Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-09-15


even u quarter of a mile. -
c. L. Lawson, the engineer OF the pas
sengor train, says: "At West Cambridge
station We were held to wait for train
from the Wntham branch. The rear
brakeman was sent bacl; according to orders.
| am sure he went back because myself
went back couple Of cars to'maie sure OF It.
1t was foggy night and knew We could not
take too many precautions. | cannot account
for the accident, except thet the night was
SO foggy the engineer of the freight did not
see our brakeman until it was too lnto stop
his train 1t must have been the freight
was under such Roadway that sho could not
stop in time.
The passenger cars other than the rear
one were not very much injured, but the
shock to their occupants was only q little
less severe than that sustained by those in
the last car. 1t is believed that had all the
cars on the freight been rs solidly construc-
ted as the two forward ones, tina locomotive
of tho freight would have been forced
through two or three of the passenger
ooaches at least, but as it was the crushed
freight cars acted as sort OF cushion and
lesscned the force OF tho shock. As soon as
tho crash came there was at once wild
rush to get out of the cars. Frantic men
and women rushed about IN purposeless
way, shrieking ond grooming. Those who
were in the station and residents of the vi
cinity gathered with surprising rapdity.
All along the track these people ran TO
and fro scarcely knowing what to do. But
soon another source of danger developed.
Flames BEGAN to burst from the wrecked
freight cars Two alarms OF the fire bolls
were hurriedly sounded, md the whole fire
department of Cambridge o'ponded
promptly and soon put out the flames
Members of the police force also appeared
and order began to be evolved out of chaos
| Then the yyur, of rescuiug the dead and in
inred was begun. The windows of the rear
car had to DO broken in, and Il portion of
the side cut through in order TO reach them
The station was turned into an emergency
hospital, to which those taken from the
wreck we're removed and cared fer. One
by one the dead bodies were brought in md
laid upon the floor. Mangled by the crash
of timbers, scnlded by steam and backened
by fire, they presented q sickening appear
ance. The groans OF the injured and the
cries of those who were searching for miss
ing friends and relatives added TO the hor-
ror of tho situation. The faces of the dead
were roverently covered over with cloths.
| which from time to time were lifted in
order that searchers might have an oppor-
| tunity Of identifying them.
Most of those on the passenger train we're
residents of places on the line of the Water
town branch, and nearly all Of them were
working people.
Medical Examiner Swan arrived shortly
after tho accident and examined tho
bodies of the deceased in order 70 discover
some means of identi'ving than. While
this sad scene was benz witnessed in the
roilropd station a crowd Of reonIa actr,+.d
chiefly bv curiosity boyersd around tbo
wreck outside. A fire WINS started on the
side Of the road which cast n w.irod liaht
unor tbc surrouudings
Tho ryorl, If ot+or,Ii,,,, 70 ,r, ,c,,,+s Of
,h, r,,n,oro,,, .,,ry,r,rs ,vo, nni,,.l'. ,,,,,.
- TtLilf ~ ,t,,.,.' 49,
,,o..oI ,l,.
- trsrsnor, tha ,ninr,I 80 ,h' ra,,i,,.i.1'o
| H.. Le.If;.aI
49,. ,,f.t1',. ... -.,. 49,,
no uoC.Uis ~e'e s'ea''y "I'u ny ne
"oinon % 'ne ', es' Caiil"i ~ F u,A'rlc'' "lo
uINN Gu 'ne horrois u Tue 'eri!''e scene III
tue uepoo ~ 'naA9 C''""as'S anu p'Iu9 water
hLu SUN us ~ Il4c luyultu anu uyInS.