The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-07-27
ACCIDENT AT THE DEPOT
EMPTY COACH CRASHED THROUGH
THE VEST END.
A Car Being s'Thown In" Had Too Much
Speed, Jumped the Bumpers and
Pierced the Building Going Almost
the Length Of the Adams Express Conn
pany's ROom-NobOdy Hurt.

A bad accident occurred at the Union
depot last night about s o'clock that
caused considerable damage to proper
ty. Car No. 40 of the New York, New
Haven and Hartford railroad crashed
through the west end of the depot and
did not stop until it had gone nearly
the length of the Adams Express stor-
age room at that end of the building.
The car, which was empty, was being
thrown in on the tracks used mostly
by the Naugatuck division trains, and
evidently the engineer on the switch
engine miscalculated his distance, for
instead Of coming in slowly the car was
sent along the rails at a rapid rate.
There was no brakeman on the car, and
if there had been the accident would
never have occurred. The small iron
bumper at the end of either rail stop
ped the speed of the coach but little,
for the wheels jumped these, ran up on
the tar walk and crashed through the
end Of the depot as though 1t was made
of paper. An immense hole, about
twenty-five feet square, was made by
the car
path of the car nor no one in the room
of the Adams Express near where the
car came through, as the flying boards
might have caused injury to persons
had they been In the immediate vicir-
ity. In the path of the car were five of
the Adams Express company's big hand
trucks used for carrying trunks, boxes,
etc, and these were jammed one on top
of the other and smashed to kindling
wood There was but little damage to
freight.
Shortly after the accident occurred
the wreeking train arrived on the scene,
but the big derricks We're Of no use, as
the car could not be reached by them.
The switch engine was then summoned
and car was coupled on to tn ewreck-
ed car, the switch engine being at the
other end of this car After consider
able tugging the wrecked car was pull
ed from it's stall In the depot, over the
walk and as near to the tracks as pos
sible. The wheels cut deep tracks ins
the tar walk and buried themselves a
foot in the dirt at the end of the tracks.
A crew Of eight from the wrecking train
shovelled the dirt from the wheels and
made them as free as possible. One Of
the larger engines then pulled the car
over the ties to level ground, and after
working about half an hour with hand
Jacks it was lifted on the tracks.
The iron ratings and brake post and
nearly all the iron work on the end of
the car were badly twisted, the wood
work was torn and one of the rear win
dows was smashed. Seven windows on
one side of the car were also broken.
The end of the building was a sorry
sight after the car was pulled out. The
hole looked like an immense open door
and great many boards were torn off.
A pile of debris six feet high was swept
together after the wreck.
1t will be remembered that about two
years ago an accident occurred similar
to that of last night. 1t was caused in
the same manner and shortly after that
accident a rule was made forbidding en-
gineers to throw In" cars, as they had
been doing up to that time. They are
supposed to take the car or cars in the
entire way with their engine and not
leave them until the train comes to a
stop. The engineer last night did not
heed this rule and the accident was the
result A crowd of nearly one hundred
gathered at the depot to view the
wreck.