Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-12-07
TRAINS COLLIDE
Two Coal Cars aud CaboOse Wrecked Near Jackson Street.

or commission occurred on the
 Highland division tracks near Jack son street this morning about g o'clock. Although no one was badly
 injured Otis Kingsley of East Hart ford, conductor on the train that was run down had a very narrow escape. AS it was one of his arms was severe
 ly bruised and he was slightly burned
 by boiling water. Engine 1892, the big double decker" was travelling along with Engineers Beck and
 welsh and to it was attached a large number of freight cars. Engine 1906 an extra, with Charles Fogarty at the throttle was after it and was pulling up on 1t as it had orders to couple with it and go with it as far as the
 Waterville siding. The first train was bound for East Hartford. J. J. CosgroVe was conductor on the eX- tra which consisted of the engine, two cars loaded with sand and the ca
 Doose, and as stated had orders to couple With the big freight. AL though 1t is customary to have only one train within a block at a time the extra followed into the block at Jackson street as the crew of the first engine knew that the extra was fol- lowing. The extra, eager to couple, put on a little steam and was just behind the regular and about to couple when the latter suddenly came to a halt. The engine of the extra crashed into the caboose of the regu- lar and badly shattered it. The two coalers which were next the caboose were piled in the air and were also badly damaged and the coal was scat tered in all directions. The three cars were damned together in a very much battered condition
 When the collision occurred Otis Kingsley was in the caboose of his train and as it was he had a very fortunate escape. He was buried for few minutes in the heap, but he managed to find his way out of the Wreckage. The rest of the crew were surprised to see him come out as they were sure he had been killed by the crash. Kingsley himself realized that he had very narrow escape and was thankful that he was not killed. Two brakemen, who had been on the caboose with him, jumped and escaped without scratch.
 J. H. Flannigan, flagman, T. A. Quinlan, brakeman, and Daniel Cronin, brakeman, were on the ca- boose of the extra, with Conductor Cosgrove. Flanigan and Quinlan were watching from the rear plat form for the trains to couple as the cars were going around the curve. They saw that something was coming and all jumped. The force of the col lision was such that Cosgrove was hurled headforemost from the rear plaform and landed in a pile of sand near the rails. His feelings were hurt more than anything else.
 It looked as though the main track would be blocked for a couple of hours and 1t would be necessary to send for the wrecker But Flagman Flannigan, Brakemen Cronin and T. A. Quinlan, Engineer O'Neill and a few other railroad employees set to work under the supervision of Con- ductor Daniel Quinlan of the work train and within an hour had cleared the track of the wreckage. They cer- tainly made short work of such a tangled mass and it was worthy of praise the short time 1t took them to get the main track clear.
 When the excitement was over | he engineers on the first train were | ssked why they made such sudden stop when they knew the extra was light close to them. It appears that | n some manner or other a red | or danger signal loomed up in front of Engineer Buck just as he was going put of the block, so not knowing what : was ahead of him on the curve he im- nediately stopped his engine, think ng there was danger ahead.