Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-17
WRECKED---
EXPLOSION AT BOSTON.
White Mountain Limited Deraihd ---0ne
Dead, Il Hurt---Three Killed and
-Four Hurt In Explosion at Boston.
AN EXPRESS WRECKED.

Greenwich, Conn, July 16.-One wo
| man was killed, two may die from
shock or injuries, and nearly a dozel
persons We're seriously hurt when TIL
White Mountain express Of the New
York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad
was wrecked 100 feet west of the sta
ton here at $50 o'clock this morning
Spreading rails caused the 10-car traiI
to leave the tracks while it was cross
ing bridge over Steamboat road. an(
five of the passenger coaches, including
four Pullmans, We're hurled into {
ditch. where they collapsed like paper
boxes That less than Is of the $50 pas
sengers were killed or injured seem!
little short of miraculous, as the trail
was going SO miles an hour.
The most tragic incident of the wreck
was the death of Miss Margaret Arm
strong of Wayne, Pa, who was seated
beside her mother in one of the Pull
man coaches when the train left the
tracks. Miss Armstrong sprang from
her seat and leaped out of a window
just as the car toppled over, and SHE
was ground to death as her mother
looked on. Mrs. Armstrong tainted
from the shock and when she recovered
consciousness in the hospital she was
out of her mind. The doctors admins
tered opiates to quiet her. They say
her condition is serious and that she
may die, although she was not injured
in the wreck.
The other woman who may die is
Mrs. A. w. Drake of II East Sth street,
New York City, who was crushed in
one of the cars.
An investigation as to the cause of
the wreck will be made. The coroner
has had the engineer and both conduc-
tors of the train placed under arrest
and he is having the work of removing
the wreckage watched. This action
was taken because of a report that
reached the coroner that rotten tie
on the bridge caused the accident.
There is evidence. it is alleged, that
the tie was in such q worm-eaten con-
dition that the spikes holding the rails
We're pulled out.
The White Mountain express left
New York at $40 o'clock this morning.
1t was made up of two baggage cars,
a mail coach, five Pullmans and two
day coaches and was drawn by two
heavy electric motors. Exceptionally
high speed is maintained by this train,
as it makes but a few stops The eX-
press is not scheduled to stop at Green
witch and it swept by the station going
nearly a mile a minute. A few seconds
later a grinding noise was heard as the
rails spread and the wheels went
humping over the ties.
dent AMI the baggage cars, mail car
and two day coaches were carried
along the roadbed for 500 feet before
they stopped. Four Pullmans went into
the ditch and the third one, in which
Miss Armstrong and her mother were,
turned over on it's side. 1t was in this
car that nearly all of the other injured
passengers were riding. wrecking
crew had to jack the Pullman up be-
fore the body Of Miss Armstrong could
be removed. A single girder on the
bridge appears to have been all that
kept the ether cars from turning over.
The noise of the wreck. followed by
the cries of the injured and frightened
passengers was plainly heard in the
town and in a few minutes several
scene Of the wreck and aided in car
ing for the wounded The fire engines
were called, as it was feared the cars
would catch fire and ambulances were
summoned from all of the hospitals.
Great surprise was expressed when it
was found that less than a dozen per
sons had been injured. The coroner
and officials of the railroad We're quick
ly on the spot and Investigations were
begun. The coroner said that he would
have nothing to say as to the cause
of the wreck until he has concluded his
Investigations and the railroad Off
Gals would not discuss the accident.
The road was blocked for hours and
all trains on that division were de-
layed.
Greenwich, Conn, July 16.-Spread-
ing rails at point hundred feet west
of the station of the New York, New
Haven & Hartford Railroad here, sent
five Pullman coaches of the White
Mountain express train, leaving New
York at $40 o'clock this morning. into
heap Of ruins a few hundred feet
further on and caused the death Of
one woman passenger. the injury of
about a dozen others and shaking up
of the 100 or more passengers in the
coaches.
Miss Armstrong is the first passen-
ger to die in wreck on the New Hav-
en- road for seven years.
The body of Miss Armstrong has
been removed to local undertakers.
Mrs Armstrong is under treatment at
Kent House. completely Frustrated by
the death of her daughter.
Mr. Traub, passenger in an inter-
view said:
when the train reached the bridge
the first car behind the engine sank
down and we thought the whole train
was going but the electric engines
yanked us out. The timbers of the
bridge seemed to come up through the
floors of the cars.
CONTINUED on PaRe Ten.)