Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-06-19


be dead, a terrible railroad accident.
houses swept away, mills and lumber gone
down the stream, railroad bridges and
highway bridges washed out, crops de-
stroyed and many thousands of dollars
worth of property gone is the story in brief
of the terrible havoc of last night in Mont
relier and vicinity. 1t was a storm such
as New England mas not seen for many
years. If ever before, and the term, CLOUD
burst is the only one which can be APP
piled to 1t.
For a week or more this vicinity has
been drenched with rain. Frequent thunder
showers with a heavy downpour have add
cd to the lighter rains and a conse-
quence the ground was yesterday full of
water, while the streams raised to height
much above normal. Thus it was that
when last evening a thunderstorm of I'M
precedented force burst on this locality
the water could not soak into the ground
but became an avalanche of destruction,
sweeping all before 1t. From all sides came
stories of property lost and lives en-
dangered while from the line of the Cen
trail Vermont towards Waterbury comes
a tale of borrow to make men shudder.
The railroad catastrophe occurred about
three miles north of AIiddlesex and about
a mile from slip HILL" the huge bank o.
clay which has caused more than one acct
dent to the Central Vermont trains. Thh
train was an extra freight bound north
from White River Junction with engine Sail
and about 40 cars. on board were En-
sineer George Geary of St. Albans, Fire
man Frank Ferguson Of st. Adams. Con-
ductor Francis Clark of Richmond head
brakeman. Charles Rounds of ST. Adams.
and Rear brakeman W. II. Leary, and of
these Ieary is the only one now alive. The
other four lie in the railroad station ut
Waterbury awaiting the last rites of the
dead.
Brakeman I.eary says it was few min
utcs past 10 o'clock when the accident
happened He was riding in the Cahoose
while the ether members of the train crew
were all on the engine. He says the train
was running at about ten miles an hour.
feeling its way along in the storm. The
first he knew of anything wrong was when
ne heard loud crash and the train came
to a standstil, after repeated shocks.
AS was his duty he Immediately MT
back the lire to signal any train that
might be moving. At Slip Hill he found
Section BOSS Hisan Gearin, who at once
went to the train, saw what had happened
and with Leary walked the three miles
back to MiddcseX to get help. 1t was
nearly morning before anything could be
done in the line of rescue and then it was
too late to save lives.
The accident occurred at a place where
II culvert passed under the railroad, which
mt that Point was filled to a depth of ~ or
70 feet 1t seems that the cloud burst
changed the little stream to raging tor
rent so large that IT would not pass
through the culvert but was damned up
Until II finally broke through the railroad
| embankment and washed it away for a
distance of about 80 feet. 1t is thought
that the rails hung across the chasm until
the train came upon them when they gave
way and preciptated the engine to the
rocks below. The engine did not go to the
deepest part of the chasm but lodged on a
great rock. On top went eight cars. the
whole being smashed into kindling wood
and old iron.
Sheriff c. G. Graves of Waterbury was
early on the scene and assisted in taking
the bodies from the wreck to Waterbury.
They will be prepared for burial in Water
bury and then carried to their late homes.
Geary, Ferguson and Rounds were married
and Geary is well known in Montpelier,
having worked on the branch line in for
mer years.
One of the watches on the dead men was
stopped at 1915 o'clock, one said 1920 while
a third said 1890. One was running. Fire
man Ferguson was found with re polk
er in his hands. Rounds who was first
found was still breathing but died few
minutes later.
Leary while going back to Middlesex fell
Into a culvert and injured his back and one
leg. DIR. Circuit dressed his wounds Crowds
have been around the scene Of the wreck
to-day.
Besides that washout there are several
others on the main line of road. The
wrecking train from St. Adams was de-
layed by n missing bridge near Bolton,
lbut succeeded In getting to the scene Of
the disaster this afternoon.
l The wrecking train from White River
Junction is unable to get quite to Middle
sex owing to the loss of a bridge near
Eagan's mill Two washouts each so feet
or more long and about 40 deep are be-
tween Middlesex and the wreck.
MILL WASHED AWAY.
John w. Eagan's lumber, single and
grist mill near Middlesex village was swept
away together with the lumber and logs
In the yard The mill lodged on the mea-
dow some distance below or all the ma
chinery in the mill nothing is left but the
engine which still sits on it's bed.
Eagan loses 100, 900 feet of clapboards be-
sides 5000 feet of boards and about 2Ol
logs, He Will probably lose s5.0O.
Between Middlesex and Middlesex Center
eight of the nine bridges are gone and re-
ports indicate that the valley including
Shady Rill have lost between 40 and e
, bridges, large and small. The highways
are washed badly.
The Capitol Creamery station was wash
ed away and wrecked Viles's electric
plant was flooded but not seriously dam
aged
WASHOUTs ON WELLS RIVER ROAD
On the other side of Montpelier the losse:
are not as heavy. The Montpelier & Wells
River railroad had two washouts. One a
Grays Crossing in East Montpelier ha.
pecn liked this afternoon by force o
men with the wrecklng train 40 that tn,