Connecticut western news., 1907-08-22

Three Bristol, Conn, people are dead as a result of collision of an automobile and an express train which left Canaan on the Berkshire at 1920 Sunday after noon The accident occurred at Van Deusen's crossing, & half mile north of Ashley Falls, Mass. The unfortunate people were Charles J. Root, his mother Mrs. Catherine Root, his aunt, Miss Can dace Roberts Miss Catharine Root was the fifth member of the party and she alone survives. She is little injured ex- cepting several severe bruises.
 The.details of the sad affair, the worst accident of its kind that has ever hap psaed in this vicinity, are as follows. The party left Bristol about 9.80 Sunday morning in MT. Roots 90 horse power Stanley steamer, MT. Root and Miss Roberts occupying the front seat. Pass ing through Torrington and Norfolk they reached Canaan about 1915 and proceeded onward toward Ashley Falls Those along the road who saw the party pass say Chat g high rate of speed was being maintained. When the party reached the Ashley Falls station, which is located on the outskirts of the village the express came laundering along. From this point to the crossing where the accident occurred the distance is
 
 about quarter of mile. The road is straight and level, although sandy, and parallels tho track all the way. The stories told by the fireman, by engineer Arthur Strong, conductor William Jacqua, the brakemen, passengers and by the few people who saw the machine when it entered upon the fatal stretch, agree i'll ono particular, l. O., that th. machine was running very rapidly, some say as rapidly as the express which makes no stop at Ashley Falls end which was probably travelling 45 miles per nour The fireman states that when he noticed Ar. Root did not slacken speed on ap- preaching the crossing, the locomotive whistle was blown and the bell rung iu the hope of warning him that he was in danger but he paid no heed, turned the abrupt curve which exists where the highway crosses the tracks nearly at a right angle and crashed into the engine.
 Just what happened during the next few seconds will never be known When the train was stopped and the crew and the passengers alighted grewsome sight met their gaze. In the ditch ..alongside the track lay the victims, MT. Root dead, his head brushed to a pulp, his hip broken, leg broken below the knee and collarbone also broken. The body was about 30 feet from the crossing. Fifteen feet nearer the crossing lay. Miss Roberts with both arms, both colarbones and neck broken and her skull fractured Both bodies show evidence of having been dragged Miss Roberts was not dead when reached by MT. Pinkawa of Ashley Falls. the first man on the scene. As he reached her side. she uttered the two words "Oh, n.y." and expired. Mrs. Root and Miss Root were both uncon- scious but latter regained consciousness as she was placed on a stretcher and lifted into the car. She soon became unconscious, again, however. Her skull was fractured and her right shoulder was crushed. She was taken to the House of Mercy in Pittsfield. When found she was under some of the wreck age and the rescuers experienced con- siderable difficulty in releasing her. Mrs. Root was unconscious aud moaning piteously. The right side of her skull was;fractured and head terribly battered. She was also placed aboard the train but died before Great Harrington was reaoh- cd. The body was placed in the Great Harrington station.
 The other survivor, Miss Catherine Root, ged IA years, was pinioned under a heavy portion of the wrecked machine and was practically unharmed except as above stated. In a hysterical condition she was also placed on the train and taken to Great Harrington where she was cared for at the home of family named Gallup to whose home the autoists were going when death overlook them.