Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-08
-Four Trains in Collision
Near Fairfield, CT.
Others Seriously Injured and
Several Reported Missing.
Peculiar Circumstances Of Wreck
Cars Piled IS Feet In Air.

dlilltlut IL, y uIt t.-f I've lives dIb
| knoVn to have been lost as a result of
peculiar train wreck, involving four
freight trains, at Loekwood's crossing
| on the New York, New Haven &
Hartford railroad, a mile west Of this
| town, late last night. Several tTainmen
were injured. four so seriously that
they We're removed to hospitals and il
was reported this forenoon that some
Of the members of the train crews Were
missing. Although wreckers have been
at work since midnight last night. the
tracks We're still blocked this morning
ami there is but little prospect of the
tracks being cleared so that traffic can
be resumed before noon.
The dead: William Laurie. engineer.
of Hartford: Robert Gales, fremen.
New London: Robert Beach. engineer,
New London: fireman, unknown; --
Hoffman. brakeman,
The more seriously injured: Charles
Fox, fireman. New Haven. taken to
Bridgeport hospital. broken ribs, con-
tusions of scalp. internal injuries
Oliver HUFF, IL years old. taken 10 st.
Vineent's hospital. Bridgeport, con-
ductor, of North Vernon, y. Y. both
legs broken. internal injuries.
Daniel Harmon, brakeman, Merrick,
Mass, st. Vincent hospital; extent Of
injuries not known.
Michael Walsh, 1888 East 105th street.
New York; probably internal injuries.
The cause of the accident has not
been definitely determined. but it is be-
lieved that it resulted from the stop
ping of an eastbound train owing to IA
hot box. Another freight following close
behind crashed into the standing train.
Several cars. derailed by the impact.
fell across passing westbound freight
and a few seconds later a second west
bound freight ran into the wreckage.
The last collision was followed al
most instantly by the explosion of the
boiler of one of the engines,
The crash occurred about a quarter
of a mile west of the town at what is
known as Lockwood's crossing. The ex-
plosion of the engine set the wreckage
ON fire and it was only put out on the
arrival of the Fairfield fire department
The wreCkage was strewn over all four
tracks and in the middle of it all ther
was pile of cars 80 feet high. on top
of which rested one of the engines.
As soon as the seriousness of the
wreck was realized word was tele-
plsoned to Bridgeport, where a hurry
cali was sent out for physicians. six
of whom came to the scene OF the
accident, accompanied by an anbu-
lance and Il squad of policemen. On
their arrival, assisted by the Fair
field phy sicians. the wounded who lad
been taken out OF the debris were
cared for, the most seriously injured
being sent To Bridgeport hospitals and
the others carried To nearby houses
where their injuries were temporarily
dressed
On account of the darkness which
was made more intense by Il silgni
rain which was failing Il was only by
the cries of the injured that they
could be located and dug out. The
dead were found when searchers
stumbled across their bodies AS soon
as dawn broke a more systematic
search was made which brought tie
light the body of a fireman which has
not yet been identified. and it Is
| Thought that the wreckage covers sew
eral other bodies, as some OF the
trains crews have not yet been ac-
counted for.
Failure of an engineer to observe
a signal, is given by the New YORK
New Haven & Hartford Railroad OF
ficials as the cause CT the freight
sna sh-up at Fairfield.
The following statement was is
sued a=
Extra 33S, running east on track
No. .. the inside eastbound track
stopped to fix hot box; engineer
| of freight train from Harlem River
To 6olyoke and Midway, known q
H. Y. 2. also running east on the IN
! side eastbound track, failed TO Cd
serve the Fairfield signal which Was
against him and ran into the rear y
freight train, blocking the two west
bound tracks, ran into the wreckaEe.
BASED on the present informa1loi
ut hand, the man responsible ~
starting the wreck was killed. II
addition, the fireman and brakemaiI VI
| this train were also killed. ana Az
engineer on one of the westponh'
freights that ran into the wreckds'
was killed. The names Of the 'tei
/ killed are: