The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-03-14
Wreck on Central Vermont.

Train No. so over the Central Vermont
railroad, due in Montpelier about three in
the morning, was badly wrecked early last
Monday morning in the cut nearly opposite
Browns mills, and few rods north Of No.
6 bridge over Dog river. A representative
of the WArCHMAN was on the spot before
daylight, and from the trainmen and pas
seng rs was enabled to gather full particu-
lars OF the disaster.
The cause of the wreck was the obstruc-
ton of the track by several huge boulders,
weighing many TONS that had fallen be-
tween the rails. 1t was at first thought that
these had been placed upon the track by
train wreckers but their size and weight
exploded that theory. The passage of the
down express, or OF north'bound freight,
or the warm weather, had probably loos-
ened these boulders, and they fell upon the
track unasssted. The curve is very sharp
at this point, and the engineer of the heavy
express train, rushing down the grade at a
speed OF thirty miles an hour or more, did
not notice the obstruction in time to shut
off steam or apply the air-brake. The loco
motive, mail car and baggage car were
crushed into a shapeless mass and how any
of the men in them escaped instant death is
mystery. Mail sacks, trunks, express
packages, car trucks, twisted rods and CYL
inders, and the wrecks OF the cars, were
piled in one heap on top of what was left of
the locomotive. The mail car was COM
pletely telescoped and crushed, and the
UdRRdRt car IdTtu lltIle DttJ6r.
Patrick G. McKenney of st. Albans, the en-
giueer, was buried under the wreck and in
stantly killed. His body could not be found
until the wrecking crews arrived, when it
was taken TO the undertaking establish
ment of l.. p Gleason & Co. 1t was found
that the back of his head was badly crushed
and death must have been instantaneous.
The body was prepared for burial and sent
to st. Adams ON the ten o'clock train.
William K. Simpson, the fireman, was
pinned under the debris and received seri-
GUS injuries His cries for help brought
willing hands to his assistance and he was
soon extricated. He was carried to the
sleeper at the rear OF the train. where Drs.
Kemp and Chandler, who had been sum-
moned by telephone, dressed his wounds.
His left shoulder was dislocated, hips badly
bruised and burned, and ankles burned with
live Goals from the ire-box. In conyersa-
ton with the WATCHMAN representative he
stated that he was just throwing a shovel
ful OF coal into the hre-box when the crash
came. He heard no cry or sound from the
engineer, and, in his opinion, at the rate of
speed the train was running, 10 was impos-
sible for him to see the obstruction until
they were upon IL. He was so thankful to
be alive that he made light of his serious
injuries.
The baggagemaster was shot through the
roof OF the car and escaped with few
bruises. Mail Clerk W. s. Spaulding was
badly cut about the head and face, hut re-
NAMED at his post until the registered
mail was safe in Conductor Hoye's hands,
when he was taken to Roxbury. The
mail was mostly in the pouches, and but
little, II any, OF 1t was injured. Conductor
" Mike " O'Neil was unhurt.
The coach next the baggage car was
filled with emigrants, many of Them women
and children. The front end OF the car was
badly smashed, and, although the occu-
pants had a tremendous shaking mp and a
close CALL not one OF them was injured.
They were sent north on a special train.
The shock in the sleeping car was so Sc
we're that 1t threw the occupants of the
berths to the floor, but they escaped with a
few bruises. Not more than half dozen
people were in the sleeper.