Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-03-18
TRAIN NARROWLY
ESCAPES WASHOUT
v. Sleeper Observation-Disclosures
WOman's Child Dies on Train

c. ". Sleeper Observation-Disclosures
Woman's Child Dies on Train
Montpelier. March 14.-The worst wash
out that has occurred on the Central
Vermont railroad In many years occur
red about three a. m. Saturday at what
is known as Flood crossing, in North
field. The train due into Montpelier at
S:40 a. M, narrowly escaped derailment,
the speed at which 1t was travelling saw
Ing II. II Ia estimated that 1t will take 100
cars of granite grout to Fill the place.
A tragedy due indirectly to the wash
out was the death OF Helen. the eight
months-old daughter of Mrs. Susan Car
ter Of Burlington. who died on the No.
8, at Groton, being detoured over the
Montpelier e. Wells River. Al Groton, DR..
I. N. Eastman was called and found the
child dead, probably due to a spasm. but
not because of any contagious disease.
Under ordinary circumstances Mrs. Carter
would have reached Burlington at e:o5
p. M. and the child might have been saw
ed with medical attention. AS it was. at
nine O'Clock, she was only at Groton.
Other passengers went to her aid and
did what they could TO comfort her and
she was allowed to proceed on her Jour-
ney with her dead infant.
The wrecking gang of the Central Yer
mont repaired the damage lone by the
wa h this forenoon SO that II was ready
for a train to pass along at 11:50 O'Clock
and the south-bound afternoon train was
not delayed at all as far as that was con.
cerned. although it was over an hour
late reaching Montpelier owing to trouble
north Of here.
1t is the worst washout that has &C.
Cured on the Central Vermont in some
years, az II interfered with traffic the
most. Piles have been driven so that trains
can pass over the spot at the rate of six
miles an hour.
The Montpelier. e. Wells River rail-
road company helped out the Central
Vermont IN good shape considering that
II does not have a large amount Of equip
ment and train crews. being a small rail-
road. but engines were loaned from the
Boston & Maine company. so that all
| trains needed TO be moved over the little
line we're pushed along.
The last one to come over the line was
the milk train, which was northbound,
and arrived in Montpelier Sunday after
| noon.
The train crews were about all in"
with overtime working when the washout
conditions were repaired. The south
bound night sleeper this morning did not
leave Montpelier until about ten o'clock
breakfast having been enjoyed by the
passengers here. The train came to
Montpelier some three hours late and
while e~ndeavoring to get out of the yard
became stalled In the snow so that extra
effort and delay occurred. 1t met the
north bound sleeper here. This was seven
hours late owing to delay for engines
and slow movement Of train because of
the blizzard Saturday night with trouble
with the snow experienced near Lanes
boro.
Passengers on this train also break
tasted In Montpelier. 1t was a heavy
train of some ten cars.
Persons arriving here on the night ex-
press told of the washout even before
the railroad company gave out any in
formation on the matter. r. w. Simonds
was one of those who was on the train.
He was unable to get a berth in the sleep.
ing car, 30 was riding in one Of the day
coaches. The train was going at high
speed. some estimating it at 40 miles an
hour, and others wen higher. 1t was
about two hours late at the time. APP
! parently the engine passed over the spot
without the engineer knowing anything
wac wrong. When the car In which Mr..
Simonds was riding hit the spot It
wobbled about as though II was going
to tip over and the passengers were
haken up. Mr.. Simonds had been in an
accident before so he jumped for the
emergency brake. but one of the train
men reached it hrst. pulling the lever,
stopped the train just a short distance
from the spot. Going back, the passeng-
ers were able to see the road he'd slip
away, leaving a place some 60 feet long.
1t was estimated by those who saw it
that it would require at least 100 cans
Of granite srout to fill the hole. 1t was
near what Is called the Flood crossing
south of the Harlow bridge where a big
accident took place some years ago.
Joking about the affair afterward Mr..
Simonds said he firted with ST. Peter,
but that the saint would not permit him
to enter the portals at this time.
The passengers when they saw what
had occurred were frightened, but all
danger was over. Many of the persons In
the sleeping cars were unable to see the
spot because they did not have time to
sufficiently dress to go out In the air.
The management of the railway was
notified from Mortified OF the washout.
so that traffic was stopped and arrange
ments were made to detour the trains
over the Montpelier & Wells River rail-
road. The first OF these was the south
bound New England States Limited, which
arrived in Montpelier an hour late, and
then considerable delay occurred in con-
sidering whether the big mail car could
be drawn over the bridges between the
two engines used to pull the train be.
tween Montpelier and Wells River. A
change In the makeup of the train finally
occurred and then the train continued.
but SO much time had been lost that II
was well towards two o'clock when the
train left Montpelier, The northbound
New England States Limited arrived In
Montpelier about eight o'clock. Engine
crews were sent to Wells River to bring
the northbound mail train to Montpelier
and then take the %southbound evening
train back to Wells River from where Il
would. like the other trains, 20 to White
River Junction.
A shuttle train was operated between
Montpelier and Northfeld to handle tho
passenger traffic that came south or
wanted to go north from Mortified. A
similar train was operated between White
River Junction and Roxbury to handle
the traffic on that line. Two young wom-
en- who wanted to go to Pittsfeld had to
go by the way Of Wells River and White
River Junction then back on the shuttle
train to Bethel. The so%uthbound morning
mail train Saturday was turned at North
field and the northbound mail at Rox-
bury.