Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-01-08
And Express Train Crash
es Into a Freight
On Siding Near Bennington, Vt.
..-Engineer and Firemen
Injured, Two Cars Wrecked and Passengers
Shaken Up---DeIiherate Attempt at Wreck.

Bennington, VT, Jan. IA deliberate
act of train wrecking by some unknown
person resulted Saturday in serious
accident to the fast express bound
from Montreal to New York City by
way of the Rutland, Boston & Maine
and New York Central Railroad.
The engineer and fireman Of the train
were badly hurt and several passengers
were shaken uD and bruised.
The wreck occurred at WalloomSac
station near White Creek y. Y, on the
Bennington branch of the Boston 4
Maine Railroad. Only the presence OF
two freight cars ON siding upon which
the express train was switched saved
the express train from a far more Sc
rious accident, it is believed.
After the wreck it was found that the
switch near the WallOomsac station
had been deliberately set and locked
against the express, so that it would
have to take the siding. The train was
| moving at Il fair rate of speed when
TIL. accident occurred and the locomO-
tive, baggage and express cars were
badly wrecked.
Engineer Charles Wardwell and Fire
man Charles Simpson of Rutland were
scalded and bruised. They were taken
to the Rutland hospital yesterday af-
ternoun, where tonight both men were
reported as resting comfortably. Fire
nan Simpson is the more seriously
hurt but neither he nor Engineer
Wardwell is in serious condition.
The wrecked train was the regular
night express from Montreal to New
York City by way Of the Rutland Rail-
| road to White Creek, the Boston &.
Maine Railroad to Troy. n. Y, and the
New York Central to New York City.
The train included a baggage and eX-
press car, three sleepers and two day
coaches.
After leaving White Creek the train
was proceeding at a fair rate of speed.
The light on the switch near the Wal
lOomsac station indicated 4 clear track,
according to Engineer Wardwell. who
slightly increased the speed of his train
in order to reach Troy on scheduled
time. Without warning the locomotive
took the Walloomsac siding and in a
few moments had plunged into the
freight cars which We're standing sew
eral hundred feet from the switch.
The locomotive jumped the rails and
carried the freight cars with it. The
baggage car followed and the fore end
was carried up on top of the tender of
the locomotive. The first sleeper was
derailcd, but did not overturn. All the
passengers in this car were badly
shaken up and several received slight
bruises.
Among those hurt We're Peter Lucne.
Thomas Keerduk and George Gre
Gonieros. all of Montreal. Their inju-
ries are not serious.
White Creek and Bennington were
notified by telephone of the accident.
and assistance was sent. The wreckage
Of the freight cars covered the tracks
throughout the greater part of the day.
When it was seen that no passengers
We're killed the trainmen turned their
attention to determining the cause of
the accident. 1t was found that the
switch had been turned so that the
train would take the siding, that the
switch lock had been broken by the
use of a stone or some other hard sub
stance and that the switch lamp was
lying upon the ground. 1t is possible
that the lamp was knocked down dur
ing the accident. but the evidence pre-
sented by the hammered switch lock
and the set switch leads the officials to
believe that the express was purposely
wrecked