The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1916-02-24
5 DEAD, 50 HURT IN
new HAVEN WRECK
SIGNAL Was Disregarded, and Three
Trains Piled Up. General Greeley
Hurt. Flagman Loses Life in Vain
Attempt to Avert the Catastrophe.
Investigation Under Way.

Milford, Conn, Feb, 23.-Disre-
oord Of a cautionary signal probably
was responsible for the rear end col
lision on the New York. New Haven
and Hartford Railway near here ycs-
terlay. in which eight persons were
killed and fifty injured, according to
Charles G. Ellwell, Of the Connecticut
Public Utilities Commission, who are
conducting an investigation Of the
matter. hut ms four railroad men,
nromincnt witnesses, were killed. It
will he hard to fix responsibility, it is
said.
A man and woman were killed in
stantlv when a train running forty
miles an hour crashed into the rear
of the Greenfield Express, which was
stalled 10y n broken air hose. Two 9th
or passengers died i'm hospitals. The
belief IS held that the locals engineer
failed TO obey or failed to see tho
cautionary signal. and could not make
his brakes hold when he came in sight
Of the danger signal. George T.. Tour
tclettc. a fagman sent back from the
stalled train, stood in the path If the
opproaching local frantically waving
his reg flag until the engine was upon
him.
There were several Yale graduates
returning to New York after attend
nc alumni day at New Haven aboard
on the local were several members Of
the Sons Of tho American Revolution
en- route to bridgeport to attend
dinner.
\ train passing on another track
as the express and local collided, COM
plotting the wreck.
shattered coaches hurled AGAINST
the box cars dcrailc1 thom AMI the
cars If all thrcn trains wcrc piled mp.
Passengers were buried un1cr heaps
Of Sn''ntorcd wood and twisted iron. |
The boiler of the locals locomotive
exploded. Tho bodies If tho engineer
and fireman were found honcath the
wreckaea.
Word comes from bridgeport hat
General T. s. Greeley. Of Now Ha-
Won. one Of the few surviving brigade
commanders Of Connecticut troops in .
the civil war. is believed 70 he dying /
from his injuries.
The injured were taken to Bridge.
port, II was stated. a number of 'hom /
being I'm a critlcal condition. The /.
dead included according to the lufor-
nation received here, the engineer
ard fireman Of tho special train and .
the hagman and Pullman porter and /
four passengers Of the express.
According to the official version
given ont here, train No. >, the spo-
cial. ran into train No. 20, three
quarters Of a mile cast Of Milford. No.
10 having come to a stop on account
OF broken air hose.
1t is said that the nagmau Of No. .
20 lost his life in a futile attempt 70
stop the special, running up the track
so close to the engine that he could .
not escape.
At the time Of the collision a
freight train was running west on
Inc next track. Whom the smash came
a passenger coach was forced over
against tho freight train. adding TO
the miN-up, The boiler Of the engine
drawing the special exploded throw.
ing wreckagc in every direction. The
engine Of the special was thrown
uown an cmhankmcnt and was follow
ed by the first two coaches. The
tracks within a moment were piled
nish with wrecl;agc. beneath which
'onld be seen the bodies Of a man and
woman.
Inc special passenger train was
made up in New Haven to carry pas.
%ngerS who otherwise would have
sone on the regular express train from