Waterbury Democrat., 1902-10-10


 the story of the wreck was told bJ
 many.
 I JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT
 Confusion Reigned and Engineer Far
 rell Must Have Lost His Head
 Engineer of Train from Wa - terbury Saw Danger Too
 Late to Leave His Station. "
 Fourteen hundred people had gone
 rom this city to the Danbury fair on the early trains yesterday. Many of
 those had returned on early trains
 but about one thousand waited for the
 special train which was to take them
 from the fair grounds direct to Water
 bury. This train left the grounds at
 6:3O and was in charge of Engineer Thomas Farrell of East Hartford. Fireman Lawrence Lillis of Hast
 Hartford and Conductor Owen Nee han of the same place. The orders to
 Engineer Farrell was for him to hold his train on siding beyond Sandy Hook and let the regular train which left Waterbury at 6:2O pass him out. This the engineer failed to do and as he rounded the curve on the down grade near the Sandy Hook station he discovered to his horror that the regular train was then disoharging her passengers at the station. It was too late then to prevent the wreck and Fireman Lillis jumped and es- caped with slight injuries. It is be- lieyed that Engineer Farrell also Jumped and at once realizing the hor- TOT of the situation and the awful mistake he had made he disappeared. It is believed at this writing that lie took to the woods near the Sandy Hook station.
 The engineer of the regular train saw the loaded excursion train bear ing down upon him and he tried hard to get his train in motion and back out of the way. The excursion train was running about eight miles an hour, was on down grade and carried T heavy load of passengers. Nothing could be done to avert the accident and in few seconds there came an awful crash as the two trains came to- gether. Above the crash of the break ing timbers and the escaping steam could be heard the shrieks of the in jured. The first car of the excursion train was split completely in two and tae passengers were vomited out on either side through the windows. the roof and the broken floor. The passengers in the other cars in the rear were all hurled from their seats aIn 4~1 -.1 some injury was done to the interior of the cars. None of those in the rear cars received serious injuries. Many of the women Tainted and were carried by friends outside.
 The cries of the injured soon brought the people in the rear cars to the work of rescue. The trainmen built large bonfires to light up the wreck and one after the other of the I injured were tenderly cared for. Doc ters Graves, David and Goodrich worked over the injured and made them as comfortable as possible. Some were laid on the ground close to the scene of the wreck, others were cared for in farm houses near by The work of rescue continued until all had been removed.
 Sitting together in the first car were Michael Malia and Miss Mary Ouin- | Ian of Naugatuck.- They were engag- ed to be married and had been spend | ing the day at the Danbury fair. They | were chatting pleasantly, perhaps dis | cussing their coming marriage when | the crash came. Ma1ia was pinned ;ll- I most where he sat, but Miss Quinlan had disappeared as if shot out of q gun. When removed from the wreck age he asked pitifully for his com panion. Search discovered that she had been thrown through a hole in the door and she was pinned by some wreckage against the depot platform Many hands removed the broken tim 0ers which were lying across her ,hest. Tenderly she was carried into he station and although terribly in- E ured she was yet alive when the phy- Iicians reached her side. They at once 'aw that her injuries were fatal and I seven minutes after being removed rom the wreck she was dead. Friends ried to keep the news from Malia but le learned it before the train was made up to come to Waterbury and injured as he was it was difficult to estrain him from going to her side. t was one of the saddest scenes of he whole disaster.
 Word had been sent in the meanz,me o Danbury and Waterbury for phy- icians. A spjecial from each place arried the needed help. Doctors Ak elle and Pomeroy who were the first Q arrive at the Meadow street station we're taken in g switch engine to the uDct1on where a special train of one ar and the engine was in waiting. That special flew to Sandy Hook in aster time than has ever been made n that road. The railroad authori- les soon had another special train aade ID and they arrived in this ity as told above.