Morning journal and courier., 1890-08-27
DASHED TO THEIR DEATH.

Shocking Accident at the Webster
Street Crossing OF the Northampton
RailrOad-JOhnC Grove and His Son.
Patrick struck by the 8 O'Clock
Train and Instantly Killed - They
UncOnsciOusly Drove Into the En-.
CINE mt This Dangerous Crossing.
A horrible accident happened at the
Webster street crossing of the Nofthamp-
ton railroad at 8 O'Clock last evening. 1t
resulted in the instant death of John Grove
of 48 York street, and his son, Patrick.
a boy some ten years of age
Grove was vegetable peddler, and was
driving his team leisurely down Winches-
ter avenue early last evening after days
work at his business. His son accom- pa
MED him and there was small amount of
produce still in the wagon. He turned
from Winchester avenue down the dark
little, sandy, uneven stretch of Webster
street which leads across the Northampton
tracks. It was about o'clock at this time
and he logged along careIessly, chatting
with his boy. The place is quite dark.
There are no gates across the road at this
crossing, nor other means of warning or
protecting from the danger of accident
The view is also INSTRUCTED so
that the noise only of an
approaching Irdlu Is leIG TO Wafn Cn6
wayfarer of his danger The rattle of
ears of the father and son. On they
drove but they had scarcely reached the
track when the 8 o'clock passenger train
came rushing upon them. Before they
had chance to realize the situation they
were probably dead. The engine struck
them squarely and demolished wagon,
horse, man and boy in an instant. Grove
was instantly killed and his body was
thrown some distance across the track.
The boy also met an instant death. His
head was completely crushed to an I'M
recognizable mass and his body was badly
mangled.
head was completely severed from its
body. The wagon was smashed to splin-
tiers, and it's small load of produce was
scattered in every direction about the
crossing.
The news of the horrible accident soor
spread rapidly. A large crowd collected
about the scene of the catastrophy. de
tail of men from the police station was
sent to the spot with ambulance and thu
crowd was kept in reasonable bounds. Tit
train was stopped but proceeded on it,
way after the result or the accident wa,
ascertained.
SOTOu0T MILK anu N1CulCdl IAdIulu6
White were soon upon the spot, and afte1
hasty examination of the bodies they
were taken to the undertaking establish
ment of Frank keenan, on Congress av
enue. In the pocket of the dead man wa
found $3.50 in money and silver watch
which was stopped at SOL o'clock.
The deceased leaves wife and two chill
dren. They live on York street at the
corner of Oak street, over John Reynold'
store. They were completely prostratec
| by the sudden shock of the affair. Crow
was employed until short time ago a
| Sperry & Barnes. He was q man of abou
| thirty years of age.
This accident has revived anew the trad
| of public opinion against the railroad grad
crossings. Nearly everyone who spoke o
the affair last night ended by condemnin,
| grade crossings in general and this on
among others in particular. 1t is one o
| the most dangerous crossings within tn
city limits. There is but little travel owe
| it, but there is no protection at all TO
travellers at this point.
Eye-witnesses of the affair assert tina
| Grove seemed wholly unconscious of tn
| approach of the train until the moment h
was struck by the engine. No whistle wa
| blown and no other signal was given b,
the engineer.
| Coronex Mix has not finished his inves
tigation into the matter, but he canno
see, as he stated last night, how the rail
road company can be seriously blamed 70
the accident. The law prohibiting whis
thing within the city limits takes away on
of the safeguards in cases of this kind
The absence of more substantial DANCE
signals at these crossings on the Cana
road, however, is strongly criticised b
I tho ooropor paop1a living alony the lin
| state that numerous narrow escapes fror
serious and perhaps fatal accidents are
| frequent occurrence at these unprotecte
|