Connecticut western news., 1892-07-28
SMASH UP AT CANAAN.

There was serious head-on collision between two hog engines. Nos. 26 and II, with freight trains attached, just east of the Blackberry river at about 8 o'clock yesterday morning. Engine No. 26 with a west bound train had stopped in the yard and with eight cars detached from the main train, was talk ing on coal and water just east of the river; while doing so engine No 26 was struck by engine No. Il which was coming down the grade from the west with 20 cars at the rate, it is said, of 30 or 40 miles an hour. The force of the collision was such that No. 26 was de- railed and with the eight cars was driv- en back five or six rods. the wheels of the engine ploughing deep furrow in the ground by the side of the track. The pilot of No. 26 was shivered into kindling wood and the two cars farth- est from the engine were total wrecks, the box of one of them being hurled as far as rod over the fence into the pas ture. On one car loaded with lumber a tramp had lain down to sleep; as the car was broken in two in the middle and had its back doubled up like cats. the tramp IS believed to have been sent flying. No. 26 remained upright. The effect on the east bound train was more
 
 II lying on her right side with pilot smashed, the right wheels buried deep in the ground, her tender at right angles with her. overturned on it's right side, and two or three loaded coal cars, car loaded with barrels of beer and another with iron pipes lay piled up in heap in inextr1cable confusion and totally wrecked. The only man seriously in- iured was Jim Ashley the fireman of No. Il. He was found in the cab held down by timber across his arm and covered with coal. calling loudly for help. On being dug out he was found to be badly scalded and with 8 vein in his arm cut. His wound was dressed by Dr Lee, and he was sent to Hartford by the 6. 10 a. m. train. Harry White, the engineer, jumped from his engine and escaped uninjured. One brakeman who was on the beer car, was thrown off and received no injury except a bruise on the forehead.
 As regards the cause of the accident reports are contradictory. It is said that both engineer and fireman on No. II are new men unused to the road then some say the engineer fell asleep and lost control of his engine; on the other hand others say that the engineer blew his whistle repeatedly as the train came down the hill but that the brake men were all asleep in the buggy. How ever 1t may be there seems to be no doubt that the men had been on duty for as much as fifty-two hours, ,and an- other sure thing is that too much busi- ness is being attempted on a single track. The wreck caused no delay as trains could pass on the side tracks. AS we go to press the wrecking trains are clearing the track. Thirteen cars in all were more or less wrecked.
 The location of the water tank and coal shute adjoining the east end of the bridge over the Blackberry river makes perfect death trap, and was so stated in the NEWS several months ago. When ever an east bound train stops to take coal or water, the cars stand on said bridge. Had the runaway train been 8 few minutes earlier and collided with the east bound Boston fast express train instead of colliding with west bound freight train the loss of life would un. doubtedly have been appalling.