The Newtown bee., 1889-05-31
A WRECK ON THE HoUsAToNIC.

Three miles above Bridgeport, the Housatonic tracks curve sharply around what is known as Iron ledge, with a 2O- foot embankment and PequonnoCk river on the other hand. Here, about I l5 Tuesday morning, an extra Wilson Point freight, eight cars, under Conductor Van Horn, with Engineer William B. Look and Fireman Kellogg Belden, running on a 25-mile schedule, with orders to pro ceed to Stepney, met the southbound freight, II cars, conducted by Nathan Curtis, with James McDermott engineer and John Lamont fireman; this train should have been held at Stepney, but no orders were received and it was run ming 20 miles an hour. Both engineers reversed their locomotives and called for brakes, but the call was unheeded. Ev- cry man jumped from the south freight and only one, Fireman Lamont, was ser iously hurt; he was taken to the hospit- al. John Boyce sprained leg and oth- CTS were slightly injured. The fireman and most of the brakemen of the up train escaped by jumping, but Engineer Look and Charles II. Olds were caught and killed. Look was mangled almost be- yond recognition and died instantly ]; Olds, though crushed and bleeding, lin gered in agony for nearly an hour.
 The shock of the collision threw both ANVHs @P ulli Lp3 llON ulSy oll the track and they hung over the em- bankment, with boilers exploded and completely stripped; scarcely any part can be used again. Four freight cars on the down train, loaded with potatoes, flour. lumber and general freight, were shivered to kindling and piled up in al- most one car length. The two leading cars of the extra, where Brakeman Olds stood, were telescoped. Nine in all were derailed. The explosion of the boilers was heard for miles and people soon flocked in. Among the first were Plumb Nichols and W. $. Plumb of Trumbull, who were present when the mangled bodies of poor "Bill'' Look and Charlie Olds were taken out.
 Conductor Van Horn immediately started for Bridgeport, notifying Super intendent w. K. Lyon about 5 10. The engine of the local freight was sent up Co bring back the dead and wounded. It returned about and wrecking train, with about 40 men and the Housatonic officers, ran up to clear away the wreck. Roadmaster Clark, Supervisor Cogill and Superintendent Lyon did yeoman service with head and hands. They were soon reinforced by Barney Smith and a sec ond gang, with tools, from Falls Village and the wreckage was soon removed. Six new rails were laid and the track shifted couple of feet to the west. At , 40, the train leaving Bridgeport at 10 05 m passed the wreck. Dnring the morning, passengers had been transferr- ed. The loss is nearly $40,000 and the rolling stock Is total wreck. A tele- graph station was improvised with two boards and an instrument and Night Dis patcher James Flynn was operator.
 Pending investigation, the men on the down freight and Operator McGuinness of Stepney Depot, who received and re- ceipted for an order to stop the freight, were laid off and Despatcher Flynn also took T few days vacation.
 Brakeman Charles II. Olds, native of West Stockbridge, was buried there, Thursday. Engineer William B. Look whose wife lives in Great Harrington, will be buried there, Sunday afternoon. At the Parlor Rock accident, about 12 years ago, Look was firing for William B. Bristol, who was killed, while he es- capped by jumping. He has been in nc accident since, until Tuesday, when his fireman jumped and he was killed. He was about 35 and one of the best known engineers on the road.
 With closed doors, the Housatonic of ficers investigated the cause of Tuesdays accident, Wednesday night, but the re suit was kept secret. Coroner Holt will hold an inquest at the new court house Saturday afternoon and will cover every detail thoroughly, fixing the responsibil- ity where it belongs.