Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-09-15
A TRAINS FATALPLUNGE.
TT GOES THROUGH A BRIDGE
IN MASSACHUSETTS,.
The Locomotive Got Across Safely,
But Four Wagner Cars Plunged
Into the Stream-Many Persons
Killed or Injured-The Scene at
the Wreck.

the Wreck.
The Chicago limited express train FOR Bos-
ton broke through a frail iron bridge on the
Boston and Albany Railroad one mile and a
half east of Chester, Mass, 1T noon, and
four Wagner cars were crushed, killing four.
teen or fifteen persons, fatally iniurinS seve-
raj others. while at least twenty were badly
hurt The wreck is the worst ever known
on the road The bridge was being strength
ened for the big locomotives. and the work
ingmen who were putting on the plates were
at dinner when the crash came. The loco
motive passed over the structure. but was
smashed. the water tank being thrown long
distance.
The buffet car. two steepers and a dining
car were smashed to kindling wood when
they struck the stream twenty feet below.
but two dav coaches and a smoker in the
rear did not leave the track. The dead are ::
Miss Emma Delerty, Columbus. Ohio II.
c. Ives, Chicago, T. Everett Sed cewick
Palmer. express messenger; James McNas-
tiers. Springfield, brakeman J. II. Murray
Greenbush n Y, baggage master: George
H. Morse. Boston, Wagner car conductor: ].
c.. StackpOle Hartford. Conn. 4. c. Hitch
cock Bellows Falls, VT; J. E. De Witt,
Portland, Me-, President of the Union Mu
Kelly. Boston blanket manufacturer !;
Miss Susie Cutting, Boston: Mrs. c. Bish-
pam. Philadelphia; Mrs. J. S. Winchel.
Oneida, n Y; unknown woman. plainly
dressed, apparently about twenty-five years
Of age
Several of the wounded were hurt so seri-
ously it was thought they would die.
The train was seven minutes late at Ches-
ter, and the railroad hands say it was going
at the rate of twenty miles an hour when it
struck the first of the two spans across the
Nestfield River The locomotive seemed to
81 fhn fr,1S nNl-
lapsed and fell over to the south.
The bridge was built in 1874. 1t was
two-span lattice structure 221 feet long. II
stretched across the west branch OF the West
field River.
The Inflated train was one of the fastest
expresses on the road. stopping only at
Pittsfield in its run from Albany. n. Y. 10
SprinCf1eld Mass. 1t carries the largest
engine and best cars of any train running
west of Springfield.
The scene of the accident is but q short
distance below Chester, and is Just below
the steep grade going up the mountain.
Word was carried to the village promptly,
and the people did their best to care for the
injured.
Two wrecking trains left Springfield i'm
mediately after the accident. On the second
train were Medical Examiner Breck and DR..
Seelye, of Springfield.
superintendent Cone, of Chester, who has
charge of the mountain division of the road,
took charge OF the wreck, ana with the as
sistance OF the extra engines and section
hands did much toward clearing away the
wreck beforet the arrival of the wreckers from
Springfield. The physicians Of Huntington
arrived on the scene and did much to relieve
the sufferngs of the injured.
The heroes of the work of rescue were Doc
tor 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 hospital was group OF apple trees IN
An adjoining orchard, where scores We're
taken. Ok teams arrived with loads of
straw, cushions. bedding and food. The
wounded were soon removed to the houses
of n. A. HARDWOOD, Washington Moore and
J. G. Croker, and all that remained ON the
apple-strewn ground were thirteen 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 injured were conveyed in a special
train to Boston.