The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-09-01
BROKE THROUGH A BRIDGE.
Terrible Accident on the Boston
and Albany Road.
FIFTEEN PERSONS KILLED.
A Number Of Others Seriously Injured,
Six Of Whom Will Die.
PitifuI Scenes Enacted by Those Who
Found Either Friends or Loved Ones
Among the Dead-Those Killed
Were Horribly HIangled.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass, Aug. N.-The
Chicago limited express train for Boston
broke through a frall iron bridge on the
half miles east of Chester about 1890 to-
day, and four Wagner cars were crushed,
killing at least thirteen persons, fatally
injuring several others, while at least a
score are badly hurt. The wreck was
the worst ever known on the road. The
bridge was being strengthened for big
locomotives, and the workmen who were
putting on the plates were at dinner when
the crash came.
The locomotive passed over the struc-
ture but was smashed, the water tank be-
ing thrown long distance. The buffet,
two sleepers and dining car were smashed
to kindling when they struck the stream
twenty feet below, but the two day
coaches and smoker in the rear did not
leave the track. There had been thirteen
dead bodies taken out at 6 O'Clock and
twelve of them have been identified. 1t is
believed there are two more bodies in the
ruins. The list of identified dead is as fol-
lows:
]. E. DEWITT of Portland Me-, presi-
dent of the Union Mutual Life Insurance
company.
7. KELLY of Boston.
MISS SUSIE CoTTING of Boston.
MRS. G. BIsHPoM of Philadelphia.
MISS EMMA DELERTY of Columbus, o.
II. G. IVES of Chicago.
FRANK SEDGEwICK- PALMER, express
messenger.
JOHN McMAsrERs of Springfield,
brakeman.
J.H. MURRAY of Green Bush, N. Y.
BAGGAGE MASTER GEORGE w. MORSE
of Boston.
Wagner car conductor ]. G. STACK
POLE of Hartford, Conn.
R. c. HITCHCOCK of Bellows Falls, Vt.
Mrs. j. s. WlNCHELL, OF Oneida, N. Y.
UNKNOWN WOMAN, apparently about DO.
There are about fifteen seriously in
jured, and five or six may die. The train
was seven minutes late at Chester, and
railroad hands say it was going at the
rate of twenty miles per. hour when it
struck the first of the two-span bridge.
The trusses collapsed and fell over to
the south. The conductor was taking
tickets in the day coach, and although
thrown violently down. escaped serious
injury.
There were only few houses in the
vicinity and man driving by gave the
alarm through the village street. In a
| few minutes hundreds were on the scene
rendering aid to the imprisoned people.
The heroes of the hour were DR.. George
L. Wood of Collinsville, who went to the
train to meet his wife, and the colored
porters and walters in the dining car;
although their faces were bruised and cut
and covered with blood, they did splendid
work.
The wounded were soon removed to
houses near by, and cared for. Many of
those killed were horribly mangled and
only ten were recognized by their cloth
ing. Pitiful scenes were enacted by those
who found either friend or loved one
among the dead. Many narrow escapes
were recorded.
The bridge looks as though it had been
thrown from its abuuments, rather than
broken down and lies to the right. These
facts suggest the theory that the blow OF
the locomotive as it struck the bridge
from the curve sent it bounding off its
foundations to the river. Railroad off,
Gals say they find no marks on the bridge
such as would be made by the derailed
train.
They have no theories to offer, to ac-
count for the fall, but promise complete
investigation.