Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-20
THREE RAILROAD MEN
 MET INSTANT DEATH.
Engine and Heavy Freight in Collision at Newinfton A Number of the Trains Crews Were Infured Also-Tracks Were Blocked for Several Hours To-Day

Newington. Conn, June 20.-A light engine running west collided with q heavy east bound freight train early to-day just above the junction of the Highland and the Hartford divisions of the New York. New Haven & mart ford railroad in Newington, blockading the tracks with wreckage and causing the instant death of three men, prob ably fatal injuries to anotlHr and seri- ous injuries to the fifth member of the train crews.
 The dead are:
 Louis c. Stratton, brakeman, of East Hartford.
 George Schladenhauffer, fireman, of Chicopee, Massachusetts.
 Herbert Benishaw, fremen, residence unknown.
 The injured:
 Engineer F. F. Pruett, Rutland Yer mont, will die.
 Engineer Wilcox, Rutland, Vt. ex- pected to recover.
 The freight train was due in East Hartford freight yards at 1:45 this morning but was more than two hours late when it was reported along the Highland division. In consequence of its slow progress. light engine i'll charge of Engineer Pruett was sent out from East Hartford wrth instructions to wait at Newington Junction until the freight came along when it was Co be attached and give assistance ln pushing the train over the heavy grades. He had been instructed to let the two trains go by while he was at the junction. He let one train pass and then started out on the main iron and ran into the east bound freight. The impact of the two engines was terrific but the freight took the shock well and the light engine rebounded about 15 rods and kept the rails. En- gineer Pruett was thrown through the cab window and one leg and one arm were severed from the body. Fireman Benislaw, who had just gone to work on the road, was caught among the wreckage inside the cab and horribly scalded and one leg was cut of. His body was removed later by the week ing crew. In the engine of the freight, Fireman Schladenhaufrer was instant ly killed and his body chafred by live coals from the fire box. In addition the trunk had been forced through the window of the cab and hung there un- til taken down during the forenoon by the wrecking crew. Even then one limb was afterwards found among the debris under the engine. Engineer Wilcox was thrown through the cab window and received superficial iii- irries m tho head and hody The shock to him, however. was very severe but at the hospital it was thought that he would recover. Engi neer Pruett was also brought 10 the hospital in Hartford but there is no hope for his recovery.
 The collision broke up the first ten cars in the train but the fact that sev- eral of these cars were coal laden saw ed the cars in the rear from damage. The conductor, Irving Rector of Fish kill. New York. and the fagman of the train who were in the caboose say that they scarcely felt the shock of the col lision. Both engines are wrecked and for q distance of more than 100 feet the tracks of both the Highland and Hartford divisions were blocked until late fin the forenoon. The bodies of the three men who were killed were placed in the field beside the railroad tracks until they were viewed by the medical examiner of the district and their re- moval ordered. Three wrecking trains went to the scene of the wreck and made rapid progress in raising the blockade.