Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-11-30
Freight 'CfIush he Trolley
Car at Waterbury, Ct.
Five Killed and Several Others
Are Seriously Injured.
Flagman Raises Gates, Not Know.
Ing Freight Was Coming.


accident in which five factory employees
were killed, occurred about $50 this
morning at the West Main street
crossing over the Highland division
tracks, when an extra Hartford-bound
freight train crashed into a trolley car
containing 25 passengers and which
was bound for the pin factory in Oak
ellie. The car was struck with great
force at right angles, directly in the
middle and the dead persons were all
badly manglcd. Six others were badly
injured and had to be carried to their
homes. The dead:
Sarah Ryan, Is years old. II Union
street
Annie Corcorry, "A years old. 1892
Bank street.
Robert French, 20 years old. Water
vile.
Walter Hayes. aged ".
Jane Kelly. aged AZ.
The seriously injured:
Nittie Hanley. II Union street, leg
bl oxen and scalp cut.
Margaret Mellon, - Wall street.
Jennie Benson, 9S3 West Main street.
Sadie Allen, 30 Ward street.
Andrew Allen, ~ Wafu street.
Andrew Bepier, So Meadow street.
Aside from the Hanley woman, the
others received scalp wounds. broken
bones and bad cuts, but it is not yet
known whether the injuries of any will
prove fatal.
a hurried investigation by Coroner
Makepeace into the cause of the acci-
dent resulted in the arrest of Flagman
John +. F'lavin and Conductor John
Dillon of the trolley car. The motOrman
of the car was Charles Lenard, but he
was not held.
1t is stated by those familiar with
| the facts that the wrecked trolley car
was following closely behind another
car which had got safely over the
| crossing. 1t is customary to drop the
gates at the railroad crossing on the
approach of Il train, but in this in
! stance, the gates were up. The flag
man was on duty. but so far it is not
known whether he waved his flag,
showing a clear track or not. Accord
ing TO the rules of the Connecticut Co,
| which operates the trolley cars here,
a conductor of a car must run ahead
of his Car as far as the tracks and by
! looking up and down the tracks, asccr-
| tain whether or not train is ap-
! preaching. This. it is stated. was not
done in this case and as IL result Con-
ductOr Dillon was ordered placed under
| arrest
| There was absolutely no chance for
the engineer of the train to stop his
train in time to prevent the accident.
Although he applied the brakes, the
| engine crashed into the trolley car,
! smashing it to splinters and throwing
the occupants in all directions. The
| screams of the victims could be heard
for blocks and in short time a great
crowd had collected.
Many Of those injured were carried to
nearby stores while some who were
unable to walk. were laid alongside of
the tracks until carriages and ambu-
lances took them to their homes.
! The dead bodies were quickly taken
from the wreckage and sent to
| morgues. after which they were cared
foi by relatives.
The fact that the Oakville Pin Co. is
running short handed at the present
time. probably accounts for the few
fatalities, for the car was only about
half full. Ordinarily it is stated. these
early morning trOlleys are loaded with
factory employees. the usual number of
passengers being about 90
II IS stated now that the freight train,
a hlg double header. was following {,
Watertown passenger train and tina
after the latter had crossed West Main
street. the fagman at the crossinc,
raised the gates, not knowing that the
freight was close upon the heels of the
! passenger train. The first of two troll
ley cars had time to cross the tracks,
but following directly behind it, the
second was struck
The trolley car was thrown Up in the
air by the force of the collision and
landed almost bottom up. Failing in
the path of the locomotive it was
ground under the wheels OF the two en-
gines and the escape of anyone in the
car seems almost miraculous.
| Theresa Kelly. one of the injured
girls. who was taken to the Waterbury
hospital. insisted that her sister was
one of those killed in the wreck and
asked to be shown a portion of the dead
woman's clothing. Accordingly the
1
clothing be brought to the hospital and
it was quickly identified by Miss Kelly
as belonging to her sister. Jane Kelly
~ years old. The body Of the woman
was in many parts and the features
wer" 50 badly distorted that they never
could nave been recognized.
Later in the day the man taken tC
Grays undertaking rooms was identi
fed as Walter Hayes. the 22-year-olt
son of Patrick T. Hayes. a former we'll
Known cafe proprietor The identifi-
Ication was made by a member of Haye:
family.
+ Young Hayes was a foreman in thu
lyard of the pin company and vas wei
known in this city. He was unmarried
The old barge Expounder. which
/. during the Civil War was one Of til.
powerful vessels of the United State.
navy, was destroyed by dynamite Fri
: GiaV FOr some time the F,xpo,Inder In