Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-09-16
FRIGHTFUL DISASTER
Passenger Train TeIeSGOped Oh
fitChhurg Railroad.
Fire and Steam Add Horror to
the Situation.
Nine Killed and 20 or More
Badly Injured.

The local accommodate train on the
Fitchburg railroad which left Boston ut lO.le
O'Clock saturday night for the WatertOwn
branch was wrecked 10y being run into by
the heavy outbound western freight, causing
the loss OF nine lives and the serious injury
Of ~ persons.
The cause of the catastrophe, so far a.
could be gathered in the cOnfusi that fol-
lowed the collision, was Is follows The
Waltham train, when IL reaches West cam
bridge, Is compelled TO wait for the passage
Of the Waltham train for Boston, as the
branch road has but single track. The
train from Boston arrived at West Cam
bridge at 1928 p. nj. on time.
The train from Waltham was late, aud the
Boston tram was detained eight or nine
minutes. The conductor sent back man
to show the danger signal to the freight
train, which he knew was coming behind
him.
Owing to the thick mist which had fallen,
the signal was not perceived by the engineer
Of the freight. The passenger train had just
got under way. Two OF its coaches had
turned into the branch when the locomotive
OF the freight train crashed into II. The
passenger train had gained tut little head
way, and offered almost the resistance OF
stationary obstacle to the swiftly moving
freight.
The locomotive of the latter completely
teCscOpcd the rear passenger coach, tearing
away the flooring and driving everything In
its interior before il. Passengers. seats and
floor were all piled up IN an indiscriminate
mass in the front of the coach. The loco
motive itself was compl tcly nrlosed by the
sides Of the car as if II had run into an In.
closed shed. The other passenger coaches
were not 'cry much injured, but the shock
TO their occupants was only little less severe
than that sus aimed by those In the last
coach. They were hurled from their seats,
thrown against each other, many Of them
badly injured, and all OF them more or less
bruised and Jared. There was at once
wild rush TO get oul Of the cars.
Frantic men and women rushed about In .
purposclcss way. shricking and grooming
ThOse who were in the station and residents
Of the vicinity gathered with surprising
rapidly. All along the track these people
ran 10 and fro, scarcely knowing what &c
d.. But soon another source Of danger de
yeopcd Flames soon began to burst rom
the wrecked freight csrs. Two alarms on
the fire bells were hurriedly sounded, and
the whole fire department OF Cambridge re.
sponded promptly, and soon put out the
flames.
The freight train was badly wrecked, the
forward cars less so than those in the middle
and rear. Three Of the rear cars were de
rallied, pied mp on each other against brick
| DulIulng ON the sue OF Inc TRACK. some OF
the cars were laden with lumber, which was
scattered about over the ground by the shock
Of the collision.
Fire also broke out in the rear passenger
car, and the escape OF steam from the i'm.
! prsoncd locomotive added to the horror
that beset the manged people within. Then
/ the work of rcsCuing the dead and injured
vas begun. The windows OF the rear cat
! had to be broken in, and n portion OF the
sid cut through in order to reach them,
| The station was turned into all emergency
! hospital. to which those taken from the
| wreck were removed and cared for. one by
| one the dead bodies were brought in and
| laid upon the floor. Manglcd by tho crash
| of timbers, scaldcd by steam and backened
/ bv ii e, they presented a sickcning appear.
I ance.
/ The groans of the Injured and the cries OF
/ those who were searching for missing friends
/ and relatives added to the horrors of the
/ scene.
/ The faces of the dead were reverently
/ covered with cloths, which from time &c
/ time were lifted. in order that sesrchers
might have an opportunltyto identify them.
! These scarchers came from Fresh Pond, Mt.
| Auburn, Watcrtown, BEN and other
neighboring places.
! Most OF those ON the passenger train were
/ residents OF place on the line of the Water.
! town branch, and ncar;y all OF them were
/ working people. Anxious mothers came
/ weeping to the little wooden station, almost
/ crnzcd by the fear that they would r, Cognize
/ In one Of the charrcd and scslded faces the
| features Of their sons.