The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-03-31
BODY OF VICTIM IS
BENEATH WRECKAGE
Willis Perrett of BrattlebOrO
Was in River Side of Cab
When Locomotive Plunged
Into Stream.

One life was lost and seven others were
placed in great danger when a big Cen
trail Vermont compound engine and ca
boose plunged into the Connecticut river
early Sunday morning at the Williams
siding, two and a half miles north OF the
East Putney station, and the fact that tho
engine and crew CHANGED to be sent south
light from Bellows Falls, intending to
come to Brattleboro, alone prevented
death list OF passengers on the owl
train, due here at $40 a. m, that would
have Mortified the country.
The engine and caboose, With a human
freight OF eight, and 100 feet or more Of
Boston & Maine double track, slid into the
water, leaving only the rear end of tho
caboose visible above the surface, carry
ing Fireman Willis Perrett to his death.
and jeopardizing the lives Of seven others
who escaped only through a piece OF great
good fortune.
TIE DEAD
Willis Perrett. fireman, Rrattleboro
supposed to be PINNED under engine il
river.
THE SURVIVORS.
A F. LittIefield. engineer, Of Brattle
boro,
Cornelius DrscolD student fireman
Athol Mass.
A L, Okerstrom, conductor, New Lon
don, Conn
Frank f Ryan, brakeman. Brattleboro
Thomas J. Aher, Brattiehoro.
Perle Mandigo. engineer learning divi
sion, Bellows Falls.
Hugh Crawford, riding as passenger
Brattleboro.
/ The engine and caboose were running
slowly from Bellows Falls to Brattleboro
after having taken a siding at Bellows
Falls to let pass train No. 81, northbound
composed of several heavy passenge-
coaches and Pullmans Engineer Little
field pulled ont of Bellows Falls at > Il
in the morning and at 423 his engin,
and the caboose slid with the track anc
roadbed into the Connecticut. There wa
absolutely no warning Of the impendin.
accident. While the southhouud track d
this point was unsafe trains in both direc
tons were being operated over the north
. bound and slow orders were in force
owing to the general condition of the road
bed. The fact that the heavy passenge-
train had passed over that stretch OF
track only little over an hour hefor.
made thoughts of such an accident foreign
to the minds of the crew.
In the cab were Engineer Littlefeld
who was running the engine; Fireman
Perrett who was seated on the fireman.
seat, and Student Fireman Cornelius
Driscoll, who, at the time of the accident
was feeding the fire How those wh,
escaped did so is something they are un
able to explain.
\ Reformer representative, with Alfre,
{ t.. J.
morning to the scene of the accident
the last five miles through a rough sea o
almost impossible mud At the home O
; H. c. Loomis the rescued members of til
crew were found and Engineer Littlefel
f told this story:
: Our crew left Brattleboro Thursda
= night and was tied up at Bellows Fall
= that night at , o'clock. We lay ther
until 1925 o'clock last night, when W
were ordered out to go north with a tran
> We got only to Charlestown when engin
:. trouble forced us out of the running. W
= were ordered back to Bellows Falls an
}, were sent light to Brattleboro, or ordere
J. there, and ordered to go slow all the wa,
Il The northbound track was unsafe at ii
f point where we met with the accident an
= the southbound track was being used as
y single track for all trains. | had to wa
), at Bellows Falls for No 81 to come
|, and when she came in | pulled out, lea,
; in@ there at $40 o'clock 1t was with
f minute or two after 4 ,25 when we wer
= over the bank
{, I was running the engine and was G
D, the upperside as she plunged down with Il
s. bank and track. Poor PerTett was on IL
r. iireman's seat and the student fireman
e Driscoll, was feeding the fire. There vi
not any warning. The whole thing ju
= slid, the pilot partly turning towards Il
d river and plunging down How | got o.
g | do not know. ! know I realized | WI
o rising in the water and then the suctie
ID dragged me down. I struck against
ie that was coming up and hung on The W
Y. ter was sort Of eddNing tLere and I NJ