St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-08-24
Railroad Accident.
Seven Passengers Killed, Over Forty Inlur'


Boston, Aug. ga terrible railroad
accident occurred at Sharon on the
Providence division of the New York,
New Haven and Hartford railroad at
I'LL clock last night. Seven passengers
were killed and over 40 injured, some OF
them fatally, and many of them seri-
ously. The cause Of the accident was the
failure Of signal to work properly.
The train from New Bedford, consist
ing of engine us and five cars, ran into
the rear of train of five and engine
from Providence. The New Bedford en-
CINE crashed completely through the
last car of the Providence train, split
ting the car in two pieces. 1t pene-
trated about four feet into the next car.
The shock of the collision was felt
throughout both trains Passengers in
the next to last car of the Providence
train were thrown into pile al the front
of the car.
The collision occurred directly in front
of the Sharon station. There was ter
rife crash, followed by an awful rending
and tearing sound and hiss Of escaping
STEAM mingling with the heartrending
shrieks of the dying passengers. Pushed
onward by the irresistible force Of the
oncoming train the second car Of the
doomed train crunched into the end of
the car in front of 1t, reducing 1t for
several feet into an unrecognizable mass.
The dead are: Franklin M. Waters Of
Somerville; Mrs, William Fitzpatrick
of Boston, Mary Fitzpatrick, 10 years
old, her grand daughter and a grand
son, five years old; woman supposed
to be Mrs. Watson of Westerly; Mrs. C.
II. Briscoe of Revere; Charles II. Frye
of Revere.
The injured are: James H. Fitz-
patrick, 1Syears old, of Boston, Mr. and
Mrs. ]. H. Whitcomb. Boston; Mrs.
James Ray and her mother, Jamaica
Plain; Mr. Crockett, Somervile; Mrs.
Alice Braman, South Boston, Mr.. and
Mrs. Ericsson and child; Daniel c.. Can
tor; D. c. Mccain, South Boston; Fred
Tudor, South Boston; Mr.. and Mrs. ].
Ogden, Lowell: Margaret O'Connor and
two children, Boston; George Quinn,
Providence; Miss Fitzpatrick, years
old, Boston; Mr.. and Mrs. John Gordon,
Boston; c. w. Dadman, Boston: Ida M.
Walker Waltham j. A. Phillips, Bos-
ton; A. E. Newmark, Pittsburg; Joseph
NJ. Mann, Providence; Mrs Della V.
Brennan, South Boston; Marguerite NJ.
Grimshaw Somerville.
After the accident 1t was found that
the block signal protecting the inward
track was set at danger, showing, as it
was intended, that there was train in
the station. There was no warning given
by the conductor of the Mansfield local
to show the engineer of the approaching
train that the track was not clear at the
station, and it was not until he was
within 400 feet of the station that he
noticed anything wrong. He immedi-
ately 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 rear Of the second car. The
escaping steam entered the car and
badly scalded number of the occupants
The roof of the last car was forced on
top Of the engine of the express, and re-
manned there as the only portion of the
car intact.