Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-12-06
DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.
Three Killed and 70 Injured In Hail.
road Collision at vereennes.

Disaster came TO the passengers ON
train ON the Rutland railroad near Yer
gennes saturday, when heavily loaded
gravel train, moving swiftly down gfaae,
crashed into il from the rear,
Three women passengers were khiea
outright or burned TO death IN the flames,
which quickly took possession OF the
wreekage, and at least 10 other persons
were seriously injured,
Among those hurt were members OF the
nruFy opera company OF New YORK, an
organization OF oolored singers,
The passenger train consisted OF Two
coaches aud caboOse, Both the eoaehes
were hurled over the edge OF steep en-
bahkment,
soon The wreokage was In flames, but
the injured, with two exceptions, We're
saved through the beroic Efforts OF lhe
trainm n, the tire department OF YER
/ gennes and others. -
The dead-Mrs. W. A. Lawrence, 40
/ years old, OF Bristol, wife OF Deputy sher'
I In Lawrence OF Addison county, Miss
/ Corinna stowe, % years old, Of Bristol,
1 teacher in the Bristol graded schools
I Mrs, Nellie Barnard, 40 years old, OF Bits
! tol, a widow.
/ seriously injured Miss Rosetta Faulk,
color,d, leading lady OF the Drury ol@ra
{ company, severe internal injuries, not tA-
pected 10 recover; 4. W. Savage, Rutland,
manager OF Rutland opera house, bruised
aud burned, probably fatally +, Nj, Dlke,
assistant principal OF BRISTOL high school
side crushed aud internal injuries; Iheo-
dore Drury, colored, manager OF opera
company, ribs broken and other injuries,
I considered serious; NJ. T.. Naahouten,
leader OF opera company band, hlp dlslo.
Gated; Oscar jenkins, colored, member OF
opera company, leg and foot severely
bruised; Richard ii, Brooks, col
ored, member OF opera company, leg
crushed; Roger l.. Bell, Bristol, severe
burns about the head and shoulders;
Edna SimDkins, cOlored, member OF opera
company, broken collar bone and other
injuries; MIR. Smpkins, husband OF above,
unconscious and seriously iniuredi VIII
liam Scudder, New York, hip sprainedi
Lionel Getlings, New York, bruised and
burned; William simpson, Waterbury,
right leg broken; Mrs. William simpson,
Waterbury, severe body bruises W. W,
Ryder, attorney OF Bristol, seriously
burned about the head.
II. A. Broad OF RUTLAND, travelling
= salesman, suffered sprained ankle,
4, bruises about the head and burned his
, hand by contact with live wire.
, Three young women, who are members
of the opera company, are al hotel there,
suffering from bruises, but their conci-
. tion is not regarded as serious.
. OF 10 freight cars, one passenger coach
and one combination baggage aud smok-
ing car, took siding at Nergennes TO
7 permit the morning local train at YER
gennes for the south TO pass.
The accommodation train out OF Rut-
: land was followed by a gravel train.
When the local accommodation train
> pulled in ON a siding, the passenger coach
I and the accommodation smoker aud
= baggage car were left on the main track,
: a freight tram ahead on the siding not
p purmitting these cars to clear the main
track.
A trainman in the accommodation train
was sent back to flag the gravel train,
the engineer of the gravel train recog-
nizing the signal. He applied the brakes,
but they refused to work, and be
whistled for down brakes" but before
they could be applied the locomotive OF
the gravel train had piowed its way into
the combination car filled with passen-
= gers.
y y Two Of the three women who lost their
= lives were apparently not badly injured
by the collision, but were pinned down
d. and burned to death. The bodies OF the
= three victims were taken to their homes
= in Bristol.
The members Of the Drury opera COM
pany were bound TO Burlington, where
they were to appear Saturday night.
The work of rescuing the imprisoned
A passengers began promptly. The train
=. men and the railroad help at the station
IS rushed to the scene, but by the time they
n arrived, the two badly demolished cars
I. were atire, caused by the overturning OF
y the stoves. In less than five minutes after
!. the cars rolled down the embankmenl
they were a mass of flames.
/. The fire alarm was sounded and the resi-
l. dents OF Vergennes turned out in great
numbers. As fast as the passengers were
/: removed, those who were able to turn
hand did what they could to assist those
who were pinned in the wreckage. Near
I: by farmhouses were converted into i'm
l. provised hospitals, doctors were sum.
moned and all possible aid given the in,
/. jured.
.: The passenger train south from Burlng.
r, ton ran back TO that city with many OF the
(; most seriously injured, and they were
d, taken to the Mary Fletcher hospital.
The scenes at the wreckage were of the
most distressing kind. Passengers pinned
in the wreckage were pleading for assist.
ance. One OF the trainmen did his utmost
10 to rescue woman who was buried under.
Of meath the stove IN the passenger coach
il He worked until his face and hands were
20 blistered, and when he turned to leave he
s. she said to him that if he could not ge
her out to take the $500 she had with her
DNb tiiS thS 1iaiiluldh NdS uudDlS W uO
and the woman sank back into the burn
ing mass.
The officials of the Rutland railroads &C
count for SO passengers, but when ques
toned as to the number on the two cars
Conductor G. w. Bell said he lost tn
tickets and mileage he had taken up.
Several persons who were about tn
wreck say they saw child in the secont
car in the arms of a woman passenger
of Nothing, however, has been found t
r show that child was among the dead
t.
re -5s,.5-o-17..,g,.-.