The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-22

fedr-end COLLISION occurred IN the
Sharon station of the New York, New
Haven & Hartford railroad at 1880
o'clock tonight, when an express train,
which was running as the second sec
ticn of a long train, crashed into the
first section, composed of local cars.
AS result. six persons were killed
and 26 seriously injured. The injured
were nearly all removed to Boston on
a special train, which was met by am
balances and surgeons. The rear car of
the local train was completely demol-
ished, and q portion of the second car,
while the engine of the express train
was crippled.
The dead are: Franklin NJ Waters.
SOmerville. Mass: Mrs. w. ]. FitzDat-
rick, Boston; her granddaughter, Mary
Fitzpatrick, a 10-year-old girl, and her
grandson, 10 years old; a woman sup
posed 10 be Mrs. Watson of Westerly,
R. l.; Mrs. II. c. Briscoe, Revere.
The injured: James II. Fitzpatrick,
Is years old, Boston; ]. H. Whitcomb,
Boston; Mrs. ]. H. Whitcomb. Boston;
! Mrs. James Ray and her aged mother
Jamaica Plains: Mr.. Crockett, Somer-
/ vile, Mass; Mrs. Alice Braman, South
! Boston: Mr.. and Mrs Ericsson and
| child; Daniel c. Cantor, d. G. Mccain,
South Boston; Fred Tudor, South BoS-
! ton; j. Ogden, Lowell; Mrs. j. Ogden.
Lowell. Mrs. Maggie O'Conner ind two
| children; George Quinn, Providence;
Miss Fitzpatrick, Boston, s years old;
! Mir. and Mrs. John Gordon, Boston; c.
/ W. DaGman. Boston; Mrs. Ida NJ
/ Walker, Waltham; ]. A Philips, Bos-
/ ton; A. E. Newmark, Pittsburg; Joseph
NJ. Mann. Providence; Mrs. Della V.
/ Brennan, South Boston; Marguerite NJ.
( Grimshaw, Somerville.
HOW IT OCCURRED.
The two trains which were in the col
( lision were usually combined into one
long train, but as the traffic today was
+ so heavy it was divided, the first sec
ton running as local accommodation
while the second, which started from
Mansfield Il minutes later than the
first, ran as an express. The local
train due at Sharon at 1902 was Is
minutes late. 1t left Mansfield on time.
making two stops, and had lost the Is
minutes between Mansfield and Sharon
II was due in Canton Junction, the next
station beyond Sharon, two minutes
ahead OF the express train, which
I should have passed it there. Sharon
IS situated on curve, and both the
outward and inward tracks are pro-
tected by electric block signals After
the accident it was thought the block
signal protecting the inward track was
.
tended, that there was a train in the
station.
There was no warning given by the
conductor of the Mansfield local to
show the approaching express train
that the track was not clear a the sta
/ ton. and it was not until he was with
II 800 feet OF the station that the en-
gineer of the express noticed anything
wrong. He Immediately set all brakes
and wh1stled warning, but it was too
late to stop the express. 1t crashed
into rear car, splitting it asunder and
completely demolishing it with the ex-
ception of the roof. Its speed was not
slackened until the engine had pene-
trated fully five feet into the rear of
the second car The escaping steam
entered the car and badly scaIded a
number Of the occupants. The roof
of the last car was forced on top of
the engine of the express, and remained
there as the only portion of the car in
tact.
Engineer Getchen 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 one of the killed and injured
was on the Mansfield train and the
only explanation of the fact that the
number of fatalities is not larger is that
the passengers were all in the forward
end of the car, in the act of ahghting
at the station. There were 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. Twenty
two of the injured were taken on this
train, and four others whose names
they refuse to disclose,t remained in
Sharon.
The scene about the little station at
Sharon was a terrible one. A large
corps of surgeons and two undertakerS
arrived soon after the accident and
Immediately set to work to relieve the
suffering and care for the bodies of the
dead. There were very few lights about
that portion of the track where the &C
cident ccurred, and the surgeons were
compelled to do their work in almost
total darkness.
ARRIVED AT BOSTON.
Boston, Aug. Fifteen ambulances
waited the arrival of the train at the
Park Square station which brought the
injured from the scene of the wreck
A great crowd had assembled and a
force of policemen were necessary TO
keep them from crowding on to the
tracks.
Lined up on the platform were IA
stretchers, while so hospital attendants
and a number of surgeons were on
hand. Quite a number of the patients
were taken in charge, but the greater
number were taken to their homes
Daniel c.. Mccain, an express mes
senger on the New Bedford train, had
his right hand and arm badly lacerat-
ed and his right knee painfully injured
in extricating a man who was pinned
between the engines headplate and the
l