Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-09-10
THE WHITE LIGHT
Caused a Terrible Railroad kc-
cident in Hoosac Tunnel.
Freight Crashes Into Another Train
Hauled Up to Make Repairs.
Two Men Killed and others Iniured-Respon-
sibiiiiy Not Yet Placed.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass, Sept. 9.-The
railroad wreck, a short distance east of the
central shaft in lloosac Tunnel, Saturday
night, was one of the worst that ever took
place in this vicinity. Two men lost their
lives and two others were very seriously
injured. A freight train had to stop in the
tunnel to repair break on the engine. BY
some bluuder, a second freight train was
permitted TO follow into the tunnel before
the first was out of the way, and crashed
into the standing train.
The two men killed were William Tur-
peny, Fort Edward, n Y, brakeman, and
George Minnick, Fitchburg, brakeman,
The injured are Walter Clapp, Rotterdam,
N. Y, engineer; Charles Frazer, Rotter-
dam, n. Y, fireman; ii. Il. Bartlett,
Fitchburg, brakeman. The tunnel was
completely blockaded by the wreck, and it
was impossible TO get trains through all day,
today.
Extra freight train 2ij left North Adams
about 9, Saturday night, and ran into the
tunnel to about 1000 foot east of the Cen
trail shaft. There the spring hanger of the
engine broke and the train stopped to make
repairs. The engine was detached ard
lacked up, and after Is minutes work was
let down to the track again.
In the mean time the second freight train
number 220 came up to the west portal of
the tunnel. The signal light on the tele-
graph operators tower was red, but the
operator Immediately changed il to white,
which indicated that the track was clear the
entire length of the tunnel. 1t is the rule
that the operator shall not permit train to
follow another into the tunnel until he has
heard from the ether end that the first train
hss passed out.
As the signal indicated that the track was
clear, freight No. 800 went ahead. Just az
it entered the portal, the American Express
Co.'S train came out. This left dense
trail of smoke behind, which obscured
everything. 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 Central shaft, and his train
crashed into it, at full speed, without warn
ing.
In the caboose of train 2i5 were Bartlett
and Minnick. Bartlett was hurled through
the side of the shattered caboose and fell
under the locomotive, but escaped with
few cuts on his right arm and several
bruises on his body. Minnick was hurled
under the wrecked caboose, where his dead
body was found this forenoon.
Clapp, engineer of train number 220. was
hurled through one side of the locomotive,
and Frazer, his fireman, through the oppo-
site side. Clapp was badly injured about
the pelvls and severely bruised on the chest
Frazer was pinned under the engine and
his hands fairly cooked in 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. II is expected that he will recover.
Turpeny, head brakeman on train 900.
was crossing from the tender to the first
freight car, when The crash occurred. He
was hurled violently forward into the car,
his head split open and he fell against the
fire box, dead. -
The tunnel was filed to the roof with
the wrecked engine and cars. The train
men unibjured went 10 the aid of those
hurt and removed them to the east portal.
News of the disaster was sent to Fitchburg
and Williamstown by telegraph, and a
wrecking train Immediately started from
the latter place. At North Adams several
doctors were taken aboard. At the scene
OF the accident the wounded men were put
aboard the wIecking train which returned
to North Adams, where the injured were
taken to the hospital.
Who WAS to blame is bard question to
answer. The facts as ascertained are A.
NJ. Crosier is telegraph operator at the east
portal of the tunnel, and ii. w. Hodgkns
a: this end. and between the two, as far as
can be found out, the responsibility
CONTINUED on q page1