Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-07-23
Terrible Accident !
"Dunn's Crossing" Near POwnal
the Scene.

on the Fitchburg tracks, one of those
most terrible of all fatalities-a railroad
crossing disaster. AS a result, four
young men of North Adams out for a
Sabbath ride were all with the excep-
ton of one who breathed few minutes
after the accidenO instantly killed A;
one Of he two horses killed, and the
dou,,".s, ated carriage in which the
party Was driving literally knocked and
ground into klndling wood. The young
mems names were Jerry Trudeau, Oil
yer Dudley, Edward Rogue and Edward
Cbaput.
Not since the terrible disaster at South
bridge, near Worcester, on Thanksgiv-
ing day, when a barge full of football
players, including two Williams College
players, was struck by train on the N.
Y. Il n. b. tracks and four killed, has
there been so fatal and terrible railroad
killing as that in Pownal Sunday. In
the instantaneousness of the resulting
death aud in the completeness of the
wreck, this accident hardly has paral-
lei in the records of railroad fatalities.
The accident occurred on the party S
return at what is known as Dunn S
crossing, about mile east of POwnal,
just at the end of the iron bridge. The
road there twice crosses the tracks,
the crossings being only forty or
fifty rods apart. 1t is an extremely
dangerous place, in what is known as
the cut. Trees and bushes would shut
out any view of approaching trains if
curves did not, as they do. The first
crossing as one drives from Pownal is
not extremely bad, although the road
crosses the track diagOnally and the
trees cut off clear view of approaching
trains. But the second crossing near
the bridge has in every particular the
proper conditions for railroad slaugh-
ter pen. 1t is just at the end of rail
road bridge that obstructs the view and
at the ends of this bridge the tracks take
a sharp curve that prevents any possible
view for more than few rods even if
the bridge were not there. More than
this the tracks are little higher than
the wagon road. neCessitating a grade,
and the road and the tracks cross each
other diagonaly.
SO dangerous, in fact, is this crossing
that the Fitchburg company a few years
ago las was said and is believed by a
number of Pownal citizens, at least),
bought up the roadway that goes over
these two crossings, and new road
above, by which the crossings could be
avoided, was built by the Pownal author
tiles in conjunction with the railroad
company. Accordingly, anyone using
the highway where the accident occurred
must do so at his own risk. 1t is not a
public way, although some legal techni-
cality prevents its being clOsed-it is
said, because of the property rights
along it,
ONE RISKY CROSSING MADE.
The party had reached the first cross.
ing on the return from POwnal, when
they noticed a freight train coming from
the west. 1t was close upon them and
the engineer whistled danger. Either
because they did not realize the closeness
of the coming train, or out of spirit of
fOOlhardiness, the driver whipped up the
horses and dashed across the crossing
only few yards ahead of the freight.
This was taking chances, and showed
that the young men were not over eau
tious. The next crossing was about fifty
rods beyond, and before they reached it
the freight train Numbered past them,
and the horses were allowed to 90 slow
between the crossings, so the freight
might have time to pass by the time the
second crossing was reached.
WARNING GIVEN THE MEN.
AS the freight train passed the car
riage which was now between the two
crossings, the engineer, aware of the ex-
press train that was coming from the
East on the other track and which could
not possibly be seen nor heard by those
in the carriage, whistled a warning and
frantically motioned, as Mrs. HARDWOOD
says (who lives at this pOint) trying to
show the men their danger.
But the driver kept on. The freight
had not yet passed the second crossing
when the carriage came up. According
ly it stopped very near the track until
the freight should pass and they could
cross. This east-bound freight upon
which their whole attention was fixed
was on the track nearest them.
No sooner had the freight caboose
cleared the crossing than the driver, Ed
ward Chaput, started up the horses.
The horses were already on the first
track. A second later, Prindle, cripple
as he was, jumped from the car
rage between the tracks, leaving his
four fated companions in the wagon. He
did not see or hear the coming express.
He only knew that there was danger and
jumped instinctively. No man ever had
a narrower escape.
THE AWFUL CRASH.
Pnndle had but just touched the
ground when the forward wheels of the
carriage crossed the second track and
the awful crash came. Out from the
bridge hidden from sight by the freight,
and its warning rumble drowned by this
same train that was yet only a few feet
away, came the express due at POwnal
at 3.Ol, and which leaves North Adams
at 2.39 on Sundays only. Like a huge
bolt 1t struck the forward wheels of the
loaded vehicle. In a twinkling the car
riage was ground and broken into kind
ling wood and twisted bits of iron, its
four occupants were hurled high in the
air before the engine and fell bruised
and bleeding and lifeless to the left side
of the track, some thirty or forty feet
beyond. The horse nearest the engine
was lifted fully as high as the telegraph
poles and fell mangled and dead on the
north side of the track, fifty feet from
the crossing, while its mate because of
the diagonal track and being a step in
advance, escaped with hardly bruise.
Two of the men had been thrown clear
outside the first track, and one of these