Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-12-11
BRATTLEBORO MEN KILLED
In Railroad Wreck Near Ea-
gleville, Conn.

Otis Hail, Engineer, Benjamin Hall,
FiremanI and Warren Thomas, Brake
man, the Victims---BOIIer Explosion
the Cause of the Accident.
Three Brattleboro railroad men were
killed Friday night about 1880 in wreck
near Eagleville, Conn, on the New Lon
don Northern division of the Central Yer
mont railroad. The victims were Otis
Hall, the well known engineer; his young
er bl ether, Benjamin Hall, fireman; and
Warren Thomas, head brakeman, who
came here recently from Gouveneur, N.
Y. The New York express freight, sched-
uled to leave here at IL: 10 A. NJ, was over
an houl late in starting. The train con-
sisted of Fl cars hauled by engine No. 155.
The train crew consisted of G. Frank
Thomas, conductor, the three men who
were killed and rear brakeman. The
train being late 1t was running fast to
make up time and, near Eagleville, it di-
vided into two sections. On the rear sec
ton were Conductor Thomas and the rear
brakeman. The front section coasted
along to keep clear of the oncoming cars
and was about a mile ahead when an ex-
plosion of the boiler occurred. The en-
CINE kept on the track, however, a dis
lance of about 200 feet before it got caught
in the ties and TUNED a somersault down
15-foot embankment. Engineer Hall was
thrown from the engine when the explo-
sion took place and was found beside the
track badly manged. His right arm
and leg were broken and he was badly
scalded by the hot water from the boiler,
He was alive when found. but died half an
hour later in Mansfield, where he was car
ried, without regaining consciousness. Fire
man Hall remained on the engine until it
turned over down the bank, when he was
thrown so feet ahead of it on the track,
striking on his head. He was instantly
killed.
Brakeman Thomas was probably on top
of the fifth car, which jumped entirely
over the four cars in front of it. He was
found near the wreck of the engine with
his skull crushed. Twelve cars were piled
up and were so badly wrecked that they
were rolled down the bank to be unloaded
and burned. Fragments of the crate and
other parts of the engine, including the
headlight, were scattered in the fields
distance of 100 yards from the point where
the explosion is supposed to have occurred.
What caused the explosion will prob
ably never be known. The engine
was in good condition and had been in use
but about 10 years. 1t had just come
from the repair shop, but that fact, in the
opinion of train men, cannot be consider
ed as impairing its strength. 1t is sup
posed that there was plenty of water in
the boiler, so that the cause cannot be at
tributed to carelessness on the part of the
engineer. The most plausible theory is
that the steam gauge, which was set to
blow off at 40 pounds pressure, failed to
work and that the stay bolts holding the
boiler plates together were weak and gave
way under the extra heavy pressure of
steam. Two carloads of cattle were left
at Brattleboro, another at Palmer, and
fourth, containing ~ head, was wrecked.
Singularly, only two of the animals were
killed. The bodies of the dead men were
taken to Mansfield depot and brought to
Brattleboro on the l o'clock train Satur-
day afternoon.
Otis H. Hall was A years old and leaves
a widow and two children. He was an eff
ficient engineer and commanded the re-
spect of train men everywhere. He was
member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers, in which organization he was
insured for $500. He was a member of
Wantastiquet lodge of Odd Fellows of
Brattleboro, and was insured for $3.50 in
the Odd Fellows Fraternal Accident asso-
citation. He also held a policy for $1,000
in the New York Life which he decided to
discontinue only one day before his death.
He was persuaded to pay the premium,
however, which was the second premium
paid. He was not a member of the Pill
grim Fathers as has been said. He leaves
parents in Walpole, n. H., where he was a
carpenter before coming here, and has
brother in Amherst, one in Dummerston,
a sister in Walpole and three sisters in
Marlboro, N. II. These were the first
deaths that had occurred in the family.
Benjamin Hall was a single man, %
years of age, and came here to work about
three years ago. He boarded with Con-
ductor Thomas and Brakeman Thomas at
Mrs. Sophia Stark's on Grove street. Mrs.
Stark formerly lived in MILESTONE block,
but moved to Grove street soon after the
Milestone fire.
The funeral of the Hall brothers was
held at the Universalist church at $50
o'clock Monday morning, Rev. Mr.. Davis,
who is supplying at the Universalist church
during Rev. Mr.. Maxwell's absence, and
Rev. c. o. Day officiating. The church
was packed full, the Odd Fellows and Re-
bekahs attending in body. Miss Lenna
Thomas and Frank Brasor sang. The
bodies were taken to Walpole on the IL 10
train, for burial. A delegation of Odd
Fellows and Rebekahs went with the bod
les to Walpole, and services were held
there in the Unitarian church.
Warren Thomas was about As years old
and had a wife and two children in st. AL
bans. He had been employed here but a
short time. He was member of the
lodge of Odd Fellows at Gouveneur, N. Y,
where the body was taken on the night
train Sunday. The funeral was held