New-York tribune., 1901-09-19
SIX KILLED IN A WRECK.
FREIGHT AND EXPRESS COLLIDE ON
NEW-HAVEN ROAD.

AND COI-LiDI- O-'
NEw-HAvEN ROAD.
Brockton Mass, Sept. 1S-A switch not prop
erly set brought a passenger express and
heavy freight train together this afternoon, re-
sulting In the death of six passengers on the
express train and injuries to twenty-five others.
The accident occurred the main line of the
New-York. New Haven and Hartford Railroad
at Avon. The express left Boston at los p M,
and was running forty miles an hour at the
time of the accident. OF the six persons who
were killed but four have been identified. and
these
COUGHLIN. William j.. Of Lowell. real estate dealer In
HAY Gustavus. jr lawyer Of Boston.
JOYCE Everett of Brockton. of Joyce Fletcher shoe
manufacturers
ToNKIN. Miss NJ W.. OF Oil City. Penn. student at
Howard Seminary, Bridgewater.
The two Unidentified bodies are those o.
women, one quite elderly, very large in hgure'
apparently sixty years of age, dressed in black.
hair gray. The other appeared to be about
TIVE eight years old, with light hair, evil
IDENTIFY a Swede. She pink waist and
brown skirt and on her fingers were three
rings.
The bodies were taken Immediately to
freight house near by, where they were viewed
by the medical examiner. OF the twenty-five
injured, the most seriously hurt were taken to
the Brockton Hospital on a special train. These
BAKER Seth ". of West Dennis; injury head
BARNETT. Miss Emma. of Chelsea; back hurt badly
his left side; also left leg.
CHEsSMAN. ]. Albert, waltham four ribs broken;
broken; lung penetrated.
CUsHMAN A. W. of Provincetown. CONDUCTOR fracture
left collar bone.
DAVIS. Arthur F.. of Chicago back severely injured;
probably fatally.
KERMAYER. Frank. of Brdgewater; right cheek cut;
lat
ROWLAND. c. s. of Elmwood; shoulder. side
internal injuries feared.
LORD. Ethel Brockton: injury of head.
PItJARD ]. AL. of Dorchester; left knee hurt
ROGERS Elisha. East Boston; bruised shoulder and
WOODLAND r. H.. of Brdgewater; flesh wound left
hand: upper lip cut.
MLLET. George NJ Brockton: clavicle fractured
MGREGOR Charles c. of Middleboro; fracture of left
leg; collar bone broken ribs broken.
KBIMER tSasFa Miss Annie NJ Of MddeOOro' three ribs
KELLEY, Charles w. of Providence: broken
internally injured.
NoEBE. Shere all ribs Of right side broken
MANN B. r.. of New-York city; right broken.
JACKSON. A r.. of Worcester both legs
injured internally.
BALDWIN. Miss Helena, Middleboro: tract
ured; serious shock; in comatose state
There a number of prominent Brockton
people on the train, most of whom in
jured. but were able to go to their homes
The accident occurred about one thousand feet
apoNS lIic +NNoll SldlloH, DclNtei TWO SlretcneS
of thicket and by the side of "A steep embank-
ment. The LOS express in charge of A. w
Cushman, conductor, and Lewis Tyrrell. engi-
neer, due in BrOckton :43, and was one
minute behind time at Avon, at 1:3II.
A freight train of thirty cars. laden with
granite, coal and gravel. had just been made
up on siding and was travelling south in the
same direction the express. Engineer Shell
don, of the freight train, figured that he had
further down, which led to gravel pit where
some of his cars We're 10 be kicked off. He
thought that he could reach that point before
the express arrived ard went full speed ahead.
one of his trains had set the switch OF
cross over In such manner 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 ii the express
dashed past on the other track
The engine of the express and the baggage
car had passed before the freight engine reached
the train, but the second car of the express, the
smoker, was struck squarely in the middle and
turned over. being thrown down the steep en-
bankment, landing on its side in soft. thick mud
The third car of the train, passenger coach,
was dragged by the force of the impact
and likewise landed it's side in the ditch
The last car on the train remained on the
track.
The of the express were well filed, every
seat being occupied. AS the cars We're thrown
their sides. the passengers fell upon each
other, and those underneath were forced through
the windows into the mud beneath. The broken
seats and the heavy pieces Of timber 1inned
them down. Others We're unable TO extricate
themselves before the rolled over on top of
them. 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 accident attracted a
crowd Immediately. and in a short time
hundreds of people were assisting in the work
of rescue Those of the wounded who could as
sisted in recovering the bodies of the dead and
in aiding those of their fellow passengers more
seriously injured. Before the arrival of the
ambulance the injured We're taken To the bag
gage room of the Avon station.
Conductor Cushman was missing at first, but
was found later under a car, badly hurt He
was taken to the home of his son in Brockton.
All those who were killed outright seemed to
have been in the car. while most of the
injured were in the which was struck by
the engine.
A pathetic incident which showed true
bravery was the of the young woman
whose body is yet unidentified. Although ia
tally injured when assistance was offered she
looked at her would-be benefactor and said:
"Help that man there he is injured worse
than l." The words hardly out OF her
mouth when she fell back dead.
Miss Tonkn was eighteen years old, the
daughter of John TonIn of Oil City, Penn, a
prominent oil man connected with the Standard
oil Company. She very popular in Brock
ton being a musician of much ability She was
identified by Miss Sarah e Laughton, principal
| of Howard Seminary. the dead girl having been