New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-03
ARTIST, WORKING IN GARDEN,
WAS FIRST ON THE SCENE

| From a STAFF Correspondent OF The Tribune.
New Haven. Sept. 1.-The only per-
son within quarter Of mile of the
wreck when II occurred besides those
on the trains, was ~eter Mueller. an
artist and engraver, who lives in a
small cottage about four hundred
yards from the railroad tracks.
Il was working In my little truck
garden when the accident occurred"
said Mueller. Just before the crash
came / heard a number Of blasts from
steam whistles, which | believe came
from the stalled t ain, the Bar Harbor
special. Then | heard other blasts
that seemed 10 come from over Wal
lingford way. r. csc, | think, came
from the White Mountain train.
1T was foggy It the time. over
head the fog was thick, but sometimes
the fog cleared and one could see
things not higher than a mans head.
But only for a moment, for the fog
would AS suddenly descend as 1t had
lifted. II was when the fog lifted u
bit for a moment. or, 10 be more exact.
thinned out. that | was able 10 see the
outlines of the Bar Harbor train from
my little garden. l was looking when
the crash came. At the moment OF the
crash the fog fell like a curtain over
the scene.
Il ran over. The scene was horri-
ble The engine OF the White Noun
tain train had ploughed its way through
the two rear cars OF the stalled train,
and only splinters on either side OF the
tracks showed that any cars had been
there. The third car from the end had
been nosod of the track and lay on its
side. In this many small boys were
imprisoned. They were shouting and
screaming FOR help.
But the worst sight Of all was the
bit Of melon patch on the other side Of
the track, in a direct line with my
house and just south Of Talcott's Cross
ing. There lay at least dozen dead
and dying. They lay fifty to one hun
dred feet from the track. They had
been thrown that distance by the en-
CINE ploughing through their cars.
only one OF the dying was conscious.
He was japanese. His right eye had
been torn out. He told me he was an
attache OF the japanese Consulate in
New York. He was smiling when /
went 10 him.
"'Will you please give me something
TO drink he said. | gave him some
whiskey and water He drank both.
Are you badly hurt | asked. My
back seems 10 be broken he answered.
None Of the others in the melon patch
seemed TO be breathing.
Then / went among those pinned in
the third car from the rear-it was the
Pullman coach Chisholm-and assisted
in getting some OF the passengers out.
mostly boys. This we did by breaking
the windows. one OF the first we res
cued was "A little fellow in knee pants.
one Of his legs was badly crushed.
lbll lie lIlSlSlfD vi u'lIlllS w SCI SOAllt
of his comrades out.
1T seemed strange that the bodies
were thrown so far. But stranger still
was the scene overhead, with the tele-
graph wires on either side of the track
sagging under the weight OF mat
tresses. bed clothes. coatP. dresses and
other articles Of wearing apparel that
were hurled up there when the engine
ploughcd through the cars"
Women Were Brave.
But one thing that stood out above
everything was the bravery Of the
women. Many Of them came out clad
scantiy with blankets and sheets
wrapped around them. and none re-
turned 10 dress until all were assured
by the train crews that their services
were not needed And even then many
OF these women insisted on caring for
the injured men and women until they
were taken away.
| The crew of Wallingford New
Haven trolley car, which reached the
wreck a minute or so after the acct
dent, assisted in the work OF rescue.
II was at the suggestion of these two
men, Rushcll. the motorman. and Ben
nett. the conductor. that the trolley
was used as an ambulance and twelve
OF the injured hurried to New Haven.
One excited woman on the wrecked
| train ran up to b. c. Adams. conduc-
tor of the train. and, wringing her
hands, cried out: why did you ever
stop here?"
Madam. we stopped because Of the
red light on the banjo signal" replied
| Adams.
Engineer Miller, Of the White Noun
tain train. was the first man inter-
viewed by Deputy Coroner Goodrich.
of New Eaven. who was the first Off
cial to reach the wreck. Asked to tell
his story, Miller said:
Il was running close to the signal
When | saw the red light on the banjo