Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-06-20
IN OUR OWN STAT {.
FOUR TRAINMEN KILLED.
cloudburst Carried Away Railroad
Track at Mddlebury and Train
Plunged into the Break

Plunged into the Break.
Four lives were lost early Monday
morning as the result of cloudburst in
Washington county. freight train on
the Central Vermont was wrecked in
the town of MiddlcseX and five of its
crew, including the conductor, the en-
gnecr and fireman and brakeman
were instantly killed.
George Gray of st. Adams, engineer
Frank Ferguson of st. Albans, fireman.
Francis Clark of Richmond conductor
Charles Rounds of st. Adams, brake
man.
The wrecking of the train was immedi-
ately due to the washing out of the
tracks caused by the torrent of water
rushing down the side of Camels Hump.
The train had left Montpelier Junction
just before midnight and was bound
north. 1t consisted of a locomotive and
IL cars. Passing through Mlddlesex, the
engineer was running at slow speed, feel
ing 'his way along cautiously. At the
point of the washout. the locomotive
leaped into ditch and the freight cars
piled up on top a demolished and twisted
mass of wood and iron. The engineer
and fireman were killed instantly and
the conductor and the brakeman were
buried under the ruins of the freight
cars. Brakeman Larry, who was in
iured, went back i'm search of assistance
and after some delay steps were taken to
clear the road and to repair the rails.
The cloudburst caused a great deal of
other damage. The railroad bridge at
Bolton was destroyed. and a saw-mill
together with the house adjoining were
demolished in the town of MiddleseX and
the wreckage carried down the Winooski
river. The saw-mll was owned by John
Egan, who lived in an adjoining house.
He and his family escaped injury. All
of Mr.. Egan's live stock was killed. and
I I'm odd to he, of IA lie hon Nd
saw mill. 100000 feet of logs were forced
down the river by the torrent of water
from the mountain.
When the cloud of water struck the top
of the mountain its waters divided one
part descending into the valley on the
| east and the other into the valley on
| the west. In the former the torrent
washed out the rails of the Montpelier
| and Wells River railroad at Plainfield.
| 10 miles from Barre. 1t also caused con-
| siderable damage in the town OF Cabot.
| where it is reported that several highway
| bridges were wrecked Bridges in Water
| bury are also reported to be carried
| away.
All of the power lines of the Consoli-
| dated electric company. which furnishes
| power to the majority Of the manufactur-
| ing establishments including the granite
| Quarries We're either destroyed by the
| cloudburst or rendered useless, and the
| result of this is that none Of these eStab-
| lishments was being operated Monday
nor were the electric cars being run al
any place between Bolton Falls and
| Barre \ fortunate feature of the cloud
burst was the fact that it did practically
no harm to the dwellnghouses in its path
| although it is believed that some damage
was done which has not yet been re-
| ported.
The main line of the Central Vermont
| was tied up as a result Of the washout at
| MiddleseX, and of the carrying away OF
| the bridge at Bolton. All passengers
| Bound north were sent down to White
River Junction. thence to Bellows Falls
and then over the Rutland railroad to
| Burlington. Passengers bound south
were dispatched by way of Bellows Falls
to White River Junction.
Many persons viewed the scene of the
freight wreck Monday. The great vol
ume of water which struck the railroad
carried away everything before it. leav-
ing gully so feet deep and 40 feet long.
Montpelier was visited by "A terrific
| downpour of rain Sunday night. Streets
were inundated, bridges and culverts
| damaged or carried away and cellars
were flooded. Streams burst from their
| banks into highways, and yesterday. af-
ter the water had subsidized, streets and
sidewalks in many sections were covered
| with mud and debris.