Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1910-08-25

NV DfANee ~ f0
Five lives we're snuffed out in q head
on collision OF freight trains on the Gen.
trail Vermont railway between West Ber-
lin and Mortified Falls at 9 O'Clock sun
day morning, end several other trainmen
were badly injured. The dead are. VII
liam Brudnell Of Northheld, conductor
on the southbound light train, pinned be-
tween engine and csboose; L. Dubuc Of St.
Adams, fireman on southbound trs in
Frederick Bergman OF ST. Adams, en-
gineer on ~northbound train; Joseph Lang
Of New York, conductor on northbound
train; Harold S. Lanigan Of New York,
brakeman on southbound train. The in
iured are: Engineer William Wynn OF ST.
Albans, collar bone broken, hip disloeat-
ed; j. r. Smith OF Montpelier, hip brok-
en-, badly cut about head, and Charles
Boat OF st. Adams, brakeman, suffering
from shock but not seriously hurt.
The telegraph operator at Mortified is
said to have had orders to hold the north
bound train at that station to meet the
n that was running light, south bound.
The operator, Philip Menier OF st. Al
bans, was a substitute who assumed his
duties the previous night. lie failed to
drop his signal board in time and the
heavily loaded freight, consisting Of 80
cars drawn BY engine All, went through
Northfeld on the steep down grade at q
speed OF 80 miles an hour. The operator
rushed out just as the caboose was pass
ing the station. He made frantic efforts
to attract attention and followed the train
to the dry bridge in N~orthheld. Getting
no response from the trainmen, he waited
in agony for the crash which came = few
minutes later.
II is surmised that the reason that Con-
ductor Lane and Brakeman LAnigan were
riding on the engine when the collision
occurred, was because they had seen the
gestures of the telegraph operator and
had gone 10 the head OF the train to COM
municate with the engineer. Seven cars
Of the up train were demolished. Il was
said that In one car there were three
horses which were being taken to the
Morrisyille fair, that their bodies we're
crenated Ia the Ore that followed the coli
lision and that two men, who were &C
c~ompanying the horses, persisted with
them. This report, however, was not
verified aud Il was stated at the head
quarters OF the road In st. Adams that
the way bills OF the train did not show
That there were any horses on hoard.
Where the accident happened IL one OF
the sharpest curves on the Central Yer
mont.
The ~southbound train consisted OF en-
CINE 33s and caboose and was going to
Northneld to carry members OF the Yer
mont National Guard to Burlington.
With the exception OF the engineers
and nremen, those killed were strangers
TO Vermont, having taken the places Of
the roads employees who vent on strike
last month.
In the heavy train were two tank cars
OF kerosene and next to them were cars
loaded with bard pine, roofing paper.
furniture ana granite. These were piled
in q heap down = 2O-foot hank. The
kerosene caught fire and The whole made
y fierce blaze that kept rescuers and
wreckers many rods away for hours.
The hre alarm was sounded at North
neic and a hose company and hand en-
CINE we're hurried to the scene. They
pumped water from the river close By
and did much service ia extinguishing
the iames and cooling the ruins so the
y recking crew could work.
The first thing done was to take the
charred aud unacceptable bodies Of the
dead from under the ruins. With the ex-
ception OF the cars burned, the remain
der Of the long train did not leave the
rails and II was pulled back to NorthheId.
In this part Of the train Was one car
load OF dynamite aud one car OF
gasoline. Owing TO the fierce fire,
1t was not until late in the aft.
ernoon was II possible to make any at
tempt 10 clear the track. II was neces-
sary to lay new rails aud ties for several
rods as the great heat bad destroyed the
track. The day passengers were carried
BY and the tracks made passable at 1915
IN the evening. Hundreds OF teams and
automobiles carried a great crowd OF spec
tators 10 the scene Of the wreck aud get.
ting out the bodies III clearing the track
was watched by more than a thousand
people.