The Newtown bee., 1906-11-23
BIG WRECK ON THE DANBURY
DIVISION.
SEVENTEEN CARS PILED up BY DE
RAILMENT OF FREIGHT TRAIN EARLY
MONDAY MORNING.

One of the worst freight wrecks that
has ever blocked the Danbury division
of the New York, New Haven and
O'Clock Monday morning at Branch.
vile, where long string of box and
coal cars left the rails at switch and
were piled into confused mass. The
wreck occurred just below the crossing
south of the station at Branchville and
while its exact cause is not known the
indications are that the wheels of one
of the forward cars of the train jumped
the track at the switch leading to the
Ridgetield branch. One of the worst
features of the accident was the tear
ing up of the track for long distance.
The train that was wrecked left Dan
bury at 4.25 Monday morning. It was
in charge of Conductor Carroll and the
consisted of n box and coal cars, the
majority of them loaded. Its desti-
nation was South Norwalk where it
was to be switched to the main line of
the New York division and proceed
to Harlem River. The Danbury d.
vision track runs between and parallel
with the NOrwalk river and the Nor.
walk turnpike q few hundred feet be-
low the Branchville station and the
switch connecting the track Of the
main line of the division with the
Ridgefield branch is at the narrowest
point between the river and the high
way. The train was running at moder-
ate speed when the accident occurred.
One Of the cars nearest the locomotive
left the rails, apparently atOr near the
switch, and two-thirds of the long
string of cars behind it followed.
Some of the cars plunged into the river
at the right of the track and others
crashed through the fence on the left
and dropped into the highway. Others
plowed along the roadbed, ripping up
the track for rods. Seventeen cars in
all were piled up. None of the train
men were on the cars that were in the
smash and consequently no one vas in
jured. Superintendent Whaleys Office
in New York, was notified of the acct
dent few moments after its &C.
currence and arrangements were begun
cars and to provide for the handling of
passenger traffic until the road could
be opened. The 555 train from this
city and the early morning train from
South NOrWalk transferred their
passengers around the wreck, but the
other trains we're either held or sent
by way of Hawleyville and Bridgeport
The cars that were thrown into the
river damned the stream almost COM
pletely and the water began to back
up during the forenoon and threatened
to flood the nelghboring land. The
wrecking crews arrived in time to pre-
vent any serious damage from this
source. One Of the cars that fell near
the river contained cargo Of lime
and the stuff began to slack when the
water reached it. Another car con-
tanned apples that were in transit
from some northern point to New
York City. Many of the barrels were
broken and everyone who visited the
wreck early in the day enjoyed an ap-
pie feast.
Passengers who came up on the
morning trains said that 20 or more
cars were in the wreck. Some Of them
were almost completely demolished
while others escaped serious damage.
Two cars were thrown into the high.
way at the left of the track and part
ly blocked the road to traffic, The
damage to the track, which for con.
siderable distance was completely torn
up, made one of the principal obstacles
to the immediate resumption of traf
fic.-[ Danbury News.