The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-27
of Freight
Train Collide.
TRACK BLOCKED.
Wreck Proves a Bonanza to
Neighboring Farmers.

An outgoing freight on the Boston
and Albany Railroad from this city
broke and crashed together on the
down-grade just this side of Millbury
junction, early yesterday morning Cat
3.15 o'clock, and scattered four cars all
over the tracks. Fortunately, no one
was injured by the accident, but the
paper train from Boston, which figured
in the accident at Westboro two weeks
ago, barely escaped crashing into the
debris piled up on the tracks.
Traffic was delayed on the road for
over five hours, and then the trains
had to run upon single tracks from this
city to Millbury Junction until late
yesterday afternoon. The owl from
New York. due here at o'clock, was
held here until 1888, and was followed
out by the Mail and Express from the
west which laid over from 6.32. The
o'clock accommodation and the morn
ing milk train from the west were also
held, and followed the others on the
single track. A special train was made
UP and brought the New York papers
here from Springfield
The freight, which is a regular night
train to Boston, was in charge of Con-
ductor j. S. Alexander. 1t broke into
three parts on the up grade, when pass
ing through the ledge this side of Mill
bury Junction, the second section of
the freight headed by an oil tank
fiat car. crashed into the first section,
hurting two cars from the tracks. The
other section came piling upon the cars
and sent two more cars on to the heap,
piling them all over the tracks
Word was Immediately sent to this
city through the telegraph office at
North Grafton, Of the accident, and all
trains were ordered to be held. Despite
the precautIon taken, the morning pa
per train from Boston. due here at 4
O'Clock, came very near figuring in a
more serious accident than that of
two weeks ago at Westboro.
Wreckers from the local and Boston
ends of the road were ordered to the
scene of the accident. The great steam
derrick on the Boston wrecker did very
effective work. but it took four hours
to straighten things out so as to allow
the passage of trains. Henry e. Da-
Wis, foreman of the Boston and Albany
round house, was in charge of the Wor-
cester wreckar. Charles Firth, local
agent of the Boston and Albany, super
intended the work of clearing up the
tracks
Two cars were completely demolished
and the other two were in bad state.
Grain. molasses, tar and oil were
spilled all over the surrounding terri
tory and the nearby farmers reaped a
harvest without the trouble of planting.
One old fellow bought $50 bushels of
grain for eight dollars, and hauled
away his purchase in high glee Others
| didn't have to buy, as the grain was
| scattered everywhere and was a total
loss to the railroad at least.
The tar and oil from the tank were q
menace, and the wrecl1ing crew decided
to set both on fire and allow them to
burn out before they left. What could
| be saved from the wreck was brought
to this city and housed in the B. & A.
| round house. The rolling stock of the
| damaged cars and the great oil tank
We're shipped to Springfield.
| Agent Charles Firth went to West
boro after opening both tracks and
| hauled the car which was thrown off
the track in the accident two weeks
ago. on to the tracks again. Alton
Beers, day telegrapher at the Union
station, was put to work at Millbury
Junction. This compelled Fred F. Full
| ler night operator at Union station. to
work So hours on q stretch. Wrecks are
not welcomed by railroad employees
any more than the officials.
Railroad men on other roads than the
! Boston & Albany ascribe the cause of
the wreck to the non-inspeetion of the
cars as was the rule on the Boston &
Albany years ago. The doing away of
the Inspector of trains which took
| place five years ago, is said to be re-
sponsfble for a good many accidents on
the B. & A. The other roads cente1ing
in Worcester still have a force of in
| spectors whose duty it is to thoroughly
| inspect each train before it leaves the
yard.