Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-08-21

Fifteen Lives Lost In "A Wreck on
tbo Oid Colony HatiroRd - Pas
aengers lmprtsoned in a Coach
into which Steam Poured from
the Locomotive.
BOSTON, Aug. 19.-0ne OF the most
disastrous railroad accidents that ever
occurred in the vicinity Of Boston, and
one that rivals the famous VIOLATION
disaster OF Ostobsr 9th, 1878, occurred
shortly after O'Clock this afternoon on
the same road-the Old Colony-and
very near the same locality. In the VOL
laston disaster 10 were killed aud nearly
100 injured. To-day Is persons were
killed, IL instantly, 30 were seriously in
jured, three fatally, and several more
sustained slight injuries.
The train wrecked to-day was the
Woods Holl express, which left Woods
Holl at 1850 q. M, and was due in Boston
at Ito p. IN. II consisted Of locomotive
1872, manned by Engineer BAbeock and
Fireman John Ryan, baggage car,
smoker, the Pullman car Puritan and four
ordinary coaches heavily loaded. The
train had passed Qninoy station at IL 81
p. IN, running about 10 miles an hour,
and Just beyond Presidents bridge, about
an eighth OF mile toward Boston, the
engine left the track from a cause at
present undetermined and plunged into An
embankment IA feet high and was buried
upon one side. The tender, baggage
car, smoker and Pullman passed by the
engine and were stretched along for
distance Of 100 feet beside the track.
The foremost passenger coach, No. 23B,
left the rails, and it's foremost truck
swerved to the left and plunged diago-
nally through the car floor. The car
then fell upon its left side upon the en-
CINE. The lower forward portion vas
torn to pieces, and Of the passengers in
the car, some 90 in number, many were
thrown into the rear corner, from whioh
II dead bodies were afterwards taken GU.
The escaping steam and smoke from the
engine instantly filed the car, SO that
those within could see nothing either
within or without.
Only three persons on the train ahead
of car 236 were injured. These were the
fireman, who was instantly killed and
buried under the engine; the engineer,
who jumped and was only slightly hurt,
and the Pullman car conductor, b. Il.
Benson, who had the side Of his face cut.
and his right ear nearly cut on by beng
thrown out Of window or his car. The
three rear passenger coaches did not leave
the track, and the occupants resolved no
worse injury than slight shaking up.
Oar 1856 was the principal scene of
death and agony and the experience Ot
the unluoky occupants were probably
never exceeded in horror and suffering in
any railroad wreck Of recent years.
sUFFooArzD IN STEAM.
William Fennell house builder of
Boston, was passenger in the fourth car
OF the train. He said: Thirty seconds
after the car struck l would have given
$1,000 for q drink OF any kind, from
whisky to water. thought / should
srffocate. The d ath. dealing steam
entered the car in dense clouds from tina
| locomotive boiler. II filed every orsyics
aud nook, aud almost suffocated those
| whom 1t did not barn to death. 1t caused
| all the deaths, In my opinion. Serious
/ Rould have been the worst TO report but
for those deathly fumes Men and
! women were gasping about ms a9 they
! tried to shrek and shout, and IS they be-
came weaker and weaker as the ateam
| flled their lungs, | could zee them push
their hands or feet through the broken
| windows trying Ia vain to get breath Of
fresh air. II seemed as though eight OF
ten died RIGHT there before me. Ther.
we're 40 or 81 passengers in the car, and
all seemed wounded, more or less, 25 a
least seriously. / saw them cryiGs fol
help, and | dii what | cOnld. cav the
flesh burned rom men and women as To.
steam envelopad them, aud haard them
grooming in th6ir death struggles rs tbs
scalding fumes grew h tier and denser
'Ihs sights saw and the sounds l hsard
Will never AIDE from my memory. Finally
| reached the hole In the bottom of thu
Car IN some wav aud osawlsd out. Al
about me wAl wreck ami run, The pas
sengers from tho other oars bad theg
hardly gathered themselves together anc
we're not to be seen, but over on
fence bordering the railroad track wOr
~ or 90 III Il lit seemed 10 me 100
Watching tbs ruin and powerless from
fright and Rstonishment. / screamed
shouted and swore at them, but the,
would not move, and the more ourset
She more helpless they became. Thes
men-I hate to call them that-saw m
rise from my perilous position, saw m
tear at the boards of the car bottom witt
all my might, SAW me pull helpless
women from the interior of the steRminj
, car, saw us caught beneath 4 falling ba
Of iron and unable to extricste myself "
aid others, and they refused to aid ms
| 10 not know whether they were fool
or towards, but they received sount
and thorough oursing from me. &c
out Of the Car aB best could, and dl
what was able to in INSISTING Others"