The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-07-18
TRAINS COME TOGETHER
BIG CRASH IN THE CUT UNDER
FAIR STREET BRIDGE.

Misplaced Switch Causes the Co1omia
Express and Outgoing Air Lime Train
to CoIlido-No One Seriously Injured
One Car MISREPRESENTATION Mort.
nrty to Blame for Accident.
| A bad railroad accident occurred yes
terday afternoon just before / o'clock
| in the cut under the Fair street bridge,
in fact it was one Of the most serious
collisions that has taken place in this
city in several years.
| A switch was misplaced by a switch
man named Moriarity, causing a terri
Bile crash between the Colonial express,
drawn by engine PSI, and a train on the
| Air Line, bound for Willimantic. En-
CINE No. 131 was drawing the outgoing
| train. The Colonial express is one of the
fastest trains on the road and is due to
leave this city for Washington at 1906
y. m.
The signals were set for clear tracks
land of course each train had the right
| of way. The Colonial was coming in on
the south track at rapid rate and the
outgoing train was going at about fif-
teen miles an hour.
If the switch had been properly
thrown the Air Line train would have
drawn out on the next track, but as 1t
was 1t was shunted head on to the same
iron that bore the Colonial, the result
being that the Air Line train swung into
the express, smashing both engines and
completely wrecking the forward end of
the baggage car on the incoming train.
The crews of both engines stuck to
their posts until the last minute and
fortunately nobody was seriously in
jured. Frank Evans, who was going
from coach to the smoker on the Col
onial at the time of the accident was
thrown violently against the smoking
car door and received painful bruises on
his arms. The injury was not serious
one. Mr.. Evans is travelling for the
California Wine association. There was
considerable confusion among the pas
sengers of both trains, who thought a
serious accident had taken place. Sew
eral We're thrown forward with no little
force, but no injuries were reported. The
men in the baggage cars were exposed
to the greatest danger, but their agility
saved them from injury. Both engines
were battered up considerable the en-
CINE on the Colonial getting the worst
of It,
The head and boiler shell were knock
ed III and other parts were bent and
broken. The engine drawing the Air
Line train was not seriously damaged.
The forward truck left the rails and a
slight dent was made in the boiler,
otherwise it escaped uninjured The
wrecking train was soon on the spot and
pulled the telescoped parts asunder. The
derailed cars were set on the tracks and
just at o'clock a clear passage was
made.
Three trains were blocked by the ac-
cident from the north and two from the
south. The crew of the Colonial engine
Of Engineer Mclean and Fire
man John Conroy. C. l.. Smith was |
conductor of the train. The Air Line |
train was in charge Of Conductor
Bachelor and In the engine were Philip |
Cheney, engineer, and Ernest Blondin, |
fireman..
Switchman Moriarity, as soon as the
crash took place, reported at police
headquarters and said he couldn't un-
lerstaud how he came to make the mis-
take. He has been employed by. the
road for thirty years and served both
and carefully during that pe-
'iod