, 1898-08-22
G. w. Dadman, Boston.
Mrs. Ida M. Walker, Waltham.
J. A. Philips, Boston.
A., E, NeWmark, Pittsburg.

Mrs. Ida M. Walker, Waltham.
J. A. Philips, Boston.
A. E. Newmark, P%ittsburg.
Joseph NJ. Mann, Providence.
Mrs. Della V. Brennan, South Boston
Marguerite NJ. Grimshaw, Somervill
The two trains which were in tn,
collision were usually combined int
one long train, but as the traffic toda,
was so heavy, it was divided, the frs
section running as a local accommoda
tion, while The second, which startet
from Mansfield Is minutes later thar
the first, ram as an express. The loca
ftran, due at Sharon at 1902, was l:
minutes late. It left Mansfield on time
making two stops, and had lost IL
minutes between Mansfi Id and Sharon
1t was due at Canton Junction, the
next station beyond Sharon, two min
utes ahead of the express train, which
should have passed it there. Sharon is
situated on a curve and both the out
ward and inward tracks are protected
by electric block signals.
After the accident it was thought the
block signals protecting the inward
track were set at danger, showing as il
was intended. that there was a train in
the station.
There was no warning given by the
conductor of the Mansfield local to
SHOW h approaching train that the
track was not clear at the station. and
1t was no ntil he was within 300 feet
OF the station that the engineer of the
express noticed anything wrong. He
Immediately set all brakes and whistled
the warning, but it was too late to stop
the express. 1t crashed into the rear
car, splitting it asunder and completely
demolishing it with the exception of
the roof. Its speed was not slackened
until the engine had penetrated fully
five feet into the real OF the second car.
The escaping steam entered the car and
badly scalded the occupants. The roof
OF the last car vas forced on top Of the
|engine Of the express and remained
there as the only portion of the car
Intact.
Engineer Getchell and Fireman
Holmes, of the express train, both
jumped. Getchell was cut and bruised
about the head. He stated after the
accident that he left Mansfield prompt
ly on time and there was no incident
until he was within 400 feet of the
Mansfield train. Then he saw the red
lights Of that train and shut off steam.
Meanwhile he had whistled for brakes
and used every effort to stop his train.
Every n OF the killed and injured
were of the Mansfield train and the
only explanation Of the fact that the
number of fatalities is not larger is
that the passengers We're all in the for
ward end of the car. in the act of aligtl
ing at the station. There are about 30
people in the last car and most of them
at the time Of the accident were either
upon the front platform or standing by
the door.
Mary Fitzpatrick, 10 years old, was
taken from the wreck unconscious and
died just as the special train bearing
the injured started for Boston. TWEEN
ty-two OF the injured were taken on
this train and four others whose names
they refuse to disclose, remained in
Sharon.
The scene about the little station Of
Sharon was a terrible one. A large
corps OF surgeons and two undertakers
arrived oon after the accident and i'm
mediately set to work to relieve the
sufferings and care for the bodies of
the dead. There were very few lights
about that portion OF the track where
the accident occurred. and the surgeons
were compelled to do their work in
almost total darkness.
Daniel C. McCann, an express mes
senger on the New Bradford train, had
his right hand and ann badly lacerated
and his right knee painfully injured in
extracting a man who was pinned be-
tween the engines head plate and the
flooring Of the t%elescoped car. Just in
front OF the prisoner lay his wife,
crushed and bleeding, and he was I'M
able to move hand or foot to help her.
The woman died in a few minutes.
Steam vas raising as in a Turkish
bath. The heat from the escaping steam
WAS intense.
Mr.. Mccain said that many people
were slightly burned, though, in their
heroic endeavors to assist the injured,
the workers did not NOTICE 1t.