Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-09-19
SIX KILLED IN WRECK
Collision Of Trains on the New
York. New Haven and
Hartford Line.
Freight Crashes Into an Express
Train While Approaching
"crcss.Over" Switch.
Smoker and One Other Passen.
ger Coach Turned Over.
Many Injured.

Il
not properly set brought passenger
express and a heavy freight train to-
gether, with the resultant deaths of six
passengers on the express train and in
juries to twenty-five others yesterday
afternoon on the line of the New York
New Haven & Hartford railroad, at
Avon. The express left Boston at 1908 p,
m. and 1t was running forty miles an
hour at the time Of the accident. OF the
six persons who were killed, but four
have been identified. They are:
Everett Joyce of Brockton, shoe
manufacturer.
Gustavus Hay. Jr., lawyer. OF Bos-
ton.
Miss NJ. w. Tonkin, of Oil City. Pa,
a student at Howard seminary, Bridge
water.
William j. coughlin. Lowell. real es-
tate dealer Of Boston.
The two unidentified bodies are those
of women.
Seriously injured:
Frank Kermayer, legs broken. badly
bruised.
Orvis Randall, unconscious
r. H. Woodland. arm broken and
head badly cut.
G. S. Rowland, shoulder hurt. head
cut and side bruised, internal injuries
feared.
Miss Ellen w. Ham, horribly bruised
about the head and chest.
j. S. Mann. conclusion of brain.
Frank NJ. Halfway, badly bruised.
The bodies were taken Immediately
to freight house near by where they
were viewed by the medical examiner.
OF the twenty-five injured those most
seriously hurt were taken to the Brock
ton hospital on special train.
The accident occurred about 1000 feet
above the Avon station. between two
stretches of thicket and by the side of
q steep embankment. The express was
one minute behind time at Avon at 1877.
A freight train of thirty cars laden
with granite. coal and gravel had Just
made up a siding and was proceeding
south in the same direction as the ex-
press. Engineer Sheldon of the freight
train figured that he had four minutes
down.
One of his trains crew had set the
switch of cross over" in such a man
ner that when the freight engine struck
1t, it was turned on to the main track.
Engineer Sheldon did not notice this
switch quickly enough to enable him to
stop his train. and before he realized 1t
the express dashed past on the other
track.
The engine of the express and the
baggage car succeeded In getting by
train. but the second car of the train,
train, but the escond car of the train,
the smoker, was struck squarely in the
middle and turned over. being thrown
down the steep embankment landing on
its side in the mud. The third car Of the
train, a passenger coach, was dragged
over by the force of the compact and
likewise landed on its side in the ditch.
The last car on the train stayed on the
track.
The collision came with such sudden
ness that the passengers in the three
cars were thrown upon their sides. |
many passengers fell upon each other
and those underneath were forced thru
the windows into the mud beneath.
The broken seats and the heavy
pieces Of timber pinned them down.
Many were forced thru the window by
the sudden shock. The cylinder on the |
right side of the freight engine was torn
off and escaping steam added to the
horror. The noise caused by the acct
dent attracted crowd Immediately and
it was only short time before hun
dreds were assisting in the work Of res
cue.
All those who were killed outright
seemed to be in the third car, while
most Of those who We're injured were
in the car which was struck by the en-
pina