South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-09-02
Express Trains Crash in Fog
Near TaIford Crossing =
Engine PIOWS Through Five
Passenger COaCheS-XQ Are
Hurt.
OLD FASHIONED SIGNALS
HELD CAUSE OF WREBK
Catastrophe Occurs on First
Day of New Road Heads
AdminiStration-NeW Sigma!
System Now in Preparation.

NEW HAVEN. Conn. Sept q
From ten to twenty-five persons were
killed and seventy-five injured shortly
before $3.50 this morning when the
White Mountain express, southbound
on the New Haven road, crashed into
the rear end of the Bar HarbOr eX-
press No. 81 at Talford crossing a
mile north of North Haven, Conn,
eight miles from this city.
Early estimates greatly exceeded the
list of killed, which it is stated will
not exceed fifteen.
The Bar Harbor express had stop
ped at a banjo signal which was set at
stop. In the dense fog the following
train failed to see the train ahead and
plOwed through five of the rear
coaches. all of which were heavily
loaded.
Coroner Mix of this city was imme-
diately notified and with a corps of
physicians was quickly on the scene.
The dead and wounded were scattered
along the tracks and many of them
were gathered together as quickly as
possible and taken to New Haven
Wallingford trolley line not far distant
where they were started for the New
Haven hospital. This stretch of road
is being equipped at the present time
with a new ssytem of signals to re-
had been in use for many years.
These signals had been condemned
fohoMng a wreck on the line of road
between this city and Hartford, by
the Connecticut public utilities COM
mittee. 1t was only recently announced
fOllOwing the series of wrecks on the
road that the signal system would be
greatly changed.
BY a curious coincidence, this is the
first day of the administration of Pres.
Howard Elliott on the New Haven
road, succeeding Pres. Charles S. Mel
len, whose resignation followed a Sc
ries of attacks upon his management
of the road.
All the available ambulances were
rushed from this city TO the scene OF
the wreck
1t was decided to send the injured
to this city by trolled and the first
carload arrived at the New Haven
hospital shortly before 9 o'clock.
Ii was said that the dead were still
king beside the wreck and that many
of the injured were also being cared
for temporarily pending removal TO
hospitals The scene of the wreck is
at Talford crossing, a mile from the
nearest station and telephone and in
a sparsely settled section. The White
Mountain express was No. 50, and the
first section of the train. while 1t was
the second section Of the Bar Harbor
express
A. b. Miller of North Haven, was
engineer on train No. 90. which crash
ed into the train ahead. He jumped
and saved himself. He was inter-
viewed by coroner's physician Good
rich of North Haven, shortly after the
wreck occurred and said:
Owing to the fog L was unable 10
read the banjo signals along the line
of the road without running very close
TO them. We came 10 the banjo sig
nal mile north of the ONrth Haven
station. which was set against us. l
Immediately applied the emergency
brake. but the crash came before l
could get action on the brake. There
was absolutely no chance TO stop"
Conductor Also Escapes.
L. II. Fowler. conductor Of No. 30,
also escaped uninjured. He told Dr.
Good rich that Engineer Miller's
statement was correct SO far as he
was able TO observe. He said there
was absolutely no chance to see but
n few feet ahead owing to the fog.
Conductor ID. G. Adams OF train No.
93 said that his train stopped at the
signal a few minutes after Z O'Clock.
They were standing there but a min
ute when the crash came.
This statement was issued Dy the
New Haven road at $3.50 a. m;
"At O'Clock this morning the
first section OF the White Noun
tain express No. %. ran into the
rear end of the second section OF
the Bar HarbOr express No. 9S. at
North Haven. The two rear sleep
ers of the Bar HarbOr train were
telescoped. Thirteen dead have
been removed from the wreck and
,fr~ ~ N