The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-16


known as No, ss7. had arrived Al
Canaan. eighteen miles down the road
at 4:io a. NJ, ON time. According to
~. II. RAY. Ir., division superintendent
81 II. Crowley, tho night train dispatch
ar at Concord sent dispatch 10 Jonn
Greeley, the night operator nj canaan,
thht No. 81 was one hour and ten min
iitcs late. The order. which Conductor
Lawrence OF the freight train. showed
after the accident, distinctly states
chat No. 30, instead of No. "a, was an
hour and ten minutes late
Conductor Lawrence believing that
lie had sufficient time in the hour and
ten minutes to reach the side-trnck at
West Canaan four miles beyond, before
so. 30 reached it, ordered his train
ahead The superintendent declared
that the accident was due to the mis-
take In placing cipher after the
three in the number of the train in
stead OF a four.
Hid III the. Fog.
The morning was dull and misty In
the Western New Hampshire motin-
tains, and the long freight train with
a score of heavily loaded cars, lum-
bercd up the long grade toward West
Canaan at the usual specdNo On the 9th
er side of the curve was the Quebec
express, sliding dow the single track
with her load of passengers and the
four heavy sleepers in the rear. The
freight train was on a straight piece
OF track about mile in length, and
the Quebec express had rounded n
curve into this stretch when the two
engineers saw the headlights of the
opposite train burst out OF the fog.
Both engineers set their brakes and
then jumped, while the two great loco
motives crashed into each other, and,
locked in firm embrace, rolled into
the ditch.
Chr Torn 4Nsundcr.
The baggage car in the rear of the
locomotive was hurled back into theI
passenger coach like a great ram, and
tore 1T asunder from end to end. AS
81 did So the rear end of the cur rose,
so that when 1t stopped at the forward
end of the smoker, which was behind
the passenger coach. 1t was we'll in
clined. Only n few windows Were
broken in the smoking car, and none
of the Pullmans was damaged But
the Inflated passenger coach was
crowded with more than fifty people.
Shortly before the accident n few OIL
the men had gone back into the smok-
ing car In the rear, leaving the women
TO get a little sleep in the straightI
seats. one of these, who escaped, said
that as the train was rounding curve
some one in the front of the car began
20 sing, so that nearly every one was
awake when the crash came.
Those who were in the other cars
recovered their dazed senses. jumped
out to the side of the track, and hur-
ried to the demolished passenger coach.
where groans cries and shrieks werel
rending the air.
Did Not Burn.
Fortunately, with the engines off to
one side, the wreckage did not takeI
fire and add further horror to the al
ready dreadful scene. The train hands,
ably seconded by the passengers from
the sleeping cars. groped their way
among the ruins and began the work
of rescue. The bodies of the dead Were
laid beside the track quickly. while
the rescuers turned their attention toI
those who needed aid.
Great beams were lifted, brokenI
3oists were thrown aside, and the bleed
ing and mangled forms We're dragged
out and laid on the backs of broken
seats or upon blankets from the sleep
Ing cars. Wounds We're hastily bound
up and cuts were stanched by strips of
bedding from the sleepers. The little
band worked diligently in the dawning
light before the doctors came. and
farmers lent every aid to the work of
succor.
Meantime word had been dispatched
to this place. 10 Concord. and TO Han
over, and within an hour a large force
OF physicians We're hurryng to the
scene.
Ryan a Hero.
The accident was not without its
heroes. Frank Ryan, brakeman on
the express. was caught in the wreck
and had an artery severed lie was
unconscious for nearly fifteen minutes,
and when he regained his senses his
first thought was of the Montreal ex-
press, which he knew was laundering
down on the wreck with no fagman
in the rear to wave a warning signal
in few words Ryan told of the APP
preaching danger. and the MontrealI
express was stopped only quarter of
mile from the rear of the wrecked
train.
Horrible Picture.
As the sun rose Ia the full horror of
the disaster became apparent Along
the sid0 of the track lay the dead
yet uncovered. a little further off were
the living, some of them stretched onl
the ground with relatives, friends. but
more often total strangers binding M
their wounds and encouraging them
.n the Thought of speedy medical
aid. -
There Steeff "a comparatively few in |
that crowd of rescuers who did not
show some wound from the disaster.
DTr