The Portland daily press., 1900-11-26
Engine Dcrailed in the Yard at
Salem.
Conductor and Transfer
Man Injured.
Accident Delayed Traffic and
Caused Loss of $4,000

Salem, Mass, November 70 "A mis-
placed switch caused an accident In the
Salem yard of the Boston sndHMsine rail-
road here this morning, which involved a
monetary loss of Is, ,01O or $4,000 and de-
layed treflic for some hours, besides re-
sulting in injuries to the fireman Of the
Bangor Boston Pullman train and TO an
Armstrong transfer agent
An extra freight train from Boston for
the east was standing on the outward
track waiting Tor the Pullman to pass
that it might proceed through the tun-
mel The head brakeman or this freight,
which was in charge of Merrill X, Pray,
conductor, had thrown the cross.oVer
switch, thinking that some cars were 10
be set of for Salem The brakemen'
Whose name is not known here, found the
switch-Iight out. but did not Ielight 1t,
nor did he, wnen he found that no oars
were to be set OIL, reset the switch. Ihls
left the switch set as a cross-over 20 the
track where the extra freight was stand
ing.
duotor, Frank kennard engineer, and
Bert Woods fireman, drew in from the
east on Uine, 8. 10, made It's usual stop in
the Salem depot, and then proceeded on
Its way to Boston. When it reached the
misplaced switch, about half mile from
the station, 1t was going a the rate OF ~
or 10 miles an hour. Inc sWltcn-hgne
being out, and nothing to show that the
switch was set against him, Engineer
Kennard had no warning of the impend-
ing crash until he felt his locomotive, II
mammoth mogul, number o, swerve from
the straight line and plunge full into the
side OF a box car about midway the
length of the extra freight. This was an
Erie railroad car, loaded with cotton
ssed meal. 1t was ripped open like a
pasteboard box, the meal str6wn Tor yarus
around, and the car was finally tipped
over on It's side. The next box car and
the next were also toppied over a ID
smashed. The pilot of the mogul was
wrenched from Its place, the light iron
work along Its left hand side smashed oil
and the cab splintered into bits. Fireman
Woods was just raking down his tire, and
was therefore not struck, as he would
have been had he been on his seat, but
his foot was caught between portions OF
the iron work and badly crushed. Engi-
neer kenn8rd was not injured In the
least, but stuok to his seat throughout
the effair.
Yardmen who witnessed the affair,
rushed toward the wreck, expecting to
find all hands killed, when what was
their surprise to see kennard wave his
hand out of the fragments of the cab and
hear him shout, I'm all right boys;
Nobody killed here"
The mogul was derailed by the glanc-
ing blow 10 struck the freight, and ran
for some yards on the ground and sleep
ers, but was not overturned
Thomas Mailing of Salem, messenger
for the Armstrong Transfer Company,
who was in the rear car when the crash
came, was thrown down and stepped up
on by others and sustained serious In
ternal in juries. william Cromwell, con
ductor Of the Pullman, was also thrown
down and his arm was badly wrenchec.
Several other passengers and the mail
clerks were bruised ana shaken up by be-
ing thrown from their seats and berths.
Several hours were necessary to replace
the rolling stock on the rails and to re-
pair the roadbed, which had been badly
torn up by the accident.