The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-09-10
DEATH in THE DARKNESS.
Two Freight Trains Collide in the
Hoosac Tunnel.
A SIGNAL MANS NEGLIGENCE
CAUSED LOSS OF LIFE.

The Pile of Wreckage Filled the Tunnel to
terday-It Was the Worst Accident that
Has Occurred in that Vicinity.
North Adams, Mass, September o.
A railroad wreck, short distance east
of the Central Shaft in the Hoosac Tun-
mel, Saturday night. was one of the
worst that ever took place in this vicini-
ty. Two men lost their lives and two
others are very seriously injured. A
freight train had to stop in the tunnel
to repair break on the engine, and by
some bIunder second freight train was
permitted to follow into the tunnel be-
fore the first one was out of the way,
which crashed ino the st anding train.
The two men killed were William Tur-
penny, of Fort Edward. Y, brakeman,
and George Minnick Of Fitch burg, a
brakeman. The injured are Walter
Clapp OF. Rotterdam. MI, the engin-
eer. and Charles Frazer of Rotterdam,
Fltchburg, brakeman. The tunnel is
completely blockaded by the wreck, and
1t has been impossible to get trains
through all day today. The extra freight
train left North Adams about 9 Satur-
day night, and ran into the tunnel to
about 1000 feet east of the central shaft.
There the spring hanger of the engine
broke, and the train stopped to make re-
pairs. The engine was detached and
lacked up, and after Is minutes work
was let down to the track again. In the
meantime, the second freight train, No.
220 came up to the west portal of the
tunnel. The signal light on the tele-
graph operators tower was red, and the
operator Immediately changed it to
white, which indicated the track was
clear the entire length of the tunnel. 1t
is rule that the operator shall not per-
nit train to follow another into the
tunnel until he hears from the other
end that the first train has passed out.
As the signal indicated that the train
track was clear, freight No. 22O went
ahead. Just as it entered the portal the
American Express Company's train came
out. This left a dense trail of smoke
behind, which obscured erything. For
this reason the engineer of train 220 was
unable to see the standing train, as he
could have done had the air been clear
when he reached the summit of the
grade at the central shaft. His train
crashed into it at full speed, without
warning.
In the caboose of train 245 were Bart
lett and Minnick. Bartlett was hurled
through the side of the shattered ca
boose, and fell under the locomotive, but
escaped with a few cuts on the right
arm and several bruises on the body.
Minnick was buried under the wrecked
caboose, where his body was found this
forenoon. Clapp, engineer of train 22O,
was hurled through the side of the loco
motive and Frazer, his fireman, through
the opposite side. Clapp was badly in
jured about the pelvis, and severely
bruised on the chest. Frazer was pinned
under the engine, his hands fairly cooked
in the red hot Goals from the fire. box.
He received numerous bad scalp
wounds. His skull was fractured and
he was badly hurt about the hips and
back. 1t is expected that he will recov-
er. Turpeny, the head brakeman on
train 22O. was crossing from the tender
to the first freight car when the crash
occurred. He was hurled violently for
ward into the car, his head split open,
and he fell against the fire-box dead.
The tunnel was filled to the roof with
the wrecked engine and cars. The train
men who were uninjured went to the
aid of those hurt, and removed them to
the east portal. The news of the disast-
er was sent to Fitchburg, and Williams
town Dy Telegraph, ana Wrecklng
train started from the latter place i'm
mediately. At North Adams several
doctors were taken aboard. At the scene
of the accident the wounded men were
put aboard the wrecking train, which
returned to North Adams, where the
injured were taken to the hospital.
Who was to blame is hard qustion to
answer. The facts as ascertained are as
follows: A. M. Crosier is the telegraph
operator at the east portal of the tun-
mel and Fl. ". Hodgkins the other end.
and between these two men. as far as
can be found out. the resposib bility rests.
The trainmen state, that whether the
operator at the east portal supposed the
first train had passed, and so tele-
graphed., or whether Hodgkins sup
posed it had had plenty of time to pass
out and changed the signal on his own
responsibility, is the question Hodg-
kins was arrested today, but refuses to
make any statement. A warrant is out
s.. 81, oe