Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-03
A FATAL BLUNDER.
Wild Engine and Express Meet
in SheIburne, Vt.
Both Engineers and Firemen Killed
and Brakeman Will Die.
Other Trainmen and Passengers All
Badly Shaken Up.

Burlington, VT, Jan. "A wild en-
CINE, running from Burlington to Rut-
land, on the Rutland railroad, crashed
into the snorthbound flyer from New
York, tonight, in Shelburne, just this
side of Burritts Crossing. The engi-
eneers of both engines were killed and
a brakeman who was riding on the wild
engine was proba bly.fatally hurt and
nearly every one Of ''the flyers crew
We're injured more or less seriously. No
passenger was seriously hurt, although
all were shaken up and some were
bruised by being THROWN against seats
from the shock u TIE impact The
dead are:
Dennis Mahoney Of Rutland, engineer
of the flyer
r. Convey of Rutland, engineer of the
wild engine.
James Fitzpatrick Of Ticonderoga,
| fireman.
d. N. Chase of Rutland, fireman.
The injured are: Z:
John Cochran, tie brakeman; will
die
Conductor E. D. WEIGH of Burlington
bruised about the body
Express Messenger L. c. Amstey, ST.
Adams.
Harold T. Sheehan of Rutland, brake
man.
A. NJ. Prentiss, bagga gemaster, OF
| Rutland. +
The cause of the accident is not def
| nitely known, but DR.. W. Seward
Webb, president of the road, says that
he believes that Engineer Convey, who
/ had charge of the Wild engine, had fig
ured that the flyer would be late anG
that he could run to Shelburne for a
siding before the up train reached that
point. Convey probably thought that
! the flyer would be late as it had been
| for number of nights, but it was On
schedule time and met the wild engine
about one mile north of Shelburne sta
ton.
The impact of the collision was ter
rife and only the heaviness of the flyer
prevented a disaster AS it was both
engines We're totally demolished, the
| boiler of one exploding with a terrific
REPORT an instant after the collision.
/ The scene of the wreck was directly
east of Shelburne Farms. the home of
i DIR. Webb. Just north of this point is
i sharp curve around which it is i'm
ipossible for an engineer to see. Around
this curve came the wild engine and it
is very evident that neither engine crew
had a chance to jump, for their bodies
manglcd out of all resemblance were
found in the ruins of the engine.
The passengers on the train tell diff
ferent stories of the experience at the
moment of the collision. Some say that
they did not hear the emergency brakes
take hold and others say that there
was q great shock.
There were 80 passengers in the train
which was made up of the engine COM
bina ton baggage and smoking car, two
day coaches and "a Pullman sleeper.
These passengers, of whom none was
seriously hurt, for the most part re-
ceived bruises by being thrown against
the seats or into the aisles.
None of the cars left the track The
end of the baggage car nearest the en-
gine was crushed in. but the day
coaches were unframed The interior
arrangement of the Pullman was some
what changed by the shock.
Brakeman Cochran, who at late
hour. was dying in the Mary Fletcher
Hospital, was riding on the wild en-
CINE. Express Messenger Amstey and
| fDdSedScUldStpT 1ItIIlSS were talking
when the collision occurred. The for
ner was thrown against the side of
the car. his teeth knocked out and his
head badly cut. Mr.. Prentiss was
thrown out Of the door of the car, which
flew open with theeshock. Conductor
WEIGH was lin one of the day coaches
and was thrown down, but to all APP
pearances he was not badly hurt.
Among the passengers was S. r. Kra-
mer. trainmaster of the Rutland Road
| At the time of the accident DR.. Webb
and a party were at the Shelburne
station waiting for special train to
carry them to New York. When he
received word of the collision, he or
dercd his men at Shelburne Farms to
take the carriages up to the scene.
With DR.. Webb at the time was Dr.
l.. NJ. Bingham. his private physician,
an he in company with DR.. Webb went
to tie wreck and gave surgical aid to
the wounded
Before they arrived. however. the
passengers on the train had given as
sistance TO the injured, and also
searched and found the bodies of the
4 dead. Those of the engineers and fire.
men were frightfullys mangled. that of
Engineer Mahoney being severed at the
hip.
A special train was sent down from
Burlington. bringing here the passen-
gers. the injured and the bodies. DR..
Webb had arranged for ambulances
and carriages to meet the special train
at the depot and the passengers We're
distributed among the hotels and the
wounded sent to the hospital
The wreckage on the road was cleared
away. so that traffic was resumed at
IL o'clock.