Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-11-29
DETAILS OF WRECK IN
Which l9 Are KILLED
TWENTY-FIVE OTHERS INJURED
IN WRECK ON THE BOSTON
AND MAINE ROAD.
FIRE BREAKS OUT IN THE DEBRIS
AND FOUR COACHES ARE RE-
DUcED TO ASHES.

Lincoln, Mass, Nov. 2S.-Nineteen
persons lost their lives in the rearend
collision at Baker Bridge station on
the main line of the Fitchburg division
of the Boston and Maine railroad dur
ing the night. twenty-five persons
were more or less seriously injured
and others sustained cua and bruises
Those who were witnesses of the
collision say the local train, which
consisted of four cars, three of them
passenger coaches, had just pulled out
of Baker Bridge depot, a small flag
station about a mile and a half west
of Lincoln station. Just west of the
flag station is highway bridge over
the railroad. The train had entered a
deep cut after passing under the
bridge and the rear car had just
cleared the structure when the heavy
Montreal express, consisting of nine
cars and two locomotives, crashed into
the rear. The impact was terrific and
probably majority of those killed met
death almost instantly. The forward
locomotive telescoped the rear car and
passed part of the way through the
coach Immediately ahead. The Sec
ond car of the local train was also
badly damaged, but the first car and
locomotive escaped.
The leading engine of the express
was practically destroyed in the col
lision and the work was completed
when fire, which Immediately broke
out among the wreckage, consumed all
the woodwork of the two rear cars,
which remained on the roadbed, and
incinerated a number of the victims.
The fireman of the leading locomotive,
Charles E. Barnard, was burned to
death in his cab, but Engineer Con-
ners managed to escape in some
strange manner.
The second locomotive of the ex-
press was badly damaged. The engi-
ueer and fireman of this engine es-
capped injury and no person in the
coaches of the Montreal train was in
jured. ALI the cars remained on the
rails.
Helpless Victims cremated.
Many of the passengers of this train
assisted in the work of rescue. The
glare of the burning wreck lighted the
awful scene and above the hiss of es-
Gaping steam and the cracking of the
flames arose the shrieks and groans of
the victims and the excited cries of
the rescuers. Several passengers in
the rear car OF the local train were
caught in the ruins of the locomotive
and coach and the flames prevented
help from reaching them.
Calls for assistance and medical aid
were sent to Boston, Concord and other
places. The fire department of Lin
coin arrived within half an hour, but
the men were unable to make much
Impression on the burning pile. They
succeeded, however, in saving por-
tons of the third car. ~
When the accident occurred the 10.
cal train was said to have been a few
minutes late and, knowing that the ex-
press was close behind, it is claimed
that the rear brakeman, Donor Gau-
thier, who was killed, set out red
lights indicating danger. When the
express train was at Lincoln station,
about mile and half east Of the
scene of the wreck, the Montreal train
was running at its usual rate OF speed,
estimated at all the way from thirty
I've to fifty miles an hour. 1t is said
that signal calling for caution was
net against the express at Lincoln sta
lion. The theory Of railroad men is
that smoke from the engine OF the
local train as it passed under the
Baker highway bridge obscured the
red lights in the rear. From the bridge
III the way hack to Lincoln station
The track is straight. The night was