The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-10-01
Disastrous Freight Wreck on
Central Vermont R. R.
ONLY ONE MAN WAS HURT
Eighteen Cars Were ..ed IN Heap Rear
the Harlow Bridge, South Of
Eorthfeld, Late YesteI-
day Afternoon.

Two freight trains, one q them traT-
cling at high speed, crashed head-on near
tie Harlow bridge. south Of Mortified,
late Yesterday afternoon, making such
heap Of debris that the Central Yer
mont's schedule had not got back to
normal condition this forenoon. By dint
Of display OF athletics, in which they
did flying leap IS they saw the inev-
litable collision coming. all the engine
men escaped injury. except engineer Levi
/ Bouchard Of the northbound freight, who
was thrown some distance BY the impact
and buried under a car door One OF
his shoulders was dislocated
4 Eighteen cars were thrown into a
I tangled mass of wreekage, making a
I property damage nearly as serious as
that Of a few weeks ago near Mortified,
when six lives were lost, besides. The
cars were loaded with many kinds Of
merchandise, from grain to candy, and
/ the track for long distance was strewn
with the freight, People who visited
\ the wreck wandered through fields Of
shelled corn and chocolates. mixed, not
to mention various other kinds Of ma
terials.
The sight which met their eyes was
4 fully as terrible as the fatal wreck OF
a few weeks ago, except that the debris
did not catch fire. and thus one awful
I feature Of the former catastrophe was
avoided. The engines had plowed their
ner; one freight car was balanced like an
lner; one freight car was balance like All
acrobat across the top of the northbound
engine, and other ears in the rear were
piled on each other in a broken mass,
while Others were thrown off the track
and beside the rails, their contents
spilled about promiseuously.
The wreck was due to mistake in
orders on the part OF one OF the crews.
On being interviewed last night, both
crews maintained stoutly that they had
orders to proceed. 1t is understood from
other sources that the n0rtnDound train
was ordered to wait for the southbound
train at Roxhury, and the southbounu
train had got orders at Montpelier June
ton to meet the northbonnd at Roxbury.
The southbound freight, i is said. had
proceeded to Roxhury in the forenoon
and after making the usual entry had
gone back northward The crew of tho
lnorthbound freight may have taken this
ENTRY TO have referred to the afternoon
southbound train.
In any event. the northbound train
proceeded beyond Roxbury and after
reaching the heights was taking the
down grade at high speed, as usual when
the collision CAME at sharp curve about
an eighth of mile from the Harlow
4 bridge, which is three miles south Of
( Northfield village. The southbound train
was necessarily going slowly, because Of
the up grade. It's crew seem to have
seen the other train first, but at that
lit was very short warning
Fireman McCarron and engineer Ed
ward Cook of this train at once leaped
from their cab and escaped serious in
jury although being bruised. Fireman
Philip Sylvester of the northbound train
\ was the first of his crew to see the im-
pending danger. and he cried to his en-
glneer. Bouchard, to Jump for his life.
He saws he cried out twice before leap
ing off, but Bouchard, for some reason,
did not follow him and was caught in
the crash which Immediately ensued.
He was hurled ont of the cab and re-
ceived the injuries to his shoulder, as
4 above stated, Mr.. Bonchard, whose home
is in ST. Adams, was taken to nearby
house for the time being.
All the other trainmen, including
brakemen and conductors, escaped serI-
Gus hurts. One OF them was Herbert
| Ladue. brakeman on the northbound
1 train; he was in the former wreck, in
which six lives were lost. While con-
graduating himself on his second escape.
| lie was Inclined to believe that his rail-
7aading days were about finished through
fslloiee
The trains were drawn by engines 400
and 405. The former was one of tho
big compound engines which have been
used on the Central Vermont for some
time. The wrecling train from White
River Junction was on the scene within
an hour and half Of the time Of the
wreck, and its crew were soon at work
on the debris. The wrecking train from
FSt. Albans was out Of commission. The
ldivision superintendent, C e. Soule, and
the trainmastcr. Jack Keefe. were like.
wise soon on the ground, the former
\ having been III Montpelier ut the time
Of the wreck While the actual noise of
the collision aid not reach him. 1t did not
take long for the news to get there.
But the noise Of the impact OF the two
trains was very heavy, being heard for
a long distance about tie country where
the wreck occurred.
The wrecking crew began their work
promptly but in spite Of their best eff
forts the main line Of the road was tied
Iup for nearly "a hours, the train schcd-
ule being completely knocked out BY the
accident The Barre branch train was
run down to the scene of the wreck late
yesterday ana brought up to montpelier
Junction the passengers on tho north.
bound passenger train, who had been
transferred by the wreck. This main
line passenger train was running some
distance back Of the freight, and was
not in danger.
4 The Northiield district has thus had
two serious wrecks and one of smaller
consequence during the past few months.
Mr.. and Mrs Rodenbaugh. who have
50 successfully put on two plays IN this
city for the Civic Federation, are to
reach here Monday. October 3, ready to
take up the training for another play,
! ua4neIv "a Dnv nj fhp panch and All