Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-09-01
Iron Bridge Fell and Train Thrown
Into the RIVER
DISASTER TO FAST EXPRESS
BsfEc< Car and Two sieepers . Total
wreck. and score OF Persons
KilIed--C Csusc OF Disastcr.


crushed. killing at least thirteen per-
soma fatally injuring several others
while at least a score are badly hurt.
The wreck is the worst ever known ON
the railroad. The bridge was being
strengthened for the big locomotives.
and the workingmen who were putting
on the plates were At dinner when the
crash came. The locomotive passed
over the structure but was smashed. the
water tank being thrown n long dis
tance. The buffet, two sleepers and
dining car were smashed 20 kindlings
when they struck the stream twenty feet
below. but the two day coaches and q
smoker In the rear did not leave the
track. There had been thirteen bodies
taken out at 3 o'clock and twelve of
them had been identified.
IL is believed that there are two moro
bodies in the ruins.
The train was seven minutes late az
Chester and the railroad hands say 1t
was going at the rate Of twenty miles an
hour when il struck the first OF the two
spans at the Westtieid river. The loco
motive seemed To leap across the bridge
as the trestles collapsed and fell over.
nt NUIuuLtOI " dr lNLlnk aus "a =
day coach. and although thrown vio-
lently down. escaped serious injury.
There arc only few houses In the vi
cinity and man driving by gave tho
alarm throughout the village
Scene at the Wreck.
In few moments hundreds were on
the scene. The shrieks Of the impris-
oned were most terrible. and scores of
people looked on completely unneryed.
The heroes II the hour were DIR. George
l. Wood of Collinsvillc. who went 10
the train TO meet his wife. and the col
ored porters and walters in the dining
car who. although their faces were
bruised and cut and covered with blood.
did splendid work. The village people
soon recovered from the shock and
were hard at work. The hospital
was group OF apple trees In
an adjoining orchard where scores were
taken. Ok teams arrived with loads OF
straw, cushions. bedding and food. The
wounded were soon removed 10 the
houses OF N. A. Harwood, Washington
Moore and j. &. Crocker. and all that
remained on the apple-strewn ground
were thirteen bodies. covered with
blankets from an adjoining stable. Tho
dead were. many OF them. horribly
mutiated, the heads crushed in. limbs
torn and often recognizable only from
their clothing Mr.. Soul OF Philadel-
phia was with his sister. Mrs Bishpam.
10 a Wagner car. She was instantly
killed and he was pinned down, but fin
ally extricated.
j. r. Dewitt Of Portland. Maine. pres
ident OF TIE Union Life Insurance CON-
pany, was reading magazine. Nj. w.
Kirk OF Chicago started 10 sit with him.
but seeing that he was absorbed, ex-
cused himself and went into tho rear
car and was thus saved.
Mrs. John Howard Of Boston, whose
stage name il Hattie blanchard, was
one of the five saved in the sleeper next
in front OF the dining car which was tho
worst wrecked. She left Albany where
the John l.. Sullivan company had ap-
pcared the night before.
Cause or the Wreck.
The bridge was two span lattice
structure ID feet long and was built in
1874 by the r. r. Hawkins Iron Works
and had been recently repaired but was
not properly braced 20 Withstand the
weight OF heavy train. The illfated
train was one of the fastest expresses on
the road, stopping only at Pittsficld from
Albany 10 Springfield. IL carries the
largest engine aud best cars IL any train
running west of Springfield. All through
trains are being held in Pitissield
going east and in Springfield going
west. Superintendent Cone Of Chester.
who has charge Of the mountain dist
sion of the road. took charge 81 the
wreck. and with the assistance of the
extra engines and section hands did
much towards clearing away the wreck
before tho arrival a the wreckers from
Springfield.
The buffet car and two sleeping cars
are total wreck.
Fifteen Bodics Recovered.
At 5:lJp. m. there had been fifteen
bodies taken out. two 81 them unidenti-
fed IL II believed that there are two
more in the wreck. The list 81 the iden-
titled dead IL: J. r.. Dewitt. Portland.
Maine. president 81 the Union Mutual
Life Insurance company; T. X. Kelly of
Boston. Miss Susie keeting of Boston.
Mrs. c. u. Bisham % Philadelphia. Miss
Emma Delorty - Columbus. Ohio: II.
&. Ives of Chicago. Frank Sedwick of
Palmer. Express Messenger John Me
Masters % Sprinheld. brakeman J. n.
Murray - Green Bush. New York: bag
gagemaster George W. Morse ~ Boeton.
Wagner Car Conductor J. C. stsckpole
~ Hartford. Connecticut: X {. Hitch.
cock u Bellows Falls. Vermont There
we're about fifteen seriously injured and
Eve OF six may die.
Lat of the Injured.
The injured are. Mrs Rev DR. l.
Pratt ~ Norwich. Conneciicnt cut hand
and riaht thigh sprained: Rolerf Cnck
son q Boston. Wagpef ear porter. badly
pcAliesi Nurry Graves q Bvs;on. frac
tufc - right thigh and broken fofeAfm.
Ffhei Careon a Daiteo. shoulder
+ srsssari. John - Caraan q paliun.
bruised. i.ouis buchanan - be
ten. laIlx brui~ei. lsose stephan
q Springfield. Iiiinoie ffactufei fihs.
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