The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-08-22
SEVEN PEOPLE KILLED
And Twenty-six Seriously Injured
in Railroad Smash.
ENGINE PLUNGED THROUGH A CAR

But For the Fact That the Passengers
Were Allghting at the sharon sta
tion the Loss of Life Would Have
Been More Terrible.
Sharon, Mass, Aug ga frightful
rear end collision occurred in the Shar-
on station of the New York, New Ha-
ven and Hartford railroad at 1880 last
night when an express train which
was running as the second section of
long train crashed into the first section,
composed of local cars.
AS a result seven persons were killed
and 26 seriously injured. The injured
were nearly all removed to Boston on
special train which was met by ambu-
lances and surgeons. The rear car of
the local train was completely demol-
ished and a portion of the second car
while the engine of the express train
was crippled The dead are: Franklin
M. Waters, Somersville, Mass; Mrs.
William j. Fitzpatrick Boston, her
granddaughter, Mary Fitzpatrick, 10
years of age and her grandson, 5 years
old; a woman supposed to be Mrs.
Watson, of Westerly, r. l.; Mrs c. II.
we're, Mass, died after being taken to
the hospital in Boston.
The two trains which were in the col
lision were usually combined into one
long train, but as the traffic yesterday
was so heavy it was divided the first
section running as a local accommoda-
tion, while the second, which started
from Mansfield 10 minutes later than
the first. ran as an express. The local
train due at Sharon at 1902, was 1S
minutes late. 1t left Mansfield on time,
| making two stops, and had lost the 1S
minutes between Mansfield and Sharon.
It was due in Canton junction, the next
| station beyond Sharon, two minutes
! ahead of the express train, which
| should have passed it there.
Sharon is situated on curve, and
| both the outward and inward tracks
are protected by electric block signals
After the accident it was thought 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 Mans
| field local to snow 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
| the engineer of the express noticed any
| thing wrong. He Immediately set all
brakes and whstled 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 Stacked until the engine
had penetrated fully five feet into the
rear of the second car. The escaping
steam entered the car and badly scald
ed a number of the occupants. The
roof of the last car was forced on tor
of the engine of the express, and re.
manned there as the only portion Of
the car intact
Engineer Getchell and Fireman
Holmes, of the express, both jumped
when they saw that a collision was un
aVoidable. Getchell was cut and bruis
ed about the head.
Every one of the killed and injured
was on the Mansfield train, and tn,
only explanation of the fact that tn,
number of fatalities is not larger i.
that the passengers were all in the for
ward part Of the car in the act o.
alighting. There We're about 300 peopl
in the last car and most of them at tn,
time of the accident were either upoI
the front platform or standing by tn,
door.