The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-07-25
one KILLED, ONE DYING
Fatal Accident on the Consolidated
Road at DOdseVillo.
FREIGHT CAR JUMPED THE TRACK
Mall Train Crashed Into it-Side OF Mail
Coach Torn Outcome Clerk Instantly
Killed Another Fatally Ipjurcd-A
Third has q Chance for Life.

Third has Chance for Life.
In the little station of the Consolidat-
ed road at Dodgeville this morning lay
the remains of Charles j. Miller, out of
which the life had been crushed In col
lision between the midnight mail aud a
freight train.
At the Rhode Island hospital In this
city are Edward g. Murphy and Robert
| A. Gray with fractured skulls and brok-
en- limbs, while in Dodgeville under the
care or surgeons are g. A. Buckingham
| and j. ID. Nickerson, who were less seri-
| ously injured In the same accident.
| just at III O'Clock last night the way
| freight train over the Consolidated road
| left Boston for this city. In this train
were cars to be left at various stations
along the route. The iun was made
without accident or incident until Dodge
| Vile was reached. At this point car as
| to be dropped. 1t was kicked on the siding
and the rest OF the train followed it from
| tie main liae to make way for the mail
which left Boston at midnight aud which
was due then.
Jumped the Track.
The whistle of the approaching train
could be heard, but as there was plenty
OF time the crew on the freight felt no
| uneasiness. Just as the last car OF the
| freight went to the siding the wheel
| jumped the track aud the train came to a
staudtstill. This last car was Of the
| box pattern, and 1t was caDted over SO
| that part of it overhung the west bound
| track on which the mail was APP
pro aching.
There was no time to act. No warning
could be given and although Engineer
Bowen OF the mail saw the dan .er he
| could not stop his train in time to pre-
vent collision. mis- engine crashed into
| the overhanging Car while going at the
| rate Of fully thirty miles an hour The
smoke stack was ripped of the boiler
crushed in and the cab smashed into
| splinters. ~
Following the engine were two mail
| cars. In the first of these force of clerks
| was at work shifting mail bags. The
| overhanging box car tore out ths side of
| this hur ing the clerks in every direction.
| The second car was not Sd badly damaged
| but before the mail train stopped every
| car had been more or less scraped and
| splintered.
Instantly Killed.
Engineer Bowen escaped without in
jury, but on the first mail car G. j. Mil
| dead and Chief Clerk Edward G. Murphy
| sibia.
Physicians were sent for and Doctors
| Battershall and Roberts OF Attleboro
| were soon at the scene Of the wreck.
| They found that Miller had been killed
| instantly. His 'ad was crushed In aud
both legs aud arms broken.
Miller was recently transferred from q
route in Pennsylvania and made his first
run on the new one last night. His
home was in Walton. N. Y. where he
leaves a widow and two dauSh
When the physicians examined Mr.
| Murphy they found that besides q ter
ribae fracture Of the skull he had sus-
stained severe internal injuries. Thcy
/ did not believe there was any chance OF
| his recovery. His home is in Putnam,
| Conn.
Robert A. Gray. another clerk. was
| found to have sustained fracture of the
skull and a compound fracture of the
left arm. His case was also pronounced
| hopeless. Mr.. Grav's home Is at Onset
| where he has u family.
| c. A. Buckingham of Milford, Conn.,,
| was running as substitute for Ii: A.
| Otney Of this city. His head and face
were badly cut, but his injuries are not
| Of serious nature. j. ID. Nickerson. a
| brakeman, also received severe cuts from
| flying glass.
Another Collision Averted.
Although the passengers in the coache es
following the mail car were badly shaken
up, none were injured.
When the crash came Conductor Keene
| knowing that the second section OF the
| mail was only fourteen minutes behind
| hurried men up the track to signal it..
| This was successfully accomplished and
| another more terrible collision averted
| Brought to This City.
Mr.. Buckingham and Mr.. Nickerson
were left at Dodgeville where they are re-
ceiving proper care.
Ats o'clock this morning Mr.. Murphy
| and Mr. Gray were brought to this city
| on special train aud taken in an ambu-
| lance to the Rhode Island hospital.
| There their wounds were examined again
and Murphy's case was pronounced
| homeless.
| Mr.. Gray seemed to have slight
| chance for life as the fracture of his skull
| is not Of so desperate nature as that OF
| Mr.. Murphy.
AT O'Clock reports from the hospital
were to the effect that Murphy was grad
| ually sinking, while hopes were enter
| tained OF Gray's recovery.
Superintendent Marshal had wrecking
| train at work soon after the accident and
the track was cleared a few hours later.
Bad Wreck.
The wreck was bad one The engine and
| first and second mail coaches were piled
| up in one great heap of bent and broken
| iron and shattered wood.
The second mail car looked as though
| il had been struck by something which
crashed along through all the windows,
tearing them out. The two men,
| who were the only occupants
| of the car escaped without seriou, injury.
| The baggage and express car was only
slightly damaged. The men in 1t were
uninjured.
The smoker was wreck, but strangely
| all of the twelve occupants escaped in.
| Jury. The occupants OF the passenger
coach were shaken up and badly
frightened.
Slightly Injured.
With Superint endent Blake in the mail
car was his 15-year old son, George w.
Hodgkins Of Salem and George Is. John
sens of Newburyport, OF the rail-
way mail 8 rvice. Hodgkins sustained
q scalp wound, and Johnson was slightly