The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-11-23
CROSSING OF EVIL
FAME SCENE OF
ACCIDENT
TrOlIy Car Jumped Track at Ben
ningtOn Death Trap
JE WALBRIOGE AND OTHERS HURT
Fortunately Nobody Was Killed
When Car Left Iron at the
Soldiers Home Crossing

The soldiers home crossing on the
Bennington and lloosick Falls diyi-
sion of the Berkshire street railway
system was the scene of another ac-
cident Saturday evening. Fortunate
| ly the occupants of the trolly car. be-
tween Is and %, escaped with no
broken bones. II is even more for
tunate that none of them were fatal
ly injured. Several occupants of the
ear received cuts and bruises. but the
injuries are of a nature from which
lrecoveries will be rapid.
The car, which was running from
this village to North Bennington. left
the track on the right hand side.
When it left the rails It tipped and
rocked so that a number of the occup-
ants thought it was going over. It
remained upright, however. anu ii is
due to this fact no serious consequence
es resulted from the accident
j. Ed Walbridge has cut on the
back of his head and one leg is bruis-
ed from the knee to the thigh.
Miss Bessie Niles OF SALISBURY,
teacher in the SALISBURY district
schools, has bruised leg. She also
lost a pair of glasses which were
smashed when she was thrown from
her seat.
Henry Ross received slight cut on
the forehead and other bruises.
Clifford II. Roberts who is employ
ed by the H. c. White company at
North Bennington. was unable TO
leave his bed Sunday and may be
more seriously hurt than was appar-
ent Saturday evening.
The car left Bennington on its reg
ular run at o'clock in the evening
In charge Of Conductor Ralph Haynes
and Motorman John Guidon. Mr.
Walbridge. in describing the accident
said today that he had always posses
sed an inclination to hold his breath
when going over the crossing as he
les a PASSENGER in the car which
struck an automobile at the same
spot several years ago killing one
man and injuring several of the oc
cupants of the motor car.
When the ear reached the crossing
MIR. Walbridge said. it left the rails
on the right hand side and began 10
bump along on the frozen earth. The
q -. rfghf fhat
he believed IL was going over and the
threw himself on the floor 10 prevent
being jammed through a window. The
car came to q sudden stop, the door
into the front yestibule flew open and
he shot along the floor into the vesti-
bule. lie picked himself up as quick
~ as he could. lighted match and
endeavored to quiet the thoroughly
frightened inmates OF the car. The
motorman. however. retained his
presence OF mind and connected the
trolley pole With the wire so that ths
lights in the car we're again in oper-
alton.
When the lights came on, Mr.. Rob
eris. who is large and heavy man.
was found lying upon the floor and
other passengers were picking them
selves up from under the seats. II
was soon ascertained that there were
no broken bones among the list Of in
jured and as soon as the ear at the
Willow switch could be summoned by
telephone the passengers were trans
ferred and carried toward North Ben
ningtGn.
In spite of the fact that many Of
them wee more or less bruised, the
passengers could not but laugh over
an incident furnished by Mrs. Mary
Rice who lives on the fats. Mrs. Rice
had been in Bennington purchasing
supplies. When the car left the rails
she was thrown to the floor but as
soon as the lights we're in operation
she began gathering her scattered
bundles. As she picked up and care
fully examined one bag she thankfully
remarked. Never broke an egg
The accident was probably due &c
the freezing and packing OF snow and
ice long side the rails at the crossing
During snch weather as prevailed last
week the snow and ice gather in the
e-ooves in which the iaiis ave laid A.
crossings and require frequent clean
ing.