
i E. Watson of Hartford. States Attor
hSy " hNS was tSiSSiaphOu W auu uC
: them there. Under law passed by tn
t last legislature it is the duty of tn
!. States attorney in the county where a.
S accident occurs to attend the hearin
n before the commissioners and represen
t the State. The commissioners, afte
:. looking the ground over and learning tn
: main facts regarding the accident, decid
e ed that the real point was to ascertai
4; how the officials of the stock train ha
h been instructed and whether they ha
= obeyed their instructions. Accordingl
=, they proceeded to st. Albans on the Ne,
t York express. At New Haven Asst:
tant Station Agent Frank Conant wa
J. taken on board and at Vergennes Static
e Agent Whalen. They were examine
: forthwith and dropped from the train a
5 North Ferrisburgh. The principal hear