Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-01-05
MILNER FUNERAL AT WESTERLY
Services for Moosup Manufactures Held Christ Church
Fire Loss of 81, O0O-Odd Fellows InstaIlationEven-
ing Schools Open.

ductors as to which had the right Of
way. Under the rules. although the
fast mail should run ahead of the boat
train, the time lost between the
Thames and Stonington was sufficient
to cancel its rights and the boat train
pulled out while Engineer Shay ana
thematized the old locomotive as he
wondered what excuse he would give
for being behind time.
The boat train departed. Fourteen
minutes later the mail train pulled out,
Old Westerly seemed to have found
herself. She settled down to her usual
pace soon after leaving the Stonington
yard and bowled along with her heavy
load as friskily as IL she was running
Tight"
In those days the station now known
as Wood River Junction was called the
Richmond switch. At that place there
was small bridge Is feet long over
little Meadow brook, and just north of
the railroad was dam holding back
the water used as power In a grist
mill. AS the fast mail sped on through
Mantle and rounded the curves to the
eastward, Engineer Shay noted a ruddy
hue in the sky directly ahead On the
bridge over the Pawcatuck, quarter
of a mile west of Richmond switch, he
picked up a hagman of the boat train,
who breathlessly told him that the
Meadow brook bridge had been washed
away and as far as he knew all Of the
the torrent was burning up.
Proceeding cautiously to the site of
the accident. Engineer Shay found that
during the night, probably within few
minutes of the arrival of the boat
train, the dam at the griSt mill pond
had broken away, letting the spring
flood into the little valley below in a
raging torrent. The stone abutments
on both sides of the bridge had been
washed away, carrying with them the
"a iIrnQ6 ha nh iCfo
OF 40 feet. Oyer this chasm the fish
plates. joining the rails together, had
held the track in place, forming O. veri-
table death trap. When the boat train
struck the f1imsy rails dangling in the
air the locomotive, the n. H. Dixon,
leaped across the chasm. 1t was fol-
lowed by the tender and some of the
three fiat cars that made up a part Of
the train. Directly back of these was
second class passenger coach, follow
ed by three first class coaches and a
smoking car.
The second-class coach that rested
upon the edge of the chasm was tel
escoped by the succeeding hrst-class
coach, all of which left the rails and
almost Immediately took fire. In the
accident seven persons were killed
outright and more than a score were
seriously injured.
Among the dead were Engineer
Guile and his fireman. both burned to
N4ASP While I1Gy were n6TOlCa1lY
performing their duties. After aiding
in assisting the injured from the burn
ing wreck and helping to dig out of
the debris some of the bodies Engi-
neer Shay returned to his locomotive
and FASTENED to Stonington for Supt.
A. 5. Mathews and medical assist
ance. On the way back he picked up
several surgeons at Westerly and re-
turned to Richmond Switch.
Under the direction of Superinten-
Irr1E Gak1
road ties were placed in the washed
out roadbed. On the tops of these
heavy stringefs We're installed and
within a couple of hours after the
principal parts of tA2 wreck had been
cleared away a temporary track had
been laid, and Superintendent Mathews
asked Engineer Shay If he was will
ing to take the train across Climb
ing into the cab, the expert engineer
cautiously opened the throttle. The
old Westerly responded gingerly.
CHANGING around, he noticed his fire.
man jumping from the cab. Not a
tremor was felt as the train pulled
slowly across and when the engineer
jumped lightly to the ground on the
other side Superintendent Mathews,
greeting him with a warm handshake.
inquired: John, did you know you
were the only one on the train when
it came across % ST thought So" re-
piled the engineman, when I saw my
nreman getting out before came
across"
The old Westerly was attached to
the train bringing the injured to Prov
idence, where news of the accident had
created a sensation and where 1t
seemed to Engineer Shay that all the
people in Providence had gathered in
Exchange place to await the arrival
OF his train. A close examination of
its mechanism In the roundhouse fail
ed to disclose any defect that could
have caused its ballSy behavior on the
run between Groton and Stonington.
Just why the locomotive became a
laggard on that single occasion has
never been satisfactorily explained to
Engineer Shay. That its cantankerous
mood prevting him from reaching
Stonington on time, was the means
of saving his life, he firmly believes.
He is also convinced that the failure
of the engine to make time was due
to an act of Providence rather than to
any mechanical defect
Early Tuesday evening q fire alarm
WAS sent in from Box IS, In the Paw
catuck district, just over the boundary
line for fire in a two story frame
workshop occupied by Albert s. Baker,
blacksmith and carriage repairer, To-
Gated off Coggsweil street and owned
by George L. Stiilman. The fire start
ed on the second floor and had made
considerable Roadway before the
alarm was sounded. but the prompt re-
Spouse of auto fire apparatus of Peleg
5. Barber Hose company and the eff
Client work Of the firenen, kept the
blaze well confined and when COM
pletely extinguished the loss did not
exceed 81 900.
The building is located close to the
big grain elevator Of the Campbell
company and Is closely surrounded by
other wooden structures, and the fire.
men did great work in preventing the
spread of the fire. Fortunately there
was very little wind at the time.
Local Laoonice.