The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-09-03
KILLED IN A. WRECK.
A Frightful Disaster on tlie'Cld
Colony Railroad.
a Score Of Passengers CRUSHED
and Scalded to DEATH.

a terrible accident occurred a. few days
ago on the Old Colony Railroad in Massa-
chusetts, by which seventeen passengers and
O fireman were instantly killed and the en-
gineer and fifty or more passengers were in
jured, some fatally. The train was the Vine
yard express, due in Boston at lilo PM: from
Woods Holl and Martha's Vineyard, and
consisted of five or six parlor cars.
The accident happened just after tho train
passed the Quincy station, and nearly under
what is known as the Presidents Bridge, as
the homestead Of President John, Quincy
Adams is near by. There is adeep cut at
this point. The locomotive jumped the roll
to the outward track. The baggage car,
smoking car and Pullman left the track, but
slid by, and, although considerably shaken
up, few Of their passengers We're hurt. The
fourth car, however, did not slide, but struck
the locomotive, and was badly smashed In this
car were about seventy passengers, and here
It was that most of thelfatalities occurred.
They were due almostentirelyto the escaping
steam from the locomotive. Thisfourth car
rode upon the engine and wass 50 smashed
and broken by the shock that the scalding
steam from the locomotive found an easy en-.
trance Many of the passengers were held
down by the seats and Others, by the wreck
age and were unable to- eEfrfcate them
selves.
The engine set fire to thertraan- The pas
sengers were for the most part injured by
escaping steam,. many being frightfuuy
scalded. The Quincy Fire, Department was
called to the scene as quickly as possible, and;
shortly afterward the fire was e1tinguished..
The dead and injured were then taken out,
the latter being taken into private houses
and to the Quincy Hospital.
A passenger who Was ia the second car OF
the train SAYS that hethinks all the killed and
injured among The passengers were oecu-
pants Of the fourth ear. he says he' saw
eight dead bodies and states that Others say
they saw more.
An the surgeons in Quincy, Mass. were
summoned to the spot and the lawns on each
side of the railroad were covered with kl!ed
and injured. Heroic efforts were made by
the train hands and passengers to rescle some
Of the passengers, and they succeeded In re-
moving twenty or more who were only
slightly injured. There were 39l passengers
in the train, 100 being from BrocEton, Mass,
Fireman Ryan was caught between the
passenger car and engine and killed. En-
pineer Billick, who jumped FROM his engine,
bot not until he had done all that was pos.
sible to avoid the wreck, was injured about
the head and badly scalded. Conductor
Steadman and one Of the sTakemen sus.
tanned severe bruises aboua the face and
Annds.
Some of the passengers wAo had the pres
ence of mind to act broke tho windows ond
escaped with slight wounds Where the en-
| gine and the car came Into collision were
Several women an children steamed to
death. while some were badly mangled.
A reporter who wes on the train says:
"The engine jumped tho track on
the west side phunging into the
steep bank adjoining the Adams estate.
The nine cars attached to tho engine
plunged after it.. The first three-a bag
gage, Pullman and smoking car-went
past thu engine, but the fourth car, Eass
senger coach colhded with the engine and
wasinstantly flied with escaping steam. The
ne1tfve cars remained on the track, put inc
occupants were badly shaken up. The i'll fatal
passenger car was completely wrecked. I!
contained seventy-fve passengers, Den,
women and children. The windows on the
east side were oil closed, thereby pre-
venting the steam from escaping The
scenes about the car we're of the
widest description. Women and chill
dren were searching for their protectors
while stout hearted men tainted as the
steamed bodies Of a dozen women and chill
dren were being taken from the ruins Somt
of the occupants broke through the window!
and escaped with slight wounds Where th'
engine and the car collided several womer
and children steamed to death, while somt
were badly mangled,m~ .-.-~
There Is very bad curvo near the Fresi
dents Bridge, and to this, together with ths
fact that tho road was undergoing repairs, il
attributed the cause of the accident.
The Old Colony Railroad ranks with thu
best OF New England corporations. 1t;
management has always been characterized
by skill and prudence. There had been nt
serious disaster on the lines of this corpora
ton since the collision at Wollaston in 1878
when fifteen persons were killed and 150 wer1
more CT less injured.