Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-09-04
THREE SCORE OF MANGLED
BODIES BESIDE THE TRACK
Terrific Rear-End Collision Smashed Wooden
Pullman Cars into Splinters-O Officials Adj
NIT Condemned Block System Is Partly
to Blame-Fog Hid Train Ahead

block a mile away, and down stretch of
track straight as an arrow plunging
through the thick fog, came the White
Mountain Express with the impetus Of
seven cars, baggage. day coach and five
slecpcrs behind the engine
TORPEDOES GAVE WARNING
Meantime Flagman c. II. Murray of
the Bar Harbor train had gone back with
torpedoes a distance. it was said, of 400
feet. The torpcdoes went off. according
to the officials of the road and some Of
the train crew. Then came the crash
Passengers in both trains were asleep
when the collision occurred The White
Mountains engine No 1887, twin of the
new Pacific superheater locomotive that
figured in tho Stamford wreck last June,
ploughed through the two parlor cars Of
the Bar Harhor train as If they had been
as much papier mache. In the forward
cars of the Bar Harbor train, which con.
sisted of II sleepers, there was panic
among the passengers but the White
Mountain came to n stop SO gradually,
comparatively speaking, that many of its
passengers scarcely realized that any
thing serious had happened.
For several minutes after the first
shock there was silence, the passengers
said, and then In the stu morning air
sounded the screams Of he wounded
Passengers from both trains turned out
to the work of rescue They found scores
of the dead and injured strewn on both
sides of the track, but there We're few
In the wrcckage The terrific impact of
No h.
two Pulmans to kindlng wood and the
bodies of the passengers instead of being
buried I'm the wreckage, fell upon It, or
We're hurled entirely clear of II.
The vcstihue of one Pullman balanced
astridc the pilot of the locomotive. and
the vestibule of the other tossed into the
ditch. were the only parts of the two cars
not completely demolished. Tonight tho
wreckage was burned by the railroad Of
ficials
TROLLEY CARS AS AMBULANCES
Trolley cars were pressed into serv-
ice to bring to New Haven both the
dead and dying. \ part of the White
Mountain train took some of the in
jured to Meriden and the unchanged
cars of the Bar Harbor train were
used to take others of the injured to
this city where they We're placed in
hospitals. There are IS here in all
and some are in such serious condi-
ton that the death list may increase.
Some of the less seriously hurt wont
on to New York.
Toe death list grew from 13 to 81
during the afternoon and evening
"nveral Of the badly injured died on
their way to hospitals or after reach
ing there.
First steps to determine who, If any
one, was to blame were taken in Sc
cret, The public was not represented
nor Will it be at the inquest. If Cor
oner Mix adheres to his announced
plan. The hearing this afternoon. pre-
liminary to the inquest. was held in
the office of the New Haven's general
managers Trainmen of the two trains
We're examined.
This hearing, according TO statement
issued tonight. was AN investigation
conducted jointly by the chief engineer
necticut, Coroner Eli Mix and the rail-
road officials" After the last witness
had been examined what purported to be
to newspaper men by the press agent of
the New Haven road.
According to this recital. every possible
lprecautiOn was taken. The nagnIan of
the Bar Harbor express went back when
his train stopped, placed torpedoes on the
track and stood ready to stop any train
that might be following. He was recalled
by an engine whistle, His train started
CT ut oh .,
permit him to overtake it. The engineer
of the oncoming train saw him and heard
the torpedoes explode and then the red
bull's-eye Of the banjo block signal glow
ed through the fog, but the warnings
were too late
ORDERS WRECKAGE PRESERVED.
Washington. Sept, 2.-Commissoner Me-
| Chord to-day telegraphed to the New
! Haven officials a demand that none OF
the wreckage be removed or destroyed
until representatives Of the commission
have conducted their investigation. To-
night he received assurances from Cen
eral Manager Woodward that tho road
would comply.
/ This action was taken, the commissions
er stated, because in the wreck on the
I
last, some of the passenger cars were
promptly burned up by the railroad and
thus valuable evidence destroyed
| WILSON SEES WRECKAGE BURN
New Haven. Conn, Sept. 2.-Presi-
dent Wilson passed through here al
! $3.50 o'clock tonight en- route from
| Cornish, N. H., to Washington. The
Presidents train. over an hour late
followed the same route where earlier
in the day the disastrous wreck OF
the Bar Harbor Express occurred. Tho
! President stood on the observation
platform and saw the wreckage as II
was being burned.
STEINMAN NOT ON TRAINS
Lancaster Pa. Sept. flames Hale
Steinman of Lancaster. Pa. who was
believed to have been victim I'm the
New Haven wreck. telegraphed rela-
tives tonight that he was not on either
OF the trains.