New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-12

Boston about o'clock, but last night ala not leave
until after 10, and was running at the rate of
about twenty miles an hour when the collision
| occurred.
STORY OF THE FREIGHT ENGINEER.
Engineer Goodwin, of the freight train, is in
the Cambridge Hospital suffering from bad
shaking-up but is not seriously injured. He says.
Il was running this trip last night matter
of accommodation for a who wanted to be
off, 1t was the Erie freight and was very heavy.
We were two hours late leaving Boston. and had
the right of way. Everything was all right
until we got to West Cambridge. The signals
were all right beyond the station for US TO have
the track. We were going about twenty miles
an hour When l the signals were all right
I whistled, and Immediately after the rear
end of tie passenger train | was only short
distance away from it then. As soon as | saw the
signals on the rear of the passenger train 1 re-
versed the engine, but the momentum OF the
freight carried it into the passenger train. Fire
man Eugene Alexander and l stuck by our engine
I saw no signal flag man on the track what
ever"
Alexander lives in Boston. He escaped with
out injury.
Just at the point where the accident happened
there is straight stretch Of track nearly a
mile long and under ordinary circumstances the
rear lights en- the passenger train could nave
been secn but the fog, which thick at the
time made it impossible to see the most brilliant
light. even quarter Of mile
| c. F. Lawson the engineer OF the passenger
train and one of the best on the Fltchburg
road. SAYS: 1--WE left Boston promptly time
| at 1918 D. m. We were delayed at Charlestown
and made our usual stops. At West Cambridge
station we were held to wait for train from the
Waltham branch The rear brakeman was sent
back according to orders. | sure he went
back, because | myself went back couple OF
cars to make sure of il. Ii was foggy night, ana
| knew he could not take too many precautions.
The branch train had come on the main track
and We had just started ahead when | felt the
shock of the freight crushing into US from the
rear ! think we must have been a couple
of lengths from the West Cambridge station The
shock forced us ahead some, and then | stopped.
l cannot account for the accident, except that
the night was foggy the engineer of the freight
did not see our brakeman until it was too late
| TO stop his train II must have been that the
freight was under such headway that she could
not stop IN time"
| MEN AND WOMEN FRANTIC AND SHRIEKING.
The passenger other than the rear one
were not much injured, but the shock TO their
occupants was only little less severe than that
sustained by those in the last II is believed
that had all the on the freight been as sol
| idly constructed the two forward ones, the
locomotive of the freight would have been forced
through two three Of the passenger COACHES at
least but as it WIS, the crushed freight acted
as a sort of cushion and lcsSened the force Of the
shock. As soon the crash came there was at
once q wild rush to get out Of the cars. Frantic
men and women rushed about in purposeess
manner shrleking and groanng. Those who were
| In the station and residents OF the vicinity gath
cred with surprising rapidity All along the track
these people ran to and fro scarcely knowing what
to do But soon another source OF danger deyeii
Opcd. Flames began TO burst from the wrecked
freight cars Two alarms On the fire bells were
hurriedly sounded, and the whole fire department
Of Cambridge responded promptly, and soon put
out the flames Members Of the police force also
appeared, and order began to he evolved out of
chaos. Then tie work OF rescuins the dead and
injured was begun. The windows U! the rear car
had TO be broken in and 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 removed and cared
for. One by the dead bodies brought
in and placed upon tho hool. Mangcd by the
ened by fire. they presented sickening appear-
ance. The groans of the injured and the cries
Of those who were searching for missing fren Is and
relatives added 10 the horrors of the scene
The faces of the dead were reycrenty covered
over with cloths, which from time to time
lifted, in order that scarcleiS might have an OPP
| portunity of identifying them. Most OF those
| the passenger train residents of places
! the line Of the WatcrtOwn branch, and nearly all
Of them We're working people. Examiner Swan
arrived shortly after the accident and examined
| the contents of the pockets OF the deceased pco-
pie in order to discover some means Of i!entca or.
! While this sad scene was being witnessed IN the
railroad station, a thron2 OF persons, actuated
chiefly by curiosity, hovcred arund the wreck
outside The work Of attending to the wants of
| the numerous sufferers quickly begun.
Vehicles of all descriptions were pressed into ser
vice, and began hurriedy 70 transport the III
| jurcd to the Cambridge City Hospital
NOBLE WOMEN OF WEST CAMBRIDGE.
The doctos were greatly aided 10y the women
OF he West Cambridge district, who braved the
horrors of the terrible in the depot 10 make
bandaaes and bring water and stimulints to the
injured and dying. AS quickly as the injured
could be attended TO, the dead, many of WHOM were
| burned or scaded beyond all recognition, were
taken to Longs undertaking cttabl lshment, there
10 await the action Of the meuciI examiner
Swan There one hcartenilng scene en-
acted. young man, accompanied by one OF inc
railroad squad, pushed his way mo ime tn1 an' s
takers rooIn ana said that he was looking ioI ms
| father 4 body uncovered, ana the man
gazed upon the disgurcd face 40 though stuhhsi. SI
/ nroyed TO be the son OF John Hudson, VINO WIS
earlt. taken from the wreck. This ease Is par'i-
cuary sad one, as the unfortunate Ma" i"'''
| widow and family of eight children .i,,. .ono
IL will be difficult matter 10 nu'Ii'liS .tr,
of the dead. Some burned l" "a crisp, Do,9 "'
frichtfully manglcd and one 80 DadIy Guy up t'.p'
! unless Identification can be maze ny '"' O'o'"
ing he may finally rest in an unmarked gIalc M -
The work Of clearing away the wrockdsr l,i'', T"S
! pushed vigorously All hlRht ny l"' ~ .."aItoo
rang. ana by II 80 this forenoon Doth tracha
had been cleared sufficiently to allow oV'fhn' ,
Tfnioht trains that had accumulated az mat
point 70 The section of the roond nrI'n n "podd p0d
| Wlhcn ~ Snrcc of nolice kept the crowd Of sight
"oars from interfering with the workmcn
Charles H. Townc, Of ChaTestownm n nr%nan oi
,he P"n ,ynre n few minutes late, having been
HT ayeS T' there by the targctsgnal at the Cross
ing' When we are on time we We meet 1ng rdIi In-
a Watcrtown branch train at West Cambridge
Wiiu WI 80 standing at the station waiting tliat
we VIZ wa w;tnout any warning the freight dashed
into us .a,on o,t ,y,s cvtricatcd