Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-09-23
Is KILLED In WRECK.
Worst Since Hartford Bridge Disaster
Train Dispatcher Made Mistake.

Train Dispatcher Made Mistake.
A fearfully fatal head-on collision
between the south-bound Quebec ex-
press and north-bound freight train
on the Concord division of the Boston
& Maine railroad occurred four miles
north of Canaan station early Sunday
morr ing, Sspt. Is, due to mistake in
train dispatcher's orders, and from
demolished passenger coach there
were taken 25 dead and dying and Is
other passengers, more or less in
iured. Nearly all those who were in
the fatal car were returning from a
fair at Sherbrooke, Quebec, $50 miles
north.
The conductor of the freight train
was given to unde rstand that he had
plenty of time to reach siding by the
night operator at Canaan station, re-
ceiving, according to the superintend-
ent of the division, copy of a tele-
| graph order from the train dispatcher
| at Concord, which confused train
1
Cured just after the express had
rounded into a straight stretch of
track, but owing to the early morning
mist, neither engineer saw the others
headlight until it was too late.
The south bound train originated at
Sherbroeke Saturday evening, where
it picked up two sleepers from @ lebec
and two more on the way down. 1t
consisted of the baggage car, passen-
ger coach and smoking car in that
order, with the sleepers in the rear.
The train left White River Junction
at $3.50 a. 10. Sunday, 40 minutes late,
and was followed 20 minutes later by
the Montreal express over the Central
Vermont railroad. The Quebec train
is known as No. 80 and the Montreal
as No. 81.
| In the meantime north bound
freight train had arrived at Canaan,
10 miles down the road, At 40 q. ~.
on time.
According % Division Saperintend
ent w. R. Ray, j. A. Crowley, the
night train dispatcher at Concord,
cent a dispatch to John Greeley, the
night operator at Canaan, that No. "a
was hour and 10 minutes late. The
order which Conductor Lawrence of
the freight train showed after the ac-
cident distinctly states that No. 80,
instead Of 81, was hour and 10 min
utes late. Conductor Lawrence, be
lieving that he had sufficient time In
the hour and 10 minutes TO reach the
side track at West Canaan, four miles
beyond, before No. 80 reached it, or
dered his train ahead.
The superintendent declared that
in placing cipher after the in the
number Of the train, instead of four.
The freight train was on straight
piece of track about a mile in length
and the Quebec express had rounded
curve into this stretch when each
!, engineer saw the headlight of the OPP
posite train burst out of the fog.
q
Both engineers set their brakes and
then jumped, while the two great To-
comotives crashed into each other
and rolled into the ditch. The bag
= gage car in the rear was hurled back
into the passenger coach like great
ram and tore it asunder from end to
t end. A few windows were broken in
. the smoking car and the Pullm ans
: were uninjured.
Fortunately, with the engines off to
one side, the wreekage did not take
fire. The train hands, ably seconded
= by the passengers from the sleeping
> cars, CROPPED their way among the
ruins and began the work of rescue
The bodies of the dead were laid be.
side the track, quickly but tenderly
: while the rescuers turned their at.
tention to those who needed aid
: Great beams were lifted, pieces O
. joists we're thrown aside and the
Q bleeding and mangled forms were
g dragged out and laid on the backs Of
E broken seats Or on blankets from the
sleeping cars. Wounds were hastily
bound up and deep cuts staunched by
- strips torn from the bedding of the
. sleepers. The little band worked dill
!, igently and faithfully in the awning
, light before the doctors came.
500 REWARD 500.