Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-09-07

SPRINGFIELD, Mass, Aug. 3l.-The Chi.
csgo limited express for Boston broke
through a fraiI iron bridge on the Boston
and Albany miles east OF Chester about
1880 to-day and four W agner cars wero
crushed, killing at least 10 persons fatally
in1uring several others, while at least a
score arc badly hurt. The wreck is .hs
worst known on the railroad.
The bridge was being strengthened for
the big locomotives and the worl,,ngmen
who were putting on the plates were at dim
ner when the crash came. The locomotive
passed over the structure but was smashed,
the water tank being thrown long dis
tance. The buffet, two sleepers and du-
ing car were smashed to kindling when they
struck the stream 20 feet below, but two
day coaches and a smoker in tho rear did
not leave tho track.
There hnd been 19 dead bodies taken
out at o'oloel, and II OF them had been
identified. 1t is believed that there ara tWa
more bodies in the ruins.
The List OF Dead Is:
J..W. Jewett of Portland, president Of
tho Union Mutual Life Insurance lcompany.
7. h. Kelly of Boston.
Miss Susie Cutting OF Boston.
Mrs. c. Bispheu OF Philadelphia.
Miss Emma Dslerty of Columbus, O.
II. c. Ives of Chicago.
Frank Ssdgwick Of Palmer.
Express Messenger John McMasters Of,
Springfield.
Brakeman J. 2. Murray Of Greenbusb,
N. Y.
Baggagemaster George W. Morse Of Boz.
| ton.
Wagner Car Conductor J. c. stackpola
Of Hartford Conn.
r. G. Hitchcock Of Bellows Fails, Vt.
There we're ebout 10 seriously in jured and
five or six may die
The train was seven minutes late at
| Chester and the railroad hands say it wal
going at the rate OF 20 miles an hour when
/ 1t struck the first OF the two spans across
the Westfleld river The locomotive seemed
to leap across the bridge the trusses COL
lapsed and fell over to the south The con-
ductor was taking tickets in day coach,
aud although thrown violently escaped Sc.
rious injury. There are only few houses
in the vicinity and man driving by
whipped his horse aud gave the alarm
through the village street.
The Work of Roscue.
In q few minutes hundreds were on the
scene. The heroes Of the hour we're Dr..
George l.. Wood OF Colinsville, who went "a
the train to meet his wife, and the colored
porters and walters ia the dining car. ell
though their faces were bruised and cut ard
covered with blood they did splendid work
The village people soon recovered from
| the shock and we're hard at work.
The hospital was a group OF apple
trees in an adjoining orchard whore scores
were taken, OK teams arrived with loads
of straw cushions, bedding aud food. Tha
woundsd were soou removed to the houses
Of y. A. Harwood Washington Moore and
j. c. Crocker, and all that remained on the
apple strewn ground were l3 bodies covered
with red blankets from an adjoining stable,
The dead were many of them horribly mu.
tilated, heads crushed in, limbs torn and
| often only recognizable from the clothing.
The bridge looks as though 1t had been
| thrown from its abuttmsuts rather than
broken down. 1t has fallen to the right of
the track and the locomotive also lies OF to
the right. These facts suggest the theory
that the blow of tho locomotive as it strucI
| the bridge from the curve sent it
Bounding o II into tho River.
The repairs ou ths bridge which were
going on at the time of the accident were
similar to those made on the other bridges
OF the line. Their object was to strengthen
the bridge and enable it to carry the in,
floor had been completed, new and heavier
timbers and ties having been put in. The
| trusses were not finished and 1t was these
| the men were at work upon when they left
! their work at the dinner hour
r. F. Hawkins, whose employees we're at
work upon the bridge. and the railroad
officials are confdsut tina. the bridge did
not fall from weakness, and there is no evil
denee that any carelessness of the men such
ss leaving tools around helped to derail the
train. The railroad officials say that they
| find no marks on the bridge such as would
! be made by derai!ei train.
They have no theories to offer to account
for tho fall, but promise complete inves-
| tigation. Mr.. Hawkins has tentative
theory which agrees with the suppositiou
that the locomotive, a heavy six wheeler
struck the bridge harder blow than Il
could hear. Tie bridge was probably buils
about 20 years ago by the Leighton Bridge
company and had been rebuilt once or
| twice.
PRETTY HOME sWEOOlNG.