The Ely miner., 1911-07-14
TRAIN wreck FATAL
NEW HAVEN EXPRESS PLUNGES
OVER vIADUcT AND TWELVE
ARE KILLED..
ST. LOUIS BALL TEAM ON BOARD
Forty-four Others Are Injured, Some
of Whom Probably Will Die-Open
Switch Causes Disaster on
Outskirts of Bridgeport.

Bridgeport, Connecticut. - Rushing
eastward at iorty miles an hour, the
Colonial express on the New Haven
railroad plunged over a thirty-foot
viAduct on the outskirts of this city
killing twelve passengers and injur.
ing forty-four, Of whom twenty will
probably die. The wreckage caught
fire almost Immediately and the city
fire department had to be called to
prevent many Of the passengers be-
ing roasted to death in the wreckage
Train Strikes Open Switch.
The express left Harlem river an
hour late. 1t was going at high speed
when an open switch mile and half
west of Bridgeport station was struck.
There was one TREMENDOUS crash, an
instant of intense silence and the
groans and shrieks of the wounded.
The wreck was almost complete, five
cars having gone over and only three
cars of the long train being left on the
track. The engine, twisted into junk.
was 200 feet south of Fairfield ave-
nue.. Behind were the mail and bag
gage cars, while the pullmans and
coaches were in a mass in the rear.
The day coach was entirely crushed
and in it the deaths were many, five
bodies being removed at once.
Three pullmans were almost com.
pletely crumpled up, but passengers
were in a measure protected by the
strength of the cars. With firemen,
policemen and doctors working as fast
as possible the dead and injured were
laid out on the lawn of Mrs. B. A.
Horan in Fairfield avenue AS fast as
the ambulances came the injured were
sent to the hospitals.
In the wreckage of the engine was
found body thought to be the engi-
neer who had died at his post A baby
about year old was found in one
car. 1t was alive and had become sep
arated from its mother. Mrs. w. v.
Clephane, of Cherry Creek, Mr., and
its aunt, Miss Beatrice Clephane, both
of whom escaped with minor in.
juries, chiefly wounds on the head. In
another coach Mrs. Whatoum, of Phil.
adelphia, was taken out alive but her
child was dead under her. Mrs. l.. w.
Page of 1928 Massachusetts, avenue,
Washington, D. c., who was with her
maid and child, escaped with minor
hurts.
The members of the st. Louis Ma
tional league baseball team on their
way to Boston, were in the last Pull
man, but all escaped injury. The car
stayed on the track, but it's sudden stop
at the moment of the crash threw
every one of the ball players out Of his
berth. Without waiting to dress com.
pletely the players hurried from their
car, climbed down the viaduct and
spent strenuous two hours helping
railroad men, policemen and surgeons
at their work, in the wreckage. All of
the teams baggage including their
uniforms was lost in the wrecked bag
gage car.
AS mater of fact the mistake of
switching crew in the New York
yards probably saved the lives of most
of the players. When the team board
ed the train out of Philadelphia they
were in the fourth car from the engine,
but when the cars were taken off the
ferry after circling Manhattan island,
the switchmen accidentally put their
coach at the end of the train.
Warpins Rails Causes Oregon Wreck.
The Dalles, July 12.-The warping
of the rails by heat on the Oregon
Trunk railroad caused the wreck Of
a southbound passenger train. One
man was killed and about 20 persons
were injured, two perhaps fatally.
Among the injured are Mrs. j. w.
Rasmuss of Ellsworth. Wis, and C. S.
Wanson of Minneapolis. Mrs. Rasmuss
may die. Wanson is slightly injured.