Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-08-23
CRASH ON CENTRAL VERMONT
shuttle Train" and B. & L. In
Head.on Collision.
J. Ross Roberts, Railway Mail Clerk,
Seriously lnjured-Arthur Tabor
and w. n. Cronin Slightly Hurt
-Orders Not Obeyed.

J. Ross Roberts, railway mail clerk, was
seriously injured and Arthur Tabor. bag
and william H. Cronin, ex-
press messenger. were slightly injured
when train 81 bound for Essex Junction
over the Central Vermont railway ana In
charge Of Conductor Mancastroppa and
Engineer Carter met train q bound for
Burlington and in charge Of Conductor
Frank Shinville and Engineer Hutchin-
son in a head on collision just west Of the
North avenue tunnel.
The northbound train left the Union
Station at los with orders to stop at the
round house and meet the train from
Cambridge. The train passed the round
house. although the tower man had set
the signal to stop. When the man In the
tower saw the train pass the roundhouse
he Immediately notified the station. ask
ing why the train was going on. He was
told by Operator George Perry to stop 1t
at once and back II up before the south
bound train struck It. As 1t passed the
tower he signalled It to stop which It did
Just beyond the tower, but there was not
time to back 1t up before train % was upon
1t. The fact that the southbound train
was moving at rate Of only six miles an
hour lessened the amount Of damage done.
The northbound train took the brunt Of
the collision. The engine, No. 100, was so
badly damaged that II was necessary to
pull the train back to the station with an
other engine. Just back Of the engine
was a heavy Pullman car which really
saved the lives of the occupants Of the
day coach In back Of 1t. The connecting
rod of the Pullman was bent into two 45 de-
gree angles and the front Of 1t splintered.
but otherwise It was not damaged. The
day coach following the Pullman was
damned together SO that the floor at the
two ends came up in two ridges and the
seats were all thrown together.
The middle Of the car was not damaged.
! In spite Of the havoc wrought by the COL
lision inside the car. not one window was
broken. The pilot on the southbound en-
CINE was torn of but tho engine was able
! to proceed under It's town steam and Tues
day drew the other engine to st. Al.
bans, where both will be repaired. The
remainder Of this train was not damaged.
| When the trains came together the
mail coach in which Mr.. Roberts wat
riding was thrown off the track, the
shock knocking Mr.. Roberts against
the corner of a table and injuring his
back and side. DR.. r. w. johnson
was called and revived the man, who
was unconscious. and sent him to his
nome IN an ambulance. 1t was found
that his back was injured and that
possibly he has two ribs broken. Arthur
Tabor baggage master on tho same
train. and william H. Cronin, express
messenger. were also injured. but Mr.
Cronin was simply bruised a little
about the back and Mr.. Tabor suf
fered slight decorations Of the face
and they required no medical atten
ton. In spite Of the havoc created ir
the day coach Of the northbound car
no one was seriously injured. although
all were badly shaken up and fright
ened. and many were covered with OF
from the lamps.
The incident was not without IT.
humorous SIDE clyde NJ Hill, super
visor Of the junior high school an,
Mrs. Hill were on the northbound trail
and behind them was a woman with
baby. When the crash. came the woman
started for the back Of the car an
lMr Hill seeing that the baby was 4
danger. snatched It UP and kept
until its mother returned. Instead Q
thanking him for saving the life O
her child. the excited woman demand
ed. where are my hat and camera