New-York tribune., 1907-09-16
DEATH IN TRAIN WRECK.
ENGINES CRASH HEAD ON.
Disregard of Orders Causes Fatal
4Ccident at Ne1c HdUen.
tBy Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

New Haven Sept. 15.-Forgetting orders to
stop before he reached the Angtown siding to
make sure that the regular passenger train from
New Haven had to the switch there,
Walter H. Johnson. the engineer, ran his south
bound Sunday special from Ansonia head-On
into the New Haven northbound train as 1t was
starting to enter the siding this morning. He
lost his life because of his disregard of orders,
and a dozen passengers and members of the
crews of the two trains were more or less Sc
verely injured Luther Pelton, the fireman of
the Ansonia special and two passengers. l. R
Watrous and Robert McLawrence. were so bad
ly injured they had to be taken to the New
Haven Hospital The others went to their
homes after receiving treatment. 1t is not be-
lieved there will be further deaths result
of the accident. The list of the dead and In
jured follows:
THE DEAD
JOHNSON Walter H. Of Haven. engineer on
THE Injured.
'iA Havsh TeSuar; r'4 cut about face and arms
FOWLER. Hiram n. fireman New Haven regular; cut
about head and body
AMBROSE. Joe. of New Haven. passenger: chest badly
'1'Si1s and arm T4Hasd badly f bruised
MLAwRENcE Robert of New Haven. passenger; severe
fa5s pal ABOUT "s'' ana ''''N '"'''' ~
PECK. Fred j. Of New Haven passenger: mouth cut and
rLToN M9Roso @ .?' arm ,rsssae4 s9a a
several decorations of the body taken to the Ne"
Hospital
REED aiyron G. of New Haven. passenger; bruises
SLOAN benjamin P. of New Haven. passenger; knee
wATRoUs. L R. Of New Haven passenger: side cut;
taken 10 New Haven Hospital
WENTsCH. Martin. OF New Haven. passenger; hip leg
and arm badly bruised
WRIGHT W o. or clinton passenger bruises about ths
Johnsons train left AnsOnia at 1:4I a M for
New Haven. It makes it's only trip on sun
days. The other train a regular. running
from New Haven to Ansonia at o'clock
Johnson had run a train between New Haven
and Ansonia daily for several years. According
TO statement made by ". ]. Barnes conductor
Of Johnsons train, he told the engineer when
they left Ansonia. Remember To wait for the
up train from New Haven on the AllingtoWn
siding"
The trains were due at the siding at exactly
the same time but both were late. The New
Haven train in charge of Frederick h
Woodruff. of New Haven. as conductor He
said that his engineer had stopped his train. the
switch had been thrown to let the train upon
the siding and they were about to go on it. when
the Ansonia special turned the steep curve and
crashed into them. Il was standing on the
steps of the passenger car" said Woodruff,
Signalling with my fingers. when l saw the
Ansonia train coming. l supposed that the!
were stopping. and had barely time to jump
when I saw that a collision inevitable.
Peltcn. the fireman who was In the cab with
Johnson. said at the hospital tonight: 4 sup
posed that johnson planning to stop as he
rounded the curve just before the Alltngtown
siding was reached He did not, and when l
saw the danger I yelled Stop the train but It
was too late. 1 was too frightened to jump
The engine of the Ansonia special was COM
pletely wrecked. and Johnson was buried under
IT. The first car of the Ansonia train was tele-
scoped. The engine Of the New Haven train
was knocked from the track and broken into
scrap iron. The engineer and fireman saved
their lives by jumping. Neither conductor was
injured,
Barnes. the conductor Of the Ansonia special,
pulled the bell rope for Johnson TO stop the
train and the baggage master set the emer-
gency air brakes but they were too late to pre-
vent the collision. None of the cars attached to
the New Haven train damaged Despite
this all the passengers injured the New
Haven train.