The Washington herald., 1911-07-12

Bridgeport, Conn, July 1.-THE
Federal Express, the crack train OF
the New York, New Haven and
Hartford Railroad between Wash
ington and Boston, flashed into
West Bridgeport about 8 30 o'clock
this morning more than an hour
behind time. Curtis, the engineer,
was driving the big ten-wheel loco
motive for all there was in her, try
ing to catch up to schedule.
FLUNG FROM VIADUCT.
He sent the heavy train over a cross
over switch that connected the two east
bound tracks a mile and a half west of
the Bridgeport station at sixty miles an
hour. Half a minute later cars were
lying smashed and twisted in the Fair
field avenue cut, having been flung from
a twenty-foot viaduct Curtis and Ryan,
his fireman, together with at least twelve
OF the passengers, were dead and
fifty passengers were hurt. a dozen seri-
ously.
The only explanation offered by the
railroad officials was that the high speed
was the cause of perhaps the most fright
full accident in the history Of that line.
1t was impossible for them to tell
whether the switch gave way under the
ming weakened and loosened an axle or
bursted a wheel. But they placed the
responsibility on the dead engineer for
driving a train at sixty miles an hour
at a point where the regulations call for
a f1fteen-mile rate.
No crossover switch ever built was
meant to stand against such a strain.
1t appeared to be, simply, a case OF an
engineer who took q chance in order to
keep his days record clear. The Fed
eral was due in Boston at a. m. Curtis
might have made up considerable Of the
lost time.
On the time cards OF the New York,
New Haven and Hartford the train is
described merely as the Washington and
Boston express. But all railroad men
and the travelling public know It as the
Federal. It ranked in speed and equip
ment with the Empire State, the Lake
Shore Limited, the Knickerbocker, and
other fancy trains of the big Eastern
roads. President Taft, in his New Eng
eral, and It has been a popular train
with folks who did travelling between
the Capital and Boston.
Swings Around Manhattan.
From Washington the train runs over
the Pennsylvania's tracks to Jersey
City, then swings around Manhattan
Island on a float, and regatns the tracks
at Mott Haven for the journey east
As made up last evening when 1t left
Washington, the Federal had nine cars
wooden baggage car hired by the
Bureau Of Fisheries at Washington and
containing tanks Of baby trout for dis
tribution in Connecticut lakes and
brooks, a second baggage car for trunks
and travellers belongings, a wooden day
coach, and six Pullman sleepers. The
two PulImans at the rear were occupied
by the st. Louis National League base
ball team, twenty-five young athletes
under command Of their manager, Roger
Bresnahan. Bresnahan and his CardI-
nails boarded the train at Philadelphia
and complained sorely because the train
men tagged their sleepers to the rear
end Of the Federal.
They protested because they thought
vt would be hot travelling SO far back,
but Bresnahan, as he stood this morn
fng in pajamas that had been pink but
had gotten inky black from dirt and
sweat, gave thanks that the railroad
people did not do what he had asked.
Most Of the other hall players were as
grimy as their boss, because the whole
crew had turned out OF their sleeper.
which was not thrown into the cut, and
had worked splendidly helping to get
injured passengers out of the dreadful
tangle Of splinters and twisted iron and
broken seats.
Going on Vacations.
There were perhaps 200 persons on
the train, many OF them women with
children who were going North for va
cation. The third car behind the loco
motive, the day coach, was crowded
with passengers who had not cared to
pay extra for Pullman accommodations
and who were mapping in their clothes
when the train shot on the tracks. Most
OF the killed were in that car. for IT
caught the full shock Of the fall from
the viaduct, and was, besides, ground
against the stone walls by two sleep
ers.
It's sides were pinched together In this
crushing vice and few OF the people IN
It escaped injury. Even the solidIy built
Pullmans that were hurled into the cut
failed to protect the passengers The
vestibule Of one was ground into splin-