Norwich bulletin., 1912-07-26

1ured persons at Stonington and will continue his investigation today. Claim Express Could Have Been Stop ped
 Railroad men at Stonington have ad- vanced the theory that the wreck may | have been caused because the flag man did not properly warn the ex- press train. The regulations say that hagman shall go back at least 1 eighteen telegraph poles and place his l signals. It is claimed that a flag | signal takes precedence over a block l signal at any time. It is maintained that the express could have been stop 1 ped in time if the train had been 1 Tagged
 All of the injured were reported as resting comfortable Thursday night.
 Express Train Sideswiped Freiqht.
 The wreck, which is the worst known at Stonington Junction, oc- cured just before 63O o'clock Thurs day morning, when the Adams express train on the Shore line division of 1 the N. Y. N. H. and H. R. R. crashed into the head end of a freight train that was backing into a siding at Stonington. on cross over directly be- low the tower station. Both trains were badly wrecked, three men were killed, one very seriously injured and two others were injured
 Traffic Held up Twelve Hours.
 Traffic was held up twelve hours and the cause is said to be defective sig nais, failure in operation or neglect in observance of rules of the road. The point can only be settled by in vestigation.
 J. F. Conlon of Boston, head brake man on the freight train.
 Cecil Cheney of Midway engine hostler, who was riding on the extra freight engine.
 An unidentified man who was caught in the wreckage.
 Injured.
 Frederick Hadley of New Haven, fireman of Adams Express train, left hand amputated arm broken and oth- CT injuries.
 Patrick Conley of Port Chester, N. Y., four ribs broken, back bruised and cut on head.
 James Masterson, Patterson, N Y, cut on thigh and hip and chest bruised.
 Express Four Hours Late.
 The Adams Express train, from Jer sey City to Boston, composed of thir- ten cars, left New London about two hours late and was proceeding at fun speed when teh accident occurred. En- gineer Charl Mansfield of New Ha- ven says that the signal near the crossing signified a clear way, and he Kept going right along. and as h. rounded the curve he saw that the home signal close to the tower was sef against him. He saw the freight traiT backing off the main line and knew that collision was inevitable. He i'm mediately threw on the emergency brakes. reversed the levers and jump ed, landing in the cwamp beside tht tracks. He was somewhat stunned anC burned by escaping steam. Crowds Flock to the Scene.
 The crash as the trains met was heard as far as Cannon square al } Stonington and the steam escaping , from the engines was heard all ovel the borough. Crowds were soon or the scene of the disaster, including nearly of Stonington borough, Wester- , VI, Mystic and Pawcatuck people, al so hundreds of autos from all over tht 5 county.
 Shock Was Terrific.
 The freight train in addition to it! ] long string of cars had two locomo , tives. No. 307 was on the head O the train and was dead" that is, wa! not aiding in the motor power of th'
 train, but was being taken to Wester
 ly to supply a disabled locomotive
 Cheney, the hoseler, was riding in tn,
 dead engine and was killed TheI came locomotive No. 400, and next wa l a steel coal car of the gOndola type
 The Adams Express train was mad
 up of thirteen cars, a car containing
 four polo ponies from Portchester t f Narragansett Pier, next a car load o $ automobiles and then a steel expres f car.
 . It is evident that the express engine , No 1904, struck No. 400 which was s' : completely demolished that no sem
 blance of a locomotive was left-noth
 ing but a heap of junk. The tende
 and the end of No. BOT was cOmpletel.
 smashed and the express engine wa f terribly smashed.
 Car Thrown Over Freight Train.
 The impact was so great, that tn
 car containing the horses and tw
 attendants, Patrick Conley and Jame
 Masterson, were thrown completel,
 over the freight train striking tn 8 tower station and landing in tn ,, marsh on the opposite side of tn . east bound track One of the pOnie f and the two men got out of the ca - unassisted through break in the rooi I Employees of the silk mill, located nea r the scene of the wreck, cut away tn
 end of the car. and liberated the me q an dtwo ponies. The other poney wa S so badly injured that it was shot | Q end it's suffering.
 ', Automobiles Smashed to Pieces. /, o The car containing the automobile
 and it's contents were smashed int
 small pieces, while the steel car wa
 thrown on it's side off the trucks, bu e not much smashed. For a distance c }. fully 150 feet there was a mass c |, tangled wreckage. The three locomo @ tiyes, three ears of the Adams Ex 5. press train and three freight cars, a 7. in one mass, blocked both track = Tenders were twisted and torn, truck Il Were scattered and the mass of debrl was almost indescribable
 Clearing Up the Wreck.
 Within an hour after the mishap tn r big derrick with d large working ere f arrived from Midway, followed an hol - later with another derrick and work c ing crew from Bellows Falls, and wit -t both crews were big gangs og laborel - to aid in clearing the debris and oper l. ing the road to traffic.
 l Resouing Hadlsy. Is Employes of the velvet mill wei $ waiting for the whistle to commend e work when the terrific crash ws e heard. and the millmen rushed imm' n diately to the scene and rendered evel if possible assistance Enshrouded ,t escaping steam. Fred Hadley, Il $ fireman of the Adams Express trai
 was making vain endeavor to fr' Himself from the wreck. The millmt
 went quickly to his assistance aI
 found that he was held by both hant > between the cab of the engine and u . end of a partially wrecked car. Amor c. the merchandise thrown from wrecl le ed freight car were some blanket T. which were hastily gathered and