Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-10-06
TROOP TRAIN IN A CRASH
Military Special His Troy Local
at Lansingburg, N. Y.
FIVE DEAD AND MANY INJURED
Wreck Occurred at Station Where
Boston Express Drove Two Pull
mans Over Embankment.

passengers were killed outright aud
score were more OF less seriously IN
iured in rear end collision between a
regular passenger train aid a military
special carrying the Fifteenth United
States cavalry on the Boston aud
Maine railroad at the station here.
three miles north OF Troy. n. Y.
The dead are; +. l.. Block, Peoria,
ILL.,; Mrs. Wallace E. Shaw. Bath, Me-;
Mrs. Stevens, Boston; Mrs ]. w. Da-
cey, Arlington, Mass, and Mrs. II. 5.
Poole, Concord y. II.
The list of those badly injured thus
far obtainable is as follows: w. Van
Fassett and wife. Boston, seriously
burned; Frank ReIcher Nsdford,
Mass, head cut and both legs frac-
tured; George ID. stevens, Winchester,
Mass, compound fracture of ankle and
arm smashed; Miss Manson. Bath, Me-.
back badly sprained: Miss Virginia
Manson, sister, three ribs broken;
e. L. La Roux. private, Fort Ethan Al
len, arm smashed; Louis Balch, New
buryport, Mass, cut about head; Mrs.
Louis Balch, broken nose and severely
bruised; w. II. Seymour, Kenton, o.,
scalp wounds; Mrs. Frank Briard, Bos-
ton badly cut about head and face and
suffering from shock; Mrs f. l.. Block,
Peoria, ILL.,, fractured spine; Miss Ma
son, Bath. Me-, leg smashed.
The wreck occurred directly ID front
of the Lansingburg station at point
where the grade is one Of the steepest
on the line of the road. which winds IFS
way through the mountainous country
to Boston.
The elevation is about twenty feet
high, with a steep embanlment where
the collision took place
The passenger train was one Of the
best equipped as well as one Of the
fastest on the road 1t is d regular
train, known as No. 8. 1t consisted Of
five cars-a baggage car. smoker day
coach and two parlor cars The train
was about one hour late when it pulled
up in front of the Lanslngbflrg station
to wait for a chance to get into the
Troy depot
Some of the railroad men say that as
soon as the train stopped flagman
was sent to the rear to signal approach
ing trains. Nothing definite can be
learned on this point.
There is a sharp curve a short dis
lance above where the collision oc-
Cured.
The snorting of a locomotive just
around the curve was the first intima-
ton of the approaching special
which came laundering along with
eighteen cars on the steep grade, and
in the fraction of second it had crash
ed into the rear end Of the passenger
train. smashing the last two cars.
which were Pullmans, like eggshells.
Both of these cars were swept from
the track and rolled down the EN-
bankment into the back yards of some
tenement houses located along the
track The engine of the special kept
right on for dozen yards and then
turned turtle, the front end blowing
into the ground and the tender backing
into the ear behind and telescoping 1t.
There was a sudden hush and then
through the gathering dusk rose the
cries of injured and dying The place
where the wreck occurred is difficult
of approach, and ii was some time be-
fore Lansingburgers realized the TRACE
dy that had been enacted in their
midst
The special was d"4w'ng four troops
Of the Fourteenth Tn states cayal
~ from Fort Ethan Am 10 Newport
News, where they are t. embark for
Cuba. The soldiers lost no time in re-
covering from the shock Of the COLI
sion and quickly got 70 work TO rescue
the injured, whose cries for help rose
high above the yells Of the railroad
men giving orders for their assistance
One mans grief was nitiable, His
name was j, W. Dacey, and he ran UP
and down the track crying for his
wife In few minutes when her life
less form was identified BY him he col
lapsed completely and was taken to o
nearby house.
There he said that he had been mar
ried Wednesday night at Arlington.
Mass The couple We're on their honey
moon and had planned IN extended
trip. He made arrangements to have
the body of his bride shipped back to
Arlington.
Louis Balch Of Newburyport Mass,
who, with his wife. was injured, said:
Il was walking up and down the
aisle of the car, with my wife behind
me. l saw some Of the passengers who
were exercising out on the track look
ing toward the rear Of our train In
frightened manner | instinctively
started toward the door and as ! did
so the crash came. catching me in the
vestibule. was dazed for few sec
onds, and then when ! found ! could
move my arms l started to push the
wreckage away from my head. About