Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1913-03-19
HEAD-ON COLLISION
Brakeman Fatally Injured and Engineer
Kinney of the Way Freight Received
Broken Arm.

| The second section of the through
freight No. 623 northbound, crashed in
to the way freight going south in the
cut just north of the Chandler veneer
mill at Orleans about p. m. Wednes-
day evening, March IL. Six cars were
completely demolished, one badly dam
aged and the locomotives were driven
together with such force that the
Wrecking crew was unable to separate
them for time. Three of the cars
were thrown from the track and rolled
down the steep embankment into the
river nearly seventy-fve feet below
| With the exception of brakeman
Alvin L. Smith, both engines were
abandoned when their crew saw that
collision was imminent
The nOrthbound train was going at an
unusual rate of speed. Several who
were near the track as the train a ssed
say that it is seldom that train goes
through this village at higher speed.
An observer said that he was quite
near the track when the locomotive
passed, but kept stepping back for he
did not care to be too near if anything
should happen: E. E. Doe, superin-
tendeht Of the E. L. Chandler Company
said. "I was going down to the veneer
mill when | heard the train strike the
wooden bridge near the upper mill. I
had only a short distance to go and
| thought | could make it on the track
but they came on SO rapidly that | had
to run to get to a better place for
them to pass me-. Mr.. Doe saw the
trains meet and says he never wants to
experience such a sensation again.
From all appearances, Engineer Card
we'll of the northbound extra did not
notice the board set against him. He
was running on orders to meet the way
freight at Coventry and evidently was
not expecting any change. There were
no appearances of the brakes being on
as they passed the station. There are
various opinions as to this but the
greatest number think that there was
no effort made to stop the train until
they sensed their peril
+. E. Mathews, in talking Of the ac-
cident, said, that he stool in the door
of his feed store looking toward the
station when he was attracted by the
movement Of the crossarm as it was
put up. A workman in the yard at the
veneer mill said that he heard the train
whistle IN. looking up he saw the
freight coming and is positive that the
arm was up. Another man said he
was in the station when Mr.. Wheeler
displayed the signal
James Kinney of the way freight
and his fireman realized their peril only
In time to jump. The former sustain
ing broken arm and other injuries.
The rescuers found Alvin L. Smith,
} brakeman on the same train, jammed
between the boiler and tender and
nearly buried in coal, his temple
crushed in. He was taken to DR..
. Wells office and there made as com
Portable as possible. until he could be
taken by special train to Brightlook
hospital at ST. Johnsbury, where it
was found that he had received a COM
pound fracture of the skull. He died
Thursday morning without having re-
gained consciousness Mr.. Smith is
survived by his mother, Mrs. Adelaide
! Sulham of Wheelock and brot Enoch
; of Lyndonville
Passengers of the air line and mail
trains which were unable to pass
: through Orleans. on account of the
: wreck were conveyed by teams tC
Browns crossing where a special train
: took them to Newport
A wreck train was dispatched from
: Lyndonville and derrick car and crew
, from Newport; but it was nearly ] a,
: m. Thursday before the track coulo pe
cleared of debris sufficiently to allow
trains to pass.
The freight in the damaged cars was
l taken out and the cars, six in number
> were burned to enable them to save
the scrap iron. ~
This was the most serious accident
; that has occurred near here in a lone
time, as far as property loss is con.
, cerned and all are glad to learn thai
an automatic block signal system is
: being installed at the present time.
: A hearing has been held by the rail
t road company and also by the Public
r Service commission but the Monitor is
7 unable to learn the result of these in
Investigations.
: