Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-08-23
OFF THE RAILS.
Terrible Wreck on the Old Colony
Road Near Boston.
Fifteen Persons Killed and Twenty
three Seriously Injured.
Tho Train Jumps the Tract and Plunges
Unto an Embankment-The Locomo-
tive Falls Over on "A Coach Scald-
Ing the Occupants to Death.

BosToN, Aug. 20. "A terrible accident
occurred Tuesday on the Old Colony
railroad, by which seventeen passen-
gers and the fireman were Instantly
killed and the engineer and twenty pas
sengers injured, some fatally. The
train, which was the Vineyard express,
due in Boston at 1:10 p M, and consist
ing of six parlor cars, when within 100
feet of Presidents bridge and running
at the rate of forty miles an hour,
jumped the track, the engine immedi-
ately topping over and the first passen-
ger coach on the top of it. The engine
set fire to the train. The passengers
were for the most part injured by es-
Gaping steam, many being frightfully
scalded.
The Quincy fire department was called
to the scene and shortly afterwards the
fire was eXtinguished. The dead and
injured we're removed from the scene,
the latter being taken into private
houses and the Quincy hospitals.
S. A. Holbrook, of Brooklyn, one of
the occupants of the Inflated train,
came out of the wreck without scratch.
He was seatrd in the car back of the
smoker with friend. w. L. Miner, and
near him sat General Wales, of the first
brigade. The train was the express to
Brocton, and from Brocton the express
to Boston. 1t left Brocton at 10:40.
Just this side of Presidents bridge (so-
called because the former residence of
John Quincy Adams is near by) the en-
gineer whistled down brakes. The train
began to shake as if shivered by the
shock of an earthquake. Then came q
crash, the engine left the track and the
tender remained, with the parlor car off
the tracks, and the baggage car was
thrown on its side.
The locomotive when it left the track
turned itself alongside the rails and the
train slid along, leaving the engine
about midway of the train, opposite the
second passenger car from the smoker.
In this car all the scalding was done. /
walked along to the second car from the
smoker and found the steam from the
engine was pouring in on the passen-
gers. Men, women and children-I
should say fifteen or twenty-were cry
ing for help and twisting in their agony.
The engine jumped the track on the
west side, plunging into the steep bank
adjoining the Adams estate. The nine
cars attached to the engine plunged
after it. The first three-a baggage, a
Pullman and smoking car-went past
the engine, but the fourth car, passen-
ger coach, collided with the engine and
was instantly filled with escaping steam.
The next five cars remained on the
track, but the occupants were badly
shaken up. The ill-fated passenger car
was completely wrecked. 1t contained
seventy-five passengers-men, women
and children. The windows on the east
side were all closed, thereby preventing
the steam from escaping.
The scenes about the car were of the
widest description. Women and chill
dren were crying for their friends, while
stout-hearted men tainted as the
steamed bodies of dozen women and
children were being taken from the
ruins. Some of the occupants, gifted
with presence of mind, broke through
the windows and escaped with slight
wounds, Where the engine and the car
collided were several women and chill
dren steamed to death, while some were
badly mangled.
Mr.. C. R. Brodis, of Washington, sat
in the second rear seat, in the fatal car,
and, when the crash came, Jumped to
the door and sprang out upon the ties
without injury. Eleven bodies were
afterwards taken from the corner oppo-
site this seat.
The most unfortunate parties were
the family of Oscar Fennelly, of Louis
vile, Ky. His wife, three children,
mother and maid were in the party.
His mother was killed outright; two of
his children have since died at the hos
pital, his wife is so seriously injured
that she may die at any moment and
his other child and the maid are both
injured.
Fireman Ryan, in attempting to save
his life, was caught between the passen-
ger car and engine and killed. Engi:
neer Bullick, who jumped from his en-
gine, but not until he had done all that
was possible to avoid the wreck, was in
iured about the head and badly scalded.
Conductor Stedman and one of the
bral1emen sustained severe bruises about
the face and hands.
The only reason given for the accident
is that there is very bad curve near
Presidents bridge, and to this, together
with the fact that the road was under
going repairs, is attributed the cause of
the accident
The following were dead when taken
from the wreck: Mrs. Orcutt Allen, of
Philadelphia: Mrs. Mary L. Fennelly,
aged seventy, Louisville, Ky; f. j..
Johnson, Montpelier, VT; John Ryan,
South Boston, fireman of train. Four
women, two men and two children-one
a boy of fifteen-unidentifed. Total II.
The following died during the after
noon and evening: Mrs. A. G. Wells,
Hartford, Conn; daughter of III. L.
Welch, of Waterville, Conn; Alice and
Catherine, daughters of Mrs. Oscar Fen
nelly of Louisville, Ky.
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