The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-12

Bosroy, Mass, Sept 1.-THE horror
OF the great Quincy accident was re-
called last night when a through freight
express train west-bound on the Fitch
burg railroad ran into passenger train
standing on the outbound track, at
West Cambridge Junction, telescoping
the rear car, killing eight persons out
right and injuring nearly forty others,
three OF whom are reported to have
since died. Passenger train No. lSi,
due to leave Boston at 10:15 p. m,
started on time. When West Cam
bridge Junction was reached, the eAgi-
neer found it necessary, owing to the
dense fog, to run close to the cross-overs
in order TO geo ii he had the right OF
from the signal tower, which is located
close by. Tho passenger train was said
to be five minutes late, and about the
same time the local passenger train
from Waltham, scheduled to leave there
at 1880 o'clock, was due at West Cam
bridge junction also.
The west bound train which LETT
Boston had come to full stop in order
that the east bound train from Wal
than, which had the right OF way,
could pass that point before it crossed
over to the Watertown branch,
While standing near the cross over,
the express freight train which was
bound west, came laundering along and
lust as the passenger train started to
cross to the Watertown branch, the
freight train crashed into the rear car
OF the passenger train with the result
above described.
The passenger train engine and the
forward truck of the smoking car No.
rs had crossed over on the branch
track, which left passenger cars 80 and
15S on the cross over and 3S. the fatal
car, standing on the main west bound
track.
Engine 200, to which the freight
train was attached, was powerful
eight-drive-wheeler OF the Mogul pat
tern. When the engine strnck the
rear car it entered it like wedge, split
ting it in two parts, each OF which,fell
outward upon tho track, while the roof
OF the car lodged on top OF the locomo.
tive. The recoil from the collision
drove the heavily loaded freight cars
backward, and although the two cars
nearest the engine, which were a re-
irigerator car aud Burton stock car,
were not injured, the ten or twelve cars
behind them were smashed into kin
ding wood. Several OF these were
loaded with lumber and this was
strewn all along the track. The cars
were piled upon one another in inde-
sctiba6le confusion, completely block
ing both tracks ioI fully 100 yards.
DR., W. a. Dunn and DR.. Collins, both
OF the North End, went out on the
special which left at Hos p. IN. Fifteen
minutes later the wreclsing train was
sent out, but owing to the TACT that q
man was forced to run on foot in ad-
vance to do flag duty, the relief and
wrecking trains were slow IN reaching
their destination. On arriving at the
scene they found that six OF the bodies
had been removed from the debris and
were laid out in tho West Cambridge
passenger station.
The pilot and cylinder boxes of the
freight engine were poked underneath
the forward truck Of the rear passenger
car which made it almost impossible
for any human being to escape without
injury who occupied seats in that car.
On tile rear end OF the ill-fated car a
mans legs were dangling, the trunk be-
ing found q quarter OF mile down the
track. The rear brakeman OF the pas
senger train whoshortly before the acci-
dent was sent back about six hundred
feet to notify the engineered the freight
train oil danger ahead. states that he
went back as directed and signalled the
freight train and his signal was answer
eddy whistles which is the usual an
swer that all signals have been seen and
noted. The reason for the collision, he
feels sure, was that the engineer OF the
freight train could not could not control
his train, which was OF thirty cars, the
greater part OF them containing lumber,
all very heavy.
Engineer Goodwin, of the freight
train, Is in the Cambridge hospital sat-
fering from bad shaking up, but is not
seriously injured, He says: 81 was
running this trip last night aa a matter
OF accommodation for man who
wanted to be off, 1t was the Erie
freight aud was very heavy. We We're
two hours late leaving Boston and had
tho right OF way. Everything was all
right until we got to West Cambridge
Tho. signals were all right beyond the
station for us to have the track. We
were going about twenty miles an hour
When saw the signals were all right l
whistled, and Immediately after saw
the rear end OF the passenger train. /
was only short distance away from il
then. AS soon as saw the signals on
the rear OF the passenger train | re-
Versed the engine, but the momentum
OF the freight carried it into the passen-
ger train. Fireman Eugene Alexander
aud | stuck by our engine. saw no
signal or tagman on the track what
ever"
G. +, Lawson, the engineer of the
passenger train, and one OF tho best
men on the Fitchburg road, says:
I'VE left Boston promptly on time at
lOsl5p. IN. We were delayed at Charles
town and made our usual stops. AT
West Cambridge station we wore held
to wait for train from the Waltham
branch. The rear brakeman was sent
back according to orders. lam sure he
went back, because myself went back
acouple Of cars to make sure OF it. ii
was toggy night and / 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 tho shock OF the
freight crushing into us from the rear.
The shock forced us ahead some and
then | stopped. l cannot account FOL