Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-12-02
PASSENGERS IN MIX-UP
Car Of a West River Train Went
Down Embankment
Judge Schwenk Jumped Through Door,
way-Several Hurt, but Not Seriously
Track Torn from Roadbed.

way-Several Hurt, but Not Seriously
Track Torn from Roadbed
Bruised and shaken, II passengers and
three trainmen crawled out of a COM
bination mail, baggage and passenger car
on the West River mixed train yesterday
afternoon after the car left the track and
landed on its side down an embankment
a mile or more north of the West Dunn
merston station. The accident happened
soon after o'clock just as the south
bound train reached the summit of what
is called "Dummerston HILL" a little
above the place where Charles Taft lives
and that no one was hurt seriously is
considered remarkable. There were IL
passengers when the car left the rails
but Judge A. F. Schwenk of this town
jumped before the vehicle turned over.
Chairman f. j. Waterman of the village
bailffs and j. L. Stockwell Of West Brat
teboro were the heroes of the occasion,
rescuing the women and children
Most of the passengers were Brattle-
boro persons returning from county court
in Newfane. The car was at the rear end
of a freight train and was coupled to an
empty steel coal car. The mail and bag
gage compartment was behind the pas
senger compartment In the forward end
of the car were Mrs Charles Goff and son
and daughter, Wilmer Goff and Miss
Hazel Goff, and DR.. f. w. Gage, all of
woman from North Scituate, Mass, who
had been visiting in Newfane, DR.. E. S.
Niles of Boston and his counsel, Attorney
+. II. Noyes of Boston. In the other end
were Mr. Schwenk, Mr.. Waterman, Mr..
Stockwell Deputy Sheriff c. E. Mann Of
Brattleboro, Conductor Thomas Rouse
and Brakeman Louis Massey and c. E.
Donovan. Jerry Curtain was the en-
gineer.
Fire was burning in two stoves, one in
each end of the car, and the temperature
was very warm Mr.. Waterman remark
ed about the stoves as being used con-
trary to law and Mr.. Mann opened the
sliding side door. Mr. Stockwell was
sitting on a trunk near a stove and Mr..
Schwenk was seated not far from the
door. Suddenly the car began to bump
along the ties. The passengers knew 1t
was off the rails and Mr. Schwenk jump
ed through the open doorway just as the
car careened. He was the only one who
had time to get out before the car tipped
over on its side. He struck on the track
in such a way that his right ankle was
twisted, causing much pain and inhamma-
ton, and since then he has been about
on crutches.
The rear end of the car was snapped like
a whip down the embankment, which
was 90 feet wide, and the occupants,
stoves, cushions and all loose articles
were thrown about unceremoniously. The
have taken another turn and the result
would have been more serious. For some
distance the track was torn up and drawn
out of the roadbed and one corner of
the steel car was lifted off the iron. In
the wreck the air hose connecting the
various cars was cut, thereby setting the
brake automatically and stopping the
train within a short distance, about rs
feet from the point where the rear car
left the rails. Fortunately the train was
not running at high speed An examina-
tion was made to determine the cause Of
the accident but no satisfactory expla-
nation could be made. 1t was suggested
that a brake-beam might have gotten
loose and dropped down in front of the
tracks, derailing the car.
Mr.. Waterman landed on some mail
bags He picked himself up and began to
way at the lower end, which was not an
easy task, and Mr.. Stockwell received
them and started them up the bank
Somebody kicked open the door at the
upper end, but it was impracticable to
try to get passengers out through that
doorway. Dr. Niles took a shovel and
began shoveling up the scattered Goals in
order to prevent a fire.
When the car began to bump the ties
Mrs. Goff seized her little boy in her
arms, so she was unable to de anything
to protect herself. She was struck in
tne loTeHedu Dy tne corner or cushion,
which made a small wound. Miss Cor
sustained bruise on one hip, Mr.. Niles
also was bruised on one hip Mr. Stock
we'll jammed one finger and Mr.. Water
man hurt one knee Mr.. StockweUs
clothing also was damaged by ashes and
Goals.
After all the passengers had been ac-
counted for they We're assigned one OF
the most comfortable box cars, the coup
ling at the forward end of the steel coal
car was disconnected and the train
steamed to Brattleboro, leaving the coal
car and the combination car at the scene
of the wreck. A wrecking crew was sent
from the Brattleboro yard and the even
ing passenger train north started as
usual, but it was delayed somewhat and
did not reach South Londonderry until
about midnight