Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-06-27
FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT
When Trains Came Together al
 Sonih Riverside Street.

Another one of those frightful
 railroad accidents which seem to oc-
 cur every so of.en in the Brook
 lyn district happened last night
 about o'clock near the corner of
 Washington avenue and South Riv-
 eCside street when two trains
 crashed, causing the death of Fred erick Dewhurst of Fishkill Village,
 N. Y. Dewhurst was a brakeman
 and was in the caboose of a train
 when other freight cars, which had run away from their engine came tearing into the caboose with such force that Dewhurst's body was cut in two. Another man was hurled from a car but luckily escaped with his life while few of the cars were reduced almost to kindling wood.
 The accident was one of the most horrible that ever took place in this city. Dewhurst's body was cut in halves and when aid reached the prostrate man his head and shoulders were about 25 feet from the remainder of the body. All though his eyes were moving and his muscles twitching when Father Laflin of St Patrick's church ar rived shortly after the accident, 1t was no sign of life but just a re- laxing of the muscles. Dewhurst must have met death instantly.
 The accident was caused by some freight cars getting loose from the rest of train while brakemen were endeavoring to couple cars which at the time were standing on the Meriden junction It seems that the coupling pin did not work on one of the cars or the brakes were loose for the rear end of the train, about 19 cars, immediately started down the grade and there was no chance of their being stopped be- cause there was no "brakies" on any of the runaway freights.
 On down the incline, not very steep, but still a descent which gave momentum to the cars as they rolled along, they went.
 Right near the bridge at the cor ner of Washington avenue anA South Riverside street was another train of cars, the engine of which had been detached short time be- fore. The cars were all braked for the night and Dewhurst was in the caboose washing up preparing to go up town. An empty freight car in the rear of the caboose obstructed any view of what was coming and without any warning the runaway freights came crashing into the sta tionary train. What crash that was!
 Dewhurst it seems was just about to leave the car and was killed out right by the collision. John Kelly, another brakeman who was not far from Dewhurst on coal car, was hurled from his position into the sand bank nearby but luckily es- capped unhurt. The empty freight car was hurled from the tracks to the edge of the retaining wall on South Riverside street, barely miss ing landing on the street; the ca- boose was telescoped and an acid car was so damaged that its contents was scattered all over the wreckage. The train on which Dewhurst was head brakeman, 1872, arrived in this city in charge of Conductor c. T Kelly and Engineer Leo Beauchamp, about 5:40. It drew up on the tracks near the corner of Washing> ton avenue and South Riverside. The brakes were set, the engine de. tached and the brakemen prepared to quit work for the night. Kelly was the first to wash up and after doing so took seat on the coal car in front of the cabooseI where he would wait for Dewhurst. Dewhurst was cleaning up.
 Nearly half mile away was a switch engine in charge of Engineer Mulligan and James Sullivan, fireman. The engine was 2405 and was making up freight train with A. Martin and Thomas Gloven doing the braking. While trying to effect a coupling some of the cars, no one seems to know just how many, were started when the en- zine jared them and down they went towards the train standing on the same track. There was no pos sible way of stopping them as there was no brakeman on any of the cars to turn the brakes.
 When they reached the train which was standing on the rails for the night they crashed into it as stated in the beginning of the story. Early arrivals on the scene saw a sight which they will long remem- Der. The caboose. acid car and the empty freight car were as kindling wood while Kelly was digging him. self out of the sandbank nearby. There was the lower extremity If body pinned against the coal car while some 25 feet away was the head and shoulders. The head and shoulders were not such a iumbled mass as the trunk and limbs but they were bad enough.
 Medical Examiner Crane and Dep ity Coroner Makepeace were at the scene of the accident a short time liter it occurred as was Father Laf- lin of St Patrick's church. Deputy Coroner Makepeace will issue a state nent this afternoon. There was a 'umor abroad last evening that the brakes on the cars which had run way had been loosened by some of he boys in the neighborhood. but this tory is not looked upon with cred bility In the nelghborhood.
 Dewhurst was married man and md leaves a wife and three children. He is said to have been a very care