The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1902-10-17
The Sandy Hook
Disaster.
EXCURSION T R A | N
| CRASHES INTOREG-
ULAR PASSEN-
GER TRAIN
At Sandy Hook Station
One Killed and Twenty
Three Injured.
MOST TERRIBLE RAILROAD
ACCIDENT THIS TOWN
HAS EVER KNOWN.

The most terrible railroad accident
that has ever occurred in the bounds
of NewtOwn took place at the Sandy
Hook station, last week Thursday
| night, when a train, crowded with
tired excurSiOnistS from the Danbury
| fair, ran into the west-bound .passen-
ger train standing in front of the
| station. 1t appears the engineer of
the west-bound passenger train had
just come out of the station with his
| orders when he saw the excursion
train bearing down upon him. With
cry he pluckily rushed to his engine,
reversed it,and had started back when
the collision occurred.
Samuel W. LeSher station agent,
said that he was on duty at 7.12, the
hour of the accident, and he noticed
few minutes before that the SEM
aphore signals were set at danger for
both trains. The west-bound train
was at the station, standing still when
the train from Danbury crashed into
it. The Danbury train, he thought,
was going at about four miles an hour.
Byron H. House, telegraph operator
at the station, said he went on duty at
7. He noticed that the semaphore
signals were set at danger. They were
not used after O'Clock at night. he
said, bat were left at danger. The
train bound west was at the sta ton,
and the Danbury train was going at
or mile an hour speed when the
accident occurred. He said he received
no orders for the trainmen. They had
them direct from the Office.
Patrick Cavanaugh, who resides
north of the station, said he sat on a
truck ut the west end of the station
and witnessed the awful crash. Col
lector of Internal Revenue Kinney of
New Milford was a passenger on the
west-bound train and was walking on
the platform. When he saw the en-
gineer run he, too. followed him, ard
was but few feet away when the col
lision took place.
News of the accident was received
at The BEE office about 7.5O p. M, ,and
as soon as horse could be harnessed,
| the writer made his way to Sandy
Hook, in company with Principal Tib-
belts of the High school and Frank
| Wright. Ex-senator Houlihan, Mer-
chant Beers and H. M. Smith and
son were among others from the Street
at the accident. 1t was an uncanny
and terrible sight that presented itself
to the beholder. The two great engines
stood facing each other, locked togeth-
er by the COW catchers. North of the
wreck bon fire had been started, and
a crowd of excursionists were gathered
around it. Inside the station were
the dead and wounded. DR. A. L.
Schuyler, DR. J. w. Gordon, DR. D. G.
Brown, DR. H. f. Brownlee, DR. Graves
and DR. E. A. Stratton ministered to
the needs Of the wounded. The only
car wrecked was one on the excursion
train next to the engine. The floor
and roof of the Car were splin Gered in
bits for about a third of it's length.
Henry Dickinson of East CRANKY, a
young man about % years old, told
THE BEES representative that he sat
two seats behind Miss Quinlan, who
was killed. He says he doesn't know
how he got out, but was positive he
was hurled through a window. He
was without hat and aside from an
injured leg, which he said panied him
badly, believed he was all right. He
said Miss Quinlan and her friend ap-
peared to be having loving time and
he remarked how happy they were
just before the crash came. The
strange fact is that four or five cars
back the collision was believed to be
no more than an ordinary sudden stop.
A half dozen passengers stated this
fact to The BEES representative.
Superintendent Finnell of the High
Hand division rushed to Sandy Hook
from Hartford as soon as he learned of
the railroad wreck, and as fast as bis
special engine could carry him. MI
MOrOney was a passenger in the coach
that was wrecked and escaped unhurt.
All was excitement, and the Water
bury hotel man with number of 9th
ers began the work of getting out the
injured from the Wreckage. MI
MOrOney and his companions worked
steadily from to IL O'Clock, arranging
the wounded in the station. 1t was
here that Mr. Moroney met the railroad
official. The latter was standing or
the station platform. He noticed tn.
Waterbury man in his thin attir'
without coat or hat. Mr. Morone.
was shivering in the cool night air
"Where is your coat, my friend?" ask
ed the superintendent. Mr. Morone
answered that he had placed it abou
the form of man on the platform VIII
had been badly injured, and who com
planned of being cold. Mr. Finnell wa
all attention, and piled the Waterbur
- man with further questions. The re
suit was that the railroad official dls
carded his valuable box coat an
placed it upon the shoulders of th
man who had given up part Of HI
clothing to provide for the comfort
one of the suffering mortals, who We