The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1890-08-22
A TERRIBLE DISASTER.
MANY PEOPLE KILLED ON THE
OLD COLONY RAILROAD.

The Fatalities All the Result Of Escap-
Ing steam-Thrss Cars Jump the Rails,
while the Fourth Crashes Into the
Engins-The List OF Killsd-The Ao-
cident Due to Csrelessness Of Work.
men, Who Left "Track Jack" ON the
Rail-story Of q Survivor.
QUINCY, Mass, Aug. 20-This quiet city
II completely overcast with the pail of
death. Shortly after o'clock yesterday
afternoon one Of the most disastrous rail-
road accidents that ever sent thrill Of
horror through any community occurred
on the Old Colony near the station here.
1t rivals the Wollaston disaster of Oct 5,
1878, on the same road. In the latter fif-
teen persons lost their lives, and nearly
$50 were injured. Yesterday seventeen
persons were killed, twelve instantly,
twenty-three seriously injured, five ia
tally, while several more sustained slight
injuries.
Something like score and ten persons
were terribly injured in addition to those
killed, and of this number perhaps half a
dozen will die That is what the doctors
say. 1t is not unlikely that even more
than that number may fail to survive the
shock and the frightful injuries sustained.
All this ON account of the carelessness of
some man.
According to the best information OBJ
tainable, workmen engaged in repairing
the roadbed near Presidents bridge,
about one-eighth of mile north Of
Quincy station, in a deep cut and at the
end OF a sharp curve, had neglected to
properly protect themselves by flags, and
fed from their work at the whistle of
train approaching round the curve, and
either had not time, or else forgot, to re.
move "track jack, an instrument three
or four feet in height, used indthe repairs.
The train wrecked was the Woods Holl
express, which left Woods Holl at 1880 a.
m. and was due in Boston at lilo p. m. 1t
consisted of locomotive 122, manned by
Engineer Charles Babcock and Fireman
John Ryan, baggage car, smoker, the
Pullman car "Puritan," and 70 ur ordinary
coaches, heavily loaded.
The train had passed @ uincy station at
1857 p. H., running at fast rate and
Just beyond Presidents bridge, about an
eighth of mile toward Boston the engine
left the track from some cause at present
undetermined, but probably due to the
spreading of the rails, and plunged diagon-
ally into the embankment six feet high,
and was turned upon one side. The tender,
baggage car, smoker and Pullman passed
by the engine and were stretched along in
q Zig-zag manner for distance Of 100 feet,
beside and across the outward track The
passenger coach, 263, left the rails. Its
foremost truck swerved to the left, and
plunged diagonally through the car floor
The car then fell upon its left side upon
the engine. The lower forward portion
was torn to pieces, and the passengers
within, some fifty in number, were, many
of them, thrown into the rear corner,froln
which eleven dead bodies were afterward
taken out.
Escaping steam and Smoke
from the engine instantly filled the car SO
that those within could see nothing either
within or without. The forward cars had
been forced over upon the outward track,
blocking traffic. All travel
was via the Granite branch between At
lantic and Braintree, while shuttle trains
piled between the scene of the wreck and
Atlantic as fast as other trains arrived.
Only three persons on the train ahead of
car 2G3 Were injured These were the fire.
man, who was instantly killed and buried
under the engine; the engineer. who
Jumped from his machine and was only
slightly hurt, and the Pullman car con-
ductogy b f. Benson, who had the side of
his fass cut and his right ear nearlycut off
by being thrown out of the window of his
car The three rear passenger coaches did
not leave the track and the the occupants
received NO worse injury than a slight
shaking up Car 1858 was the principal
scene OF death and agony, and the sxpe-
riences of the unlucky occupants Were
probably never exceed in horror and suf-
fering IN any railroad wreck of recent
years.
When the work of rescue commenced
the scene was strange one. The tender.
on the sirie Of the embankment healed
the train, the baggage, Pullman and
smoking cars were piled over both tracks,
and the fatal car 26S was crushed upon
the engiae and half covered with steam
and smoke A man lay breathing i'm
agony in the midst Of this burning mass,
and brandy was poured down his throat
to keep him alive, while many willing |
hands tore way the obstruction, to reach
him; bus when at last he was taken out, a
mangled corpse was all that was left.
MIS- UeOESt Nl. CuOW VI w luUcT Hill SStG
in the forward part of the fatal car with
her son, Chester A. Snow, Is years of age,
when the car truck burst through the
floor, and passed between mother and
child without injuring the child. The
mother was afterward scalded in the face
and hands, and probably received internal
injuries from the shock of the collision.
The most unfortunate party was the
family Of Oscar Fenley of Louisville, his
wife, three children, mother and maid be-
ing in the party. His mother was killed
outright. Two of his children and his
wife have since died at the hospital. and
his other child, Elizabeth, and the maid
are both injured.
The Killed.
james Ryan, fireman, of South Boston.
Mrs. Oscar Fenley, Louisville.
Mrs. Mary E. Fenley of Louisville and
her two little girls, Elizabeth and Alice,
died at the hospital.
Mrs. A. c. Hill, Hartford, died at the
hospital.
E. P. johnson, Montpelier, vt.
Mrs. E. p. Johnson.
Master E. C. johnson.
C. NJ. Copp, Cleveland, died at the hos
pital.
Miss Bessie G. Allen, Chestnut Hill,
Philadelphia.