The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-12
A MIGHTY CRASH.
Coal Dumps Forced
Through the Big
Mill Walls.
WOMEN TAINTED.
Runaway Cars Cause Havoc
at II. N. Skaters East
Webster Factories.


They are getting all that is coming to
them, and from appearances a great
deal more than is due them. Mr.. Slater
as mill owner, and the Boston and AL
bany road as corporation, suffered
quite a loss as the result of another ac-
cident this forenoon.
A freight train was switching on a
spur track in the mill yard of H. N.
Skaters print and bleachery works at
East Webster, when a detachment of
three cars got separated from the main
train and started down sliding tow
ard the mill.
The sliding was the terminus of the
track, and was down grade to quite an
angle. The brakeman vainly attempt
ed to check the increasing speed of the
runaway cars, but his efforts did no
good.
The cars gained momentum at every
revolution of the wheels, and when the
brakeman saw he could do no more he
did the next thing and quickly got off
the cars. Had he stayed on them he
probably would have been badly in
jured.
The train smashed through a gate
that had been erected several yards
from the mill and into a set of wooden
bumpers. The bumpers might just as
we'll have been elsewhere, for the i'm
petus of the train sent the cars through
the Is inches of hard wood as easily as
q circus rider jumps through a paper
hoop, and with a fearful crash struck
the brick wall of the mill, tearing a
hole through it, where a car expend-
ed it's force on the boilers.
There is a distance of about ten feet
from where the track ends to the
wall of the mill. The force and speed
of the cars must have been terrific to
plunge the car through the bumpers
straight into the air, for nearly dozen
feet, and then through a thick brick
and stone wall.
The car is now tightly wedged be-
tween the walls and partially rests on
the boilers. The stone foundation OF
the building holds the car snugly sus-
pended in mid air
In this part of the building are three
boilers The floor above is where the
goods receive their final touches. II
is the finishing room. Although the
plant suspended operation a couple OF
days ago for an indefinite period, q
few are still employed in getting goods
ready to be shipped away. When the
cars struck the building it made a ter
rife noise and Jared this portion OF
the mill considerably. The jar was Sc
severe that it. caused Miss Nellie Raj
ter and Miss Jennie Baker, who were
working in the room above, to faint
from sheer fright
The shock was a severe one and shooI
the building to its foundations The
inmates were startled considerably. Tht
young ladies were not injured but faint.
ed on account of being frightened. The
accident caused considerable excite
ment in the vicinity of East Webster
and during the day number managed
to get through the gates and visit the
scene of the accident. The damage in
Cured is estimated at $1,000.
Stephen ]. Makowslxi, who is il
Arecibo, Puerto Rico, with troop q, 5tl
cavalry, has written to his brother
John w. Makowski, an interesting let.
ter He also sent him half a dozen pic.
lures of himself in full uniform.
The annual meeting of the Firemen'!
Relief Association was held in Fire
mems hall last night. and a good at
tendance was reported. Louis E. Pat
tison, chief of the fire department, wa.
elected chairman, and John r. Har
tAIA n iAN llheti1lldl ItDOlL SlOM6u
prosperous condition. There was OF
hand in the treasury May 1, 1899
S1208.S5
These officers were elected to serv,
! the ensuing year: President, Louis e
Pattison; vice president, Henry ]
King; secretary John r. Hart; auai
tors, Elmoine d. Clemans, James Heth
erman and Jacob Haymann; directors
James Newman, John ]. Kelly, Chas
/ low CTr,,. ]
H. Steinberg; committee on resources
Henry J. King, Prosper Steele anC
Frank Forand; committee on relief
Martin Bellmore, P. J. Sweeney anC
Louis Bellmore; committee to arrang,
for coming muster next fall, Chief Pat
tison, James Newman, John J. Kelly
Charles Haymann, Martin Donald, H
]. King, E. w. Tourtellotte and H. H
| Steinberg.
Charles L. Sholta, last years cap
tain of the Grafton base ball team
and a clever all-around man with tn,
ball. commenced work this morning a,
bartender at Hotel Dewitt
The French fair opens in the st. JeaI
Baptiste hall next Saturday night, anC
| will continue a week.
The scholars of the high school will
debate this question tomorrow night a
Hedulu teIS' Iesp-~-eu, ludJ bicycle;
should be taxed in Webster"
| The students will combine in render.
| ing a miscellaneous entertainment dur.
! ing the evening.
The Ladies' Aid of the Methodist
church held their regular monthly
meeting in the church parlors this af.
ternoon. AT 6 o'clock a bean supper
was served in the vestry, which Wa.
| followed by a pleasing entertainment.
The rain this afternoon was just wha,
| William Smith of Oxford. who is fixing
the base ball grounds at Beacon park
wanted.
Work will soon be started in maeac-
amizing Mechanics street. say the local
board of selectmen.
superintendent John Flint of the
electric road has got the gravel car re
Gently purchased from the Worcester
Consolidated into fine shape. The car