Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1912-11-22
BIG WRECK IN PUTNAM


same night. One lie was lost anu
thousands of dollars worth of proper
ty was destroyed.
Apparently the cause of the wreck
was the failure of the flagman TO prop
erly protect his train. This duty de-
volved upon Frank Gallagher of East
Hartford, tiagman ON the train that
was run into, who has disappeared.
An extra freight train, number 40,
pulled into Putnam shortly before
midnight Saturday. Ii WAS heavy
train and instead OF pulling clear into
the station the train was stopped on
the grade below the iron bridge with
the caboose near the curve this side of
the poor farm crossing. The engine
was uneoupled and came down TO take
water, This was done SO that the down
train again. Another extra, number
4l2, came rushing along down the
grade and there was no warning sig.
nal, according To the engineer, TO APP
praise him of danger, and the first he
knew he saw the tail lights of the ca
soose loom up ahead. lie applied the
emergency and warned his tiremen
and jumped out through the cab win
dow rolling over and over down the
steep embankment. The crash OF the
collision was heard in all parts of the
city, many people awakening from
their slumbers, but went TO sleep again
believing they had heard IA clap of
thunder.
Harrison Brooks, Is, of East Hart
ford, head brakeman on 4l2 was killed
and his body was found wedged be-
tween two cars. From the position of
the body II looked as though he had
started to jump but had not been
quick enough. He had horrible
cash in the back of his skull and 1t
was thought his back was broken.
The body was brought TO the city and
taken to East Hartford Monday morn
ing. The accident In which Brooks
death figured marked his third trip on
the train, he having only recently en-
tered the employ of the road. lie lived
with his stepfather, p. r.. Brooks, and
his mother in East Hartford While
he was always known as Harry Brooks
his name was Bellows, and his father
was the late Omar bellows. He was u
member OF the Methodist church aud
last month joined Laurel Commando
ry of the Golden Cross. He had no
brothers nor sisters. The funeral was
held Wednesday afternoon In the Me-
thodist church In East Hartford.
Engineer Walter Forbes of Boston
and fireman Hurley, who jumped, did
not receive injury. The engineer ran
all the way To the switch tower and
told what had occurred. Telephones
were brought into play and soon ply
sicians responded. Forbes, II was said
by an eye witness, was one of the cool
est among those around, and his fire.
man, though n bit dazed, soon recov-
cred The switcher and couple OF
cars bearing the physicians and help
ers went to the scene and the sight
they saw they will not soon forget.
Some twenty cars in tangled twisted
mass was what they beheid. The en-
CINE of Az was completely hidden
from view by the ears piled upon 1t.
A quick search was made for any Kill
ed or wounded and the body of Brooks
was soon discovered. John shaw OF
Pinehurst, n. G., had Il miraculous es-
cape. lie was found sitting beside a
fire he had started, suffering with Is
broken leg and several cuts. He was
in charge of a carload of horses on the
head end of train 40, but on account
of the cold had gone to the caboose TO
get warm. lie has no knowledge of
how he escaped, as he did not know a
thing about his danger until the en-
CINE struck the caboose and he was
hurled Through space. The caboose
was cam pletely cut in two.
Mean while the wrecking crews from
East Hartford and Readville had been
summoned and they arrived in the
early morning hours to tackle the tan
gled mass Of wood and iron and re-
move IL from the tracks. As fast as
possible the wreckage was burned.
Merchandise was strewn all about.
Several carloads Of Christmas novel;
ties were scattered about. A piano
was seen with its box intact and prob
ably no damage TO the Instrument.
Coal, which is now such luxury, was
piled in heap at the bottom oil the
bank. During the day people for
miles around visited the scene and
watched the workmen. The eastoound
morning train went by the way Of
Plainfeld to .Willimantic, but before
night one track had been cleared let
ting traffic past. Railroad detectives
and police were early on the scene TO
prevent things from being stolen, but
a few little trinkets were gathered up
by souvenir hunters.
Conductor Brooks, the stepfather OF
| the young brakeman who was killed
was Just about leaving Worcester on
his own train when his son was killed
| He arrived here during the night
Monday the fire claim agents OF tbs
road were in the city and looked owe
the wreck, or what was left OF IL, for I
was nearly cleared away by noon OF
that day.