The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-06-05
is PASSENGERS
WERE INJURED
In Central Vermont Passen-
ger Train Wreck at
North Royalton
REAR COACH THROWN
DOWN EMBANKMENT
One Reason Given for the
Wreck Was Expansion
Of Rails Due to Heat

Bethel, June 5Eighteen passengers
were injured, none fatally, when the rear
car of the New England States Limited
on the Central Vermont railroad was
thrown down bank and wrecked near
North Royalton, three and half miles
from this place, yesterday afternoon
shortly after 8 o'clock.
The more seriously injured we're:
= Mrs. Anna Poirier, Randolph, bruised
and possible internal injuries
John Spargo, Bennington, shaken up
and bruised.
Mr.. and Mrs. Z, +. Boyer, Fall River,
Mass, bruised.
Mrs. Il. Z. Densmore, Middlesex, cut
over one eve.
w. w. Culver, Lebanon, n. H., scalp
wound
All of the above, except Mrs. Poirier,
were taken TO DIR. Otto V. Greene's sana-
torium here, Mrs. Poirier being removed
to the Randolph sanatorium. Mr. Spargo,
the well-known speaker and writer on
social themes, was on his way to Barre
to speak at last evenings session of the
Vermont State Federation of Women's
Clubs. Mr.. and Mrs. Boyer of Fall Riv-
er were on their honeymoon trip and
were travelling to st. Johns, P. Q.
Others who were injured were as fol-
lows
Harvey p Hood, Beverly, Mass,
IT, NJ Doyle, Exeter, n. H.
Mr.. and Mrs. Roy +. Thayer, Fitch
burg, Mass.
Mrs. James r. Gibson, Medford, Mass.
Mrs. Joe Muzzy, Hartford, Conn
Mrs. A. C. Bjork, East Hartford, Conn.
Versa RUSSELL Hartford, Conn.
Mrs. Warren, Springfels, Mass
Alberta Gadue, Burlington, q nurse.
Edward Hooper, Stonington, Me, a
granite cutter on his way to Barre
Martin Hooper, brother of Edward,
had one ankle caught under seat but
was not seriously injured.
Miraculous Escape from Death.
That the wreck could have occurred in
such manner and not cause many fa-
talities and serious injuries is considered
miraculous. There were 2s passengers
on the car, nearly every one of whom re.
eeived slight injury of some kind. The
train was said to have been little late
and was making good time, estimated by
some to be 40 miles an hour. The wreck
occurred on a moderate curve and just
at the grade crossing of the road lead
ing from the Barre White River junction
highway to Bethel The first the pas
sengers on the rear ear realized that any
thing was wrong was when the car be
gan riding on the ties. On a straight
track the coach might have remained on
the roadbed until the train could have
been brought to halt; but as the for
ward end Of the train swung around the
curve it hauled the derailed coach down
inside the curve and, shortly, the car
toppled over on its left side
In that position the car was dragged
down the rocky embankment, sweeping
telegraph poles as it went, until the
couplings broke and the 90-foot car lay
with the lower end resting in the White
river and the other end tilted up the
bank and only few feet from the track
and the grade crossing.
Difficult Escaping from Overturned Car.
The occupants of the car were thrown
helter skelter against the seats and other
equipment as the car nearly turned on
its top. The escape from the car in such
position was difficult for those who
were the most seriously injured, and the
presence of gas in the car added to the
danger Those who were the least in
iured aided the others to crawl out the
upper end of the car and to places beside
the road
Section Foreman Charles Come OF
Bethel, with his men, including Wilfred
A. LaRook and others, had been at work
all day near the place and when the car
left the track Mr.. Come and Mr.. LaRock
had narrow escapes as they were pushed
down the bank and into several feet OF
water in the White river. A handcar on
the side of the track was completely
smashed as the great car was dragged
over it. The section men greatly aided
the injured passengers in getting out OF
the car.
DR.. Otto " Greene Happened to Be Near
1t was found that Is of the passengers
We're injured sufficiently to require hos
pital treatment and they were carried in
automobiles offered from the many who
soon gathered at the scene DR.. Otto V
Greene OF thls village was near the scene
Of the wreck, being on his return from
visiting patient in South Royalton
Immediately he took charge of the relief
and first aid work, being aided by physi.
clans and nurses from Randolph, South
Royalton and other places. At DR.
Greene's sanatorium it was stated that
none of the injured was in such condi-
tion as to be placed on the dangerous
list.
G. r. Guernsey of Windsor, well.
known salesman, occupied a seat in the
coach next to the derailed coach, and he
states that one side of his own car was
lifted into the air when the rear car left
the track. Another passenger in the
second car from the rear was Mrs. F. p
Holden of Concord, N. H., formerly OF
Bethel, who was travelling to st. Albans
to visit her brother, George Fl. Tupper
DIR. and Mrs Stephen B. Stanton, Bethel
summer residents, and others Of their
household occupied Pullman car in the