Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-10-04
TWO KiLLED-TWo BADLY HURT.
Terrible Railroad Collision at East
Deerfeld, Mass.

Greenfield. Mass. Oct. 3.-Combina-
ticn express and passenger train No.
II which left Boston at 1130 last night
on the Fitchburg division of the Boston
& Maine Railroad, crashed into Il
switching engine at East Deerfield
about A.30 A. ~. killing the engineer
of the combination and fireman of the
switcher and seriously injuring two
others. The dead are George +. Par
nenter, fireman on the switching en-
CINE and Engineer Michael Wedgewood
of the passenger.
The combination was about l hour
and 40 minutes late, and running at a
high rate of speed at the time of the
accident, apparently trying to make up
lost time. 1t was composed of nine
baggage and express cars. a coaier ana
two coaches in which there were only
16 passengers. The switcher was COM
posed of the engine and several ca
boose cars and carried n crew of about
four men.
Upon entering the switching yard at
East Deerlield the express continued
her high speed and had gone only Il
short distance when the switcher, run
ing on a track crossing that on which
the express was running darted across
hoping to get over before the through
train came up. Apparently Engineer
Walsh of the switcher. signaled the
express to slow up but it did not and
the engine of the switcher had only
partly crossed the track when the BoS-
ton engine crashed into it. 1t struck
he rear end of the engine and ca
boose and carried them about $50 feet
beyond the scene of the collision.
The men on the switcher with the
exception of Parmenter. were carried
With their engine. Parmenter. jumped
but he landed under the locomotive OF
the express which toppled over and
linned the man in the wreckage. He
was taken out dead with his body hor-
riby mangled. The left arm was torn
from the body which was disem-
boweled.
Engineer WedgeWOod, it is thought,
jumped at the instant the engines
came together. When taken from the
wreckage his body was badly scalded
by escaping steam. His fireman. Alex
Hodgen. was thrown quite a distance
and sustained several bruises. but be-
yond a general shaking up he escaped
serious injury. Howard p. Smith, a
brakeman on the train, was also badly
hurt. but the exact nature of his in
juries is not known. Some doubt is
expressed as to his recovery.
Both the injured men are in the
Franklin county hospital here. The
ONLY other men injured We're Fireman
Vickery and Engineer Walsh of the
switcher. but both men We're able to go
to their homes.
The passengers, who were all in the
rear cars. did not feel the shock OF the
collision The engine of the SWltcher
was demolished. but that of the COM
bination train was only slightly dam
aged.
How the accident occurred is not
known aud it is stated that only an OF
| fetal investigation can place any
| blame AS is generally the case, sig
| nal was displayed at the entrance to
| the switching yard. 1t is thought II
must have been disregarded by Wedge
wood and in that case he was RESPONSE
| bl, for the wreck. ON the other hand
| il is stated that no signal WAS up and
blame is attached to the men of the
ward for neglecting their duty. No one
| i'm authority cares TO place any re-
| sponsiblity at present. so many stories
being told that nothing definite can be
| found out.
Wedgewood was 40 years of age and
leaves Il family in Worcester. George
Parmenter the other dead man, was
of middle age and lived in Greenfield
where IL widow survives. Brakeman
Howard =. Smith, the most seriously
| injured. is 22 years of age and nails
| from Ccney Island. n. Y.