Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-16
SCORE DIE IN
TRAMHORROR
Continued from Page One.)


disaster became apparent. Along the side
Of the track lay the dead yet uncovered.
A little farther off were the living, some
stretched on the ground with relatives.
friends or strangers binding their wounds
and encouraging them. There were COM
paratively few in that crowd of rescuers
who did not show some wound from the
disaster.
One of the passengers, who was in the
smoker on the rear of the passenger
train, described the accident as follows:
'I had one of the seats in the middle
Of the car when the train left White
River Junction and, like every one else,
was doing when some one woke UP and
began to sing. This aroused nearly
every one In the car. and some of them
decided to go back to the next car and
smoke.
'I Joined the little procession. My
companion in the seat stayed and was
killed. We had scarcely taken our seats
in the smoker when the brakes were sud-
denly set and we were thrown out of our
seats. The next minute there was a
crash and found myself on the floor
covered with glass, but unhurt. I
crawled out from under the seats and
stumbled out of the rear door. The front
was completely obliterated by the end
of the coach.
Every one seemed dazed for what
seemed five minutes. 1t probably was
only a few seconds. There was not a
sound. Then were heard groans. means
and finally shrieks from the front of the
train. and running forward we saw the
freight train. 1t was just light enough
to see little, but it made one sick to
see even that much. Then every one be-
gan to work hard, and it seemed hours
before help came
The passenger train had left here
bound for Concord about an hour late.
The track to the south is single one
to Franklin, fifty miles distant, with a
few sidings. 1t abounds in curves, while
the greater portion of 1t from Caraan is
down grade. The freight train pulled out
of siding some miles to the south and
started up the track for this place at 4
o'clock.
BIames Freight Crew
The train dispatcher's sheet at Concord
is declared to show that the freight
crew disobeyed orders in doing so. There
are TO signals on the road and the trains
are directed from the station.
Going north it is a long. straight track
from Canaan to the curve where the ac-
cident happened, and the freight was
making good time when the passenger
train came around the curve. 1t is esti-
mated that both trains were going at a
speed of thirty to forty miles an hour.
There was time to put or brakes, and
then both engine crews jumped and es-
capped injury.
AS soon as possible after the collision
two of the passenger trainmen who had
escaped were sent to Canaan, the near
est station, for help, while others sought
nearby cottages and farm houses for as
sistance. In the Western New Hamp-
shire mountains doctors are scarce and
an hour went by before the first doctor
arrived. A train was dispatched from
here within a few minutes after the news
was received. SIS
Heroes Not Lacking
The accident was not without it's heroes
and one of these was Frank Ryan, a
brakeman on the express. Ryan was
caught in the wreck and an artery was
severed, He was unconscious for nearly
fifty minutes and when he fegained his
senses his first thought was for the Mon
treal express, which he knew was thun-
dering down on the wreck.
In a few words Ryan told of the ap-
preaching danger and the Montreal ex-
press was stopped only a quarter of a
mile from the rear of the wrecked train
The passengers n the Montreal express
also assisted in the work of rescuing.
Among the West Canaan farmers who
aided was Benjamin Briggs, who was one
of the first to the scene, and two hours
| later he drew out the body of woman.
On turning up the face Mr.. Briggs looked
| into the features of his mother, and al
most collapsed from grief. Mrs. Briggs
| had been visiting friends in the north
and was on her way to Boston.