Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-08-04
TRAIN WRECK IN
HO0SAC TUNNEL
Terrified Passengers Imprisoned
under Mountain over Two
Hours-No Casualties.

North Adams. Mass, July Sl.-Suffering |
from intense heat. with breathing made |
difficult by smoke and gas, 200 passengers /
were confined in Hoosac tunnel for two
and quarter hours Yesterday after the
eastbound train due to pass through this
city at II ~ a. m, over the Fftchburg
division of the r. & NJ. left the rails
about $40 feet east of the central shaft
of the tunnel. blocking both tracks
Women and children We're thrown into
a panic and all the passengers received
a severe iolting when the accident occur
red The train was running nearly 30
miles an hour when the accident occurred.
but not person was hurt To add to
the confusion was the fear that another
train, due from opposite direction should
crash into the cars. which leaned toward
! the westhound track.
| II was after p. m. before the west
bound track was cleared, and 1t was
Cos D. m. when the express for Boston
due to leave here at 2:27 entered the big
bore with its own passengers and those
OF the wrecked train, using the west
track after three passenger trains which
had been waiting at the east end OF the
TUNED had passed through
| The l.N train for Boston, made up
of an express car baggage car. two Pull
mans. a smoker and coach. was about 10
minutes late. and entered the tunnel at
1879 1t had passed the big ventilating
shaft midway Of the tunnel. and was be-
ginning to gather speed down the incline.
when the tender of the locomotive left
the rails. followed by all the cars, the
locomotive alone remaining In its place
The train ran several lengths over the
ties before it came to halt and only
the hardness of the roadbetl, which kept
the car wheels from blowing into It very
deeply, prevented a much worse acct
dent
PASSENGERS PANIC STRICKEN.
The cars tilted over to the left to-
ward the westbound track. throwing
passengers toward the side of the car,
and the wheels striking the ties gave
those on board the train a severe
jolting.
There was a chorus of screams, two
or three women tainted and others be-
came hystcrical.
Some of the trainmen ran to n near
by telephone to notify the outer world
OF the accident. The telephone sys-
TEN, however, had been crippled by a
thunder storm during the morning,
and the trainmen could not make
themselves understood.
Meantime other trainmen had been
going through the cars to see If any
one was injured and reassure the pas
sengers. They attempted to persuade
them to remain in the cars and keep
windows and doors closed to exclude
the smoke.
Word spread. however. that another
train which generally meets the east
bound in the tunnel was due, and
l there was q rush TO the doors by pas
I sengers who feared that the other
! train would come tearing through the
darkness and crash into the cars tilted
Q toward the westbound track The
s trainmen were forced to give way.
The westbound train. however, was
e late, and. although the officials at
( North Adams were unable to distin-
v gulsh much of what the trainmen al
Il the telephone were saying, they knew
n that there had been an accident ir
r the tunnel and the other train was
{ caught and held at the eastern portal
!. The passengers who left the wreck
!. ed train quickly found conditions
: worse outside the cars than inside
d Attempting to grope their way
d through tho intense blacknnss in tn,
damp hole. and stumbling over rail,
and against the sides of the tunnel
they only realized the more thei
4 hclplessness. buried in the heart o
the mountain. Assured by the train
= men that precaution had been takel
to make further accident Impossible
Il they were glad to return to the cars
h BREATHING WAS DIFFICULT.
After the excitement subsidized the lon;
e wait for the rescue began. 1t was hot
- sitting hot The rain of the mornin;
- had made ventilation better, but tn
smoke and coal gas made breathing dit
- ficult. Women and children lay acros
= seats almost heplesi, while nSp ocrspire'
- and fumed.
= When It was learned that there ha,
l. been an accident in the tunnel the Off
y cials outside sent a locomotive and GREY
= In slowly to investigate. The wreck wa
'" found and II was discovered that one ca
>. had leaned so far over the westboun
u track as to make It impossible for
locomotive to pass.
!" When tho conditions were reported out
~ side a locomotive and two cars were sen
= In from North Adams and the passenger
y were brought out.
= Those on the wrecked train were give
W dinner at the Hotel Richmond by the
- u M.
g Wrecking trains were sent into the tur
a nell and the crews working under dii
NJ tressing conditions made the westboun
track passable and then began work W
on tho other
When everything was ready for III
haul. a huge oil burning locomotive wa
sent into the tunnel late this evening
pull the dcrailed cars back on the trac
and out.
Id The oil burner itself left the rails III
I'D der Its heavy load and at 10 O'Clock
v wrecking gang called from Mechanics
n vile, n. y, entered the tunnel to dig o,