Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-25
A SPLIT SWITCH
Wrecks Buffalo Bills Wild
West Near Lowell, Mass.
Four Employees InjuTed---EIe-
phani CTuShes Two BuTrOs.
Panic Among Animals Part of the
Show "Aikes" 8 Miles 10 City.

GUWet Mass, May Al our CIT
Gus attaches We're more or less Sc
Verely injured when the second sec
son of the Buffalo Wild West special
train was wrecked near the Brookside
station on the Stony Brock branch
Of the Boston Il Maine railroad, in
the town of Westford eight miles
from this city. early today One IF
the injured men was removed to a
hospital before his name or the ex-
tent of his injuries could be learned
The other injured men are:
Shafter Leeper. Lewiston, Pa, in
juries to legs and ST mach.
Thomas E. Fnrey. Philadelphia, dis
located shoulder.
William J. Wood, Meriden, Conn.
fractured kneecap
No person was killed, but two bur
res had their lives crushed out when
4 big elephant fell upon them.
The accident was enc OF the nost
spectacular in the history OF railroad.
ing in this section The show trains
were coming from Fitchburg 10 this
city. The second section, consisting
in all of 28 passenger and animal
ears. and carrying 400 people and an
immense lot of animals, had reached
the Breokside station and was cross
ing switch leading to a siding. col
onel William f. Codys private car
was attached to this section of the
train
Most Of the cars We're heavy animal
Gals Of steel construction As the
train passed over the siding truck
on one of the cars was .ippel Off
The cause has no, been determined
but it is believed that the accident
Of the truck was due to what is
technically known as a split switch
The car next to the one that lost
its truck took the switch at right
angles. enc end going on to the main
line and the rear end going on to
the side track The car in the rear
2f this vas derailed and rolled over
on its side. The fourth car was also
badly smashed up when it jumped the
rack.
The wrecked cars contained Gle
plants, horses. burros and buffaloes.
as well as a number of men who were
in charge of the animals and the in
tGred men were riding in the car that
held the buffaloes. When the car was
derailed. the men were imprisoned
within its steel sides. and for time
it was feared that they would be killed
by the frightened buffaloes. which had
started to stampede within the close
limits of freight car The door of
the car could not be opened and it
was necessary to smash a hole i'm tho
steel side of the car in order to rescue
the imprisoned keepers. All of them
were finally removed and then the
buffaioes were lassoed and dragged
out one by one and herded on the side
of hill.
Another car contained five elephants
several burros and valuable stallion.
When the car overturned. one of the
elephants fell on top of two burros.
crushing them to death. It was nee
essary in the case of this car to cut
"a big hole in the side in order to get
out the animals. Four of the elephants
had to he dragged out ~ the combined
efforts of all the show attaches and
one big elephant. after the car was
cleared, was able to climb out of the
hole. The stallion caused more
trouble than all Of the other animals
put together, but was finally Iassoed
and dragged kicking and bucking from
the car.
BY this time all of the people living
in the vicinity had reached the scene
and volunteered to assist the cowboys.
Indians and Cossacks In herding the
animals. Their offers were refused.
however, the show hands not caring
to entrust the care of the animals to
strangers.
The accident occurred about 3 o'clock
IN the morning and blocked up the
road for several hours. In order to
reach Lowell on time to give the reet-
TAR performances today il was neces-
sary for the animals and performers
u make the trip over the highway and
carly risers between Lowell and West
lord witnessed the strange spectacle
Of buifaloes, elephants and various
other animals plodding over the road,
driven by cowboys blanketed and
painted Indians and bearded Cossacks
Colonel Cody said after the accident
that the shows loss by the accident
was not extensive. The principal loss
tails on the owners of the cars, which
are chartered by the show.