Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-11-27
FIFTEEN PERSONS
KILLED OUTRIGHT.
Double that Number Seriously In.
jured in Collision on Bos.
ton & Maine Ry.
SIGNALS COULDN'T BE SEEN.
Regular Express Train From Boston
Tor Montreal Crashed into Rear
OF a Local Train.

Lincoln, Mass, Nov. 26-The most
disastrous railroad wreck In this state
for mat years occurred at Sis o'clock
tonight ut Bakers Bridge station, a
mile and a half west Of Lincoln. on the
main line of the Fitchburg division Of
the Boston e. Maine railroad. The reg
ular Sunday night express, which left
Boston Mt 1880 o'clock for Montreal,
Via the Rutland system, crashed into
the rear Of local train which started
from Boston at $40 p. m. for points on
the main line aud the Marlborough
branch.
At least 10 persons were killed, OUT
right burned to death or sutrocated and
80 or more were seriously injured.
Many passengers sustained minor cuts,
bruises and burns.
The wreck was primarily due to thick
weather, which apparently obscured
slglGls seq by the forward train, which
at the time OF the disaster was standing
IN front Of Bakers Bridge station. The
Montreal train, drawn by two locomo-
tiyes, and consisting also OF nine cars,
crashed into the rear of the Mari
bourough branch local, demolshlng the
two rear cars.
All Of the passengers killed ana SER
lousy injured were In these.
The passengers lived in Con-
cord, West Action. Maynard, Hud-
son, Marlborough and several small
er towns in the Asstbet valley. None of
the passengers on the Montreal train
were seriously hurt, but the engineer
and fireman OF the leading locomotive
were killed.
The wreck caught fire and some Of
the passengers were inCinerated Few
persons live in the vicinity Of Bakers
Bridge station, and no fire department
was available, so that the flames prac-
tically burned themselves out The I'M
injured passengers and number OF
train hands, assisted by villagers, went
to the aid OF the injured, and many
persons were rescued.
The railroad station and a number Of
dwelling houses were turned into tenn
porary hospitals and many volunteers
assisted IN relieving the suffering
of the injured. Later the most serious
~ hurt were taken to Boston on a spec
ia train.
The train upon which practically all
the casualties occurred left the north
station I'm Boston at 1916 o'clock with
four cars filled with passengers. The
second train which figured In the col
lislon IL known as the Sunday night
Montreal express, with 81 Hyacnthe,
Quebec, as its destination Tonght's
express consisted Of two locomotives.
two milk ears, two baggage cars, mail
car. three coaches and n Pullman
sleeper.
The Montreal train does not stop at
the small stations and after passing
Waltham does not stop ordinarily until
1t reaches Concord two miles west Of
Bakers Bridge station. owing 20 the
heavy local traffic the Marlborough
branch train was behind time when it
reached Bakers Bridge. According "a
the statement Of persons who We're az
the depot there, brakeman was sent
to place fuse or red-hre torch.
The night was unusually dark, partly
owing 10 the dense mist According to
those at the station at the time the
torch had not been set more than
minute before the roar Of heavy train
around a curve a short distance east OF
the depot was heard. Within a few
seconds the headlight OF an on-rushlng
locomotive showed through the mist
ard before a hand could be lifted to
warn the passengers In the waiting
train the two ponderous engines. trav-
cling NJ speed of 35 miles an hour
crashed into it,
The leading locomotive telescoped the
rear car OF the Marlborough train and
the second engine forced this mass
against the third car Of the local and
completely wrecked il. In these two
cars all but two OF the fatalities oc-
CURED and practically all Of the injur-
les. The collision destroyed the for
ward locomotive Of the Montreal train
hut the engine following, although much
damaged did not leave the rails. None
of the cars Of the express We're thrown
from the track, and the collision ap-
parently had little effect upon those In
them,
Eire added to the horrors, flames al.
most Immediately communicated to the
wreckage fthe passenger coaches
4 number OF passengers who had
been pinned down by broken seats We're
moderated. Some Of them. however,
had evidently been killed instantly The
second car OF the local train remained
standing on the rails and was not great
~ damaged.
Passengers from both trains railroad
employees aud a number OF villagers
rushed 20 the wrecked cars and assist
Cd many persons 10 escape. The flames
made It difficult to reach some who
were alive, but who had been unable 10
free themselves from the mass, For
the time Il was necessary to lay in
iuIfd persons side By side with the
bodies OF the dead until every effort
possible had been made to rescue other
victims.
Thirteen Of the dead We're sent to
Boston on the special train, together
with Is of the most seriously injured,
~ whom IL was feared that three would
die within q short time. The majority
~ those Injured were women. The Of
Hclrls O. the Boston g. Maine railroad
Win make an exhaustive inquiry into
The cause of the collision. II is prob
able that the district court also viii
hold a7 investigation.
Just before o'clock this morning Il
was estimated that the dead numbered
- There were 70 persons taken from
the wreck ard three died after being
removed. Three of the bodies were
lf1Iless. Two skulls were found at
d. M and % minutes later "a mans
head with a full beard was picked up,
II IS difficult to fix the exact number
~ those who persisted but II is thought
50 viii not exceed is.