Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-08-02
THIRTEEN CABS WRECKED.


A Serious Tail End Collision on the New
England Road.-Engineer NoOnan Slight
ly Injured.
Another accident on the New England
road this morning caused one of the
worst wrecks and the heaviest loss of
merchandise that the New England
road has ever experienced.
Engineer "Dan" Schaeffer was rum
ming train No 161 with Conductor
Beaudry in charge. He was closely fol-
lowed by train 1871, Engineer "Billy"
Noonan and Conductor Doran, both
trains going east. At o'clock the trains
reached Towantic. Conductor Dorar
put his train on siding while No 161
pulled into the switch some miles
ahead at Osbornville. They waited
for the passing Of a freight train
bound west. After the train has passed,
Engineer Noonan backed his train on to
the main track and started for Osborn
Vile. Conductor Beaudry did not back
his train off in time, although the west
bound train had passed him some
twenty minutes. The hagman, also,
either neglected his duty, or else was
not sent out in time. AS Noonan's train
rounded the curve at Osbornville, the
other train was just backing out. 1t was
impossible to stop the coming train,
which was heavily loaded. Everything
possible was done, the whistle was
| sounded for down brakes and as soon as
| the orders; were executed all hands on
Conductor Doran's train jumped. The
| cars came together with crash and
strange to say Engineer Noonan's engine
ploughed straight through the wreck.
The cars following were piled up in all
conceivable shapes around and on the
track.
| When the train hands had pulled
themselves together it was found that
the only one injured was Engineer Moo
nan, who had leaped from his engine
after giving the signal for down brakes
He received a bad cash across the fore
head and was injured about the head
Thirteen freight cars loaded with mer
chandise, consisting of carriages, furni
ture, wool, cheese and coal were indis
criminately piled together. Several Of
the cars were total wrecks and the spin
tiers were thrown to a considerable dis
lance. The carriages were also
in splinters and the cheese
was scattered in all directions.
Word was at once sent to East Hart
ford and a wrecking train was sem
out. In the meantime flagmen hac
been sent out to flag the incoming
trains.
The regular train which leaves Dan
/
Dinsmore, arrived at the scene and tn,
passengers were transferred around thu
wreck to Conductor Hazen's train from
Hartford. The excursion train which
arrived from Danbury with about 2Ot
passengers, bound for Boston, wa
sent back. The wrecking engin,
and local freight engine NJ
14e, under Engineer Wiley, wer'
clearing away the debris all day
and as fast as a wrecked car i
drawn from the track it is dumped
over the embankment down into tn
meadows below. Superintendent Nc
Gam of the wrecking gang said tina
about 4 o'clock this afternoon he ex
pected to have the tracks cleared TO
traffic.
| Over 200 feet of track was ripped u
J and twisted in all shapes. Superintend
emit Cross of the western division, Train
master Dixon and Division State Agen
Bowman came on the wrecking engin
} and superintendent the work.
Various estimates place the loss fror
/ $15, 900 to $25 900.