Putnam patriot., 1924-10-31

freight WAS standing had been left open. allowed a south bound pas senger train to enter the sidetrack and collide head on with the large locomotive of the freight.
 Passenger train number 727, due in Putnam at 5.30 o'clock. and freight extra number 1874 were the trains involved in the collision. the worst oe- curing in this district in several years. Besides the loss of life and the injury to nearly q score of others. one seriously, the engine on the passenger train was demolished. several freight cars of the standing train pushed down the bank. and traffic tied up for several hours.
 Engine Cab Catches Fire
 When the crash came steam pipes iu the engine burst. most of the live eoals in the fire box were scattered over the cab floor, and those rilins cn the engine were so thrown of pig ned chat they were unable t1 free themselves. The cab caught fire and Mf Carpenter was moEtallg burned in addition Co his other injuries be. fore he could be eNtricatel Hopp= man also had to be rescued from the burning cab
 John H. Breen of Southbridre. Mass. conductor of the train, was walking in the aisle of ear. and was pitched over several sea;s when the train came to it's sudden stop. Forty passengers in the train were shaken up. but none required medical attention.
 When Mr. Carpenter was taken from his cab his first question was whether any of the passengers hal been killed and he seemed very happy at the negative answer. One of his legs was severed below the knee. he was badly burned, and had received a broken arm. His wife. a passenger in the train, reached his side in time to see someone ap- plying tourniquet Mir. Hoppman, firing for Mir Carpenter, received internal injuries with possible brok en neck and factured skull. He was unconscious when taken from the cab and remained so until he died.
 Has Five Teeth Knocked Out
 There were numerous Putnam peo= pie on the train when the crash came, but none of them were seriously in iured. They included Mrs. W. s. Carpenter. Mrs. Ainley. Mrs. Patter- son, Mrs. 4. L. Skinner and Robert Rawley One woman had five teeth knocked out and is believed to have been the most seriously injured Of any of the passengers.
 Within q minute or two after the trains came together. q Hartford bound train came along and stopped. Members of the train crew and others who had reached the scene, immedi- ately went to work giving aid to the injured ones but more especially. to reseuing Mir. Carpenter and Mir. Hopp- man from their awful predieament in the engine cab. which by this time was ahlaze. The two men were lying unconscious in the cab. Mir. Carpenter with his left leg severed above the ankle.
 Fal!s Into Hot Goals
 When Mir. Carpenter was removed from the cab, his clothing was aitre. This was eXtinguished with water from a hoseiine on the engine When the engine crashed. hot coals from the fire box of the passenger engine. were hurled out onto the floor and because of the frightful burns sus- tained by Mr Carpenter on his right side. from the head down. it is heliev- ed that he fell unconscious into the mass of glowing coals
 Stiekney Badly Injured
 Stephen Stiekney Of P5mffet. fire man riding home from his york at W Worccsf ar. was found 70 hove both | d E.5. tfa atA- -ltsal Ray Hopkins of New London. bag gage master. lost his footing and re ceiVed deep scalp wound which hled profusrly. Conductor Breen was rea. dered unconscious and received spfaiaea ankle.
 Bruce's truck was pressed inso ser vice and a hurry call sent for tse hos piIal ambulance. Messrs. Carp sn.er. Hoppman, SticEneY and Hopkins were removed there. Dr. K. T. Phillips first doctor at the scene of the crash, gave valuable emergency service. A the hospital the aeci lent victims we're given the best medical and surgical treatment available in an effort to save the lives of all. Mr. Hopkins less seriously hurt than the others, was able to leave on Saturday morn ing for his home at New London. Ar. Carpenter died at the hospital about I o'clock Sunday morning, after be ing conscious at all times since the accident. Five hours later MT. Hopp 1 man died.
 Passenger Engine Ruined
 In the impact the light passenger | engine was practically ruined, while i the freight engine was badly damag | ed. Several freight cars were crowd l ed of the track. however. and push ed down the embankment. Wreck I CTS from Readville and Midway were ! called and worked all night and until i noon the next day in cleaning the | line. Traffic was blocked for some ] time The south bound train, due Q ! leave Putnam at 7.30 p. m-. had Co go i by the Last Thompson route and was I an hour and a half late.
 After the wreck the New Haven [ road furnished a special train % brlng | relatives of Hoppman and Hopkins i from Jewetf City and New LonoOn to the hospital here where the injured | men had been brought. Rohar A. ! Smith, assistant division superinten- I dent. also came up from New London ] to conduct the inves tiuation Of the l cause Of the crash. During the late afternoon and She evening many pep- i pie from Putnam vent to the scene l of the wreck about a quarter of a mile 1 south of Meehanicssille village and a !