The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-01
FELL WITH A BRIDGE.
Horrible Accident to a Fast
Boston and Albany Train.
FOURTEEN KILLED OUTRIGHT.
A Fran Structure rs Chester, Mas,
Yields Undsr Heavy weixht-Ths
Corpses Horribly Mansied.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass, Aug. Si.-The Chi
cago limited express train for Boston
broke through frail iron bridge on the
Boston & Albany railroad, one and a
half miles east of Chester, about
1880 p. m. today, and four Wagner
cars were crushed, killing at least
fourteen persons and fatally injuring
several others, while at least score are
badly hurt. The wreck is the worst ever
known on the road. The bridge was being
strengthened for big locomotives. and the
workingmen, who were putting on plates,
were at dinner when the crash came.
The locomotive passed over the structure.
but was smashed. the water tank being
thrown long distance. The buffet. two
sleepers and dining car were smashed to
kindling wood when they struck the
stream twenty feet below, but two day
coaches and a smoker in the rear did not
leave the track. There had been fourteen
dead bodies taken out at 6 o'clock, and
thirteen of them had been identified. It
is believed there are two more bodies in
the ruins. The list of the identified dead
Is as follows:
j. E. DkwIrr, of Portland, Me-. presi-
dent of the Union Mutual Life Insurance.
Il. KELLY. Boston.
Miss SUSIE CorTISG. of Boston.
Miss EMMA DEIERTY. of Columbus. o.
III. G. IvEs, of Chicago.
FRANK SEDGEwICK. OF Palmer.
EMPRESS MESSENGER JOHN McMAsrERs,
of Springfield.
BRAKEMAs }. H. MURRAY, of Greenbush.
n. Y.
GEORGE W. MORSE. of Boston. baggage
master.
]. C. srAcKpoIK, of Hartford. Wagner
car conductor.
r. C. HrrcHcocK. of Bellows Falls, VT.
Mrs. ]. 5. WINcHELL, of Oneida, n. Y.
UNKNOWN WOMAN, apparently 45 years
old.
MRS. C. BfspHAM, of Philadelphia.
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 rate of
twenty miles per hour when it struck
the first of the two spans of the bridge
as 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 are only few houses in
the vicinity, and q man driving by gave
the alarm throughout the village. In a
few minutes hundreds were on the scene,
rendering aid to the imprisoned people.
The heroes of the hour are 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, who
although their faces were bruised, cut and
covered with blood, 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 recognizable by their
clothes. Pitiful scenes were enacted by
those who found either friend or loved
one among the dead. Many marrow escapes
were recorded.
The bridge looks as though 1t had been
thrown from its abutments 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 a curve sent 10 bound
ing off its foundations to the river.
Railroad officials say they find no marks
on the bridge such a. would be made by a
derailed train. They have no theories to
offer to account for the fall, but promise a
complete Investigation.