New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-05
FOUR TRAINS PILED TOGETHER.
REMARKABLE ACCIDENT ON The NEWENG.
LAND ROAD.
CERTAINLY THREE AND posc1BLY SEVEN PER

CEHTAlNL1 THREE AND POS1lBLf fIis
SONS KILLED-coNFILcTING DETAILS.
woonsocket, Il. l., Dec. 4.-what IS probably the
worst wreck the New-lork and New England Railroad
ever experienced occurred at East Thompson, Conn,
this morning. Four trains, two passenger and two
freight, lie piled up the overhead highway
bridge, about eighth of mile east of the station.
From information gained from passengers, 1t appears
that the accident be divided into three divisions
First a westbound "southbridge Special" freight,
which had been made up at East Thompson, crashed
into special local freight on the main line, bound
east png up the in great confusion Soon after
the Norwich Boat Express bound east which left
Putnam ut 80 o'clock while at full speed, dashed
into the wreck adding to the already bad smashup.
Then the eastbound "Long Island Express came along
and mounting the wreck, piled into confused
mass. The wreck took fire and car on the boat tnin
was entirely consumed, one person being burned to
death.
The killed are Harry Tabor engineer of the "Long
Island Express" his fireman, Jerry" Fitzgerald ard
an unknown man, who m sleeper of the train
at the time OF the accident. AT this writing his ooiy
had not been taken out OF the wreck
The Injured are Engineer Wild and Fireman Boyce.
of the special freight both serou5ly John F. Chand-
Ter, OF Chestnut Ill., Poston, slightly; Express Mes
senger Marshall OF the boat train, shoulder Injured;
aud Baggage Master Chase, of the same train.
The four engines are a total wreck. some OF the
coaches and freight cars are burned 10 asneS Wth uer
contents The bodies Of Tabor and Fitzgerald are
irightfully mangled An appeal was sent to Webster
for assistance from its fire department. special
train was sent from Boston TO assist at the scene.
rhe special train from Boston, sent to the wreck TO
transfer the passengers passed through Blackstone at
about 80 O'Clock this morning At East Thomp-
son the passengers transferred, the train arriving
back in Blackstone about IL go p m and then going
on TO Boston.
tcotd IN hn
misplaced switch, is now declared TO lave besn bad
frog which allowed OF the freight trains to jump
the track Trains Nos. 10 and "a, expresses, which
leave NewYork and 2oston ot Icon, were ordered 10
run via Franklin, Valley Falls Providence and VIII
uhmantic.
Another account OF the wreck Is given as follows:
"The engine Of the 'Southbridge Special was doing
some switching on the westbound track when night
freight No 212 eastbound. Conductor Dorman crashed
into it, Dorman received orders at Putnam to run on
the westbound track until lie reached East Douglas and
then number of heavily loaded cars were
thrown on TO the easbound track By the shock. and
before a fagman could be sent out the Long Island
Express bound east crashing on TO destruction
The catastrophe further Increased by the Boat Ex
press which followed in the wake of the Long Island
the engine of which plunged into the end Of the
latter. 1t is believed that more persons are injured
than those announced"
Later reports say that seven were killed. but no list
of the victims can be obtained
Boston, Dec. 4.-The second train 10 reach Boston
from the scene OF the New-YOrk and New England
wreck arrived at AS O'Clock p. m, and consisted Of
three passenger coaches and two express cars. The
injured engineer and fireman Of the freight train were
brought on this train and Immediately taken to
the Emergency Hospital In ambulance. John F.
Chandler of the Warren Line Steamship Company. who
was one of the passengers Of the first express, and
at first reported seriously injured, called at the New
York and New gland Office after the arrival Of the
first train, and reported that he had only received
slight shaking-up.
superintendent Lowering. OF the Adams Express says
that his company is sufferer by the smashup on the
New-lork and New England, but to Just what extent
he was unable definitely 10 state. According TO inior
nation which he has received, one of the eompany's
cars bound from New York, has been consumed by fire.
The number OF packages the contained their value
and to whom they consigned he did not know
Assistant General Superintendent Grant, OF the New
York and New England Railroad says of the accident at
East Thompson: "Al we know TO the present is
the Long Island Express into both before they could
be tagged The only thing can attribute the accident
to is that unusually dense fog must have obscured
objects ahead that when the engineer OF the fast train
disc 2vered the freight, the distance too small in
which to stop his train. When the boat train ran into
the freight the latter was also In notion
At the Offices Of the Long Island Railroad IN Long
Island City it said that the Long Island and
Boston express train which into tie wrecked freight
trains on the w-Engand road at East Thompson,
Conn., ffty-three miles from Boston, left there at IL
o'clock on Thursday night u made up of two
sleepers the Midland and the Cato, and combined
smoker There were nine passengers only one being
on the Midland, which was burned.