News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-03-06
TWO SMASHES.
Train Upset on Providence Division,
o. C. r. r.
Train Dashes Into Rear of Another, Low
ell Division, b. s. M. r. r.

The 3.15 p. m. inward passenger train on
the Providence line of the Old Colony rail-
road was deraled about half way between
Chickering station and West Chester park,
Boston, Feb. %. 1t seems that it was coming
at rate of ten miles an hour, drawn by
Charles III. McLoon and Engineer
Augustus Spur. The rear end of
backing switching train that attempted to
back on the main track just as the front cars
of the passenger frain came opposite caused
the accident. 1t struck the side of the first
car or engine throwing the baggage car over
and then three of the passenger cars, derail-
ing two others. The three overturned cars
are badly damaged, in fact wrecked, while
the others are considerably injured. Thomas
P. Sweeney, thirty years old, of Providence,
received bad scalp wound. He was taken
to the City Hospital, and afterwards sent
home. Elizabeth Denny, ia Congress street,
Chelsea, was hurt about the head and neck.
c. A. Provendia of Melrose was injured
about the head, but went to his home. W.
r. Deming suffered severe sprain of the
hand while Mr.. Tillinghast of Providence of
the Rhode Island News Company suffered
strain of the hip. The damages are estimated
all the way from $1,000 to S10,000-the latter
figure will probably nearly represent the
amount. Ali the trains were delayed three
or four hours. Two hundred men were set
at work clearing the tracks to get them open
for the morning trains.
Strange as it may seem, a local train caught
up with and ran into the Montreal day ex-
press Feb. %, at Winter Hill, on the Lowell
division of the Boston & Maine, but for
tunately the damage was limited to the roll
ing stock, although many passengers were
thoroughly shaken up and frightened. The
accident was due to the thick fog, which pre-
vented the engineer of the local train from
bred feet of it. Both trains were moving
slowly, but the rear train was going the
faster, and the collision followed almost i'm
mediately upon the discovery of the
proximity of the trains. The Montreal day
express, which is scheduled to leave at $50
a. m, rolled out of the Lowell station about
three minutes late. 1t was made up of seven
or eight cars, the baggage, mail and parlor
cars ahead and the coaches in the rear. 1t
proceeded slowly, because of the dense fog,
and stopped once or twice to make sure of
the signals.
The Lowell local left Boston a couple Of
minutes late, with three cara. Engineer John
Clark was in charge of the engine, and 8. e.
Hill was conductor. Like the express, the
train ran slowly, coming to a complete stop
at Mystic Junction, and not having fairly got
under way again when the express was sight.
ed in front. The engineer at once reversed
his engine and applied the air brakes, check
ing the speed somewhat, but still leaving it
such as to make the crash sufficiently violent
to throw passengers from their seats and
break platforms and running gear on the rear
cars of the express. There were not many
passengers on the express and none were
seriously injured.
The rear of the last of these cars was badly
smashed, and so were the platforms between
them. Both were derailed and the ends
forced outward just enough to block the in
ward track. Damage to the local train was
confined to the smashing of the front portion
of the engine by the knocking off Of the
headlight and smoke stack. One breakman
81 - l.. ii.
and he not very seriously. With both tracks
blocked, local as well as through travel was
completely stopped. No little Inconvenience
was caused passengers on inward trains, and
many of them finished their trip to Boston
in the horse cars. The inward track was
cleared in about an hour and on the outward
track couple of hours later. Everything
was running smoothly by noon.