New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1929-01-23
Engineer and Fireman
Lose Lives With One
Passenger = Another
Person is Not Expect
ed to Live-Train Goes
Over Embankment.
No Apparent Reason fon
Accident Other Than Oh.
servations of Competent
Persons Who Claim En-.
gine Was Travelling Too
Fast,

Torrington. Jan. - R-Thres pen.
sons were killed and six injured. one
probably fatally, when . New York.
New Haven and Hartford passenger
train northbound on the Western d.
vision was wrecked at . point about
six miles south of Torrington ut s:1&
o'clock this morning.
The dead:
Wilson J. Burns. aged u. vetsraI
engineer, Bridgeport.
Peter ]. Shortell aged -, drss
man. Bridgeport I
John H. Geddes, aged IS, Of IL
Weyman street. Waterbury.
Probably fatally injured:
Frederick C. Boice. aged 50 OF 40
High street. Newark. N. j.. or 80
Center street, Somerville, N. J., at
Charlotte Hungerford hospital. Tor
rington.
Injured:
The Rev. David r. Overton, pas
tor A. NJ. Z. Zion church, Torrington,
at Charlotte Hungerford hospital,
Torrington.
Mrs. Anna Wood, 100 White street,
West Haven, Conn.
J Edwin Mcqueen. 1440 Broadway,
New York city. employed by Alvey
Ferguson company, Inc, Cincinnati
Ohio.
Scott Way. aged about II. Thorn.
aston.
Joseph Masdicz, about is, Thorn
aston.
Mrs Wood and Mr.. Mcqueen were
taken to Waterbury hospital.
Near Bridge
The wreck occurred at a point
about 500 yards north of the newly
constructed overhead highway bridge
on a section Of the railroad with the
mountain on the other. The engine
was derailei from some unknown
cause and landed upside down
against the mountain. There were
only two passenger cars on the
train. The first turned over on it,
top. partly on the cab Of the engine
and the tender. Fire broke out In
the car but was quickly extinguish.
ed. The second car remained on the
track. All the injured and Gedds4
who was killed, were in the first car.
Mrs. Wood crawled to safety from
the demolished passenger ca4
through the cab Of the engine.
Engineer Scalded
The body Of Engineer Burns. whO
hoe hoA 4P aaVrA4A -StA thA
company, was taken from the wreck.
age about an hour after the crasha
It was terribly scalded BY steama
The body Of Fireman Shortell II stiH
buried beneath the locomotive.
The second coach which remained
on the rails was damaged only At the
front end.
Fireman Shortell was making the
run as a substitute for the regula&
fireman who is Ill.
The train was in charge Of ". j.
Rock. Bridgeport, another veteran
employe of the road.
Turns Over
When the engine turned over the
first coach OF a two-coach train
went with 1t and in falling over
landed on the engine. Fire was
started from the engines firebox and
the coach quickly ignited. The pas
sengers in this coach except one,
made their way out, but five had re.
ceived injuries.
The wreck occurred at a place
quite remote from houses. there be.
ing but single farmhouse some
distance south. Word was sent here
and to Torrington for assistance.
and Waterbury railroad men were
despatched with wrecking equip
ment. The first report here was that
the train had struck several auto
mobiles at grade crossing and It
was some time before the exact
nature of the accident was determin-
ed. There is no grade crossing there
however, as the state highway de-
partment by bridge has carried
the highway over the tracks. At that
point, however, the tracks are ON
top Of ten foot embankment. ana
down this rolled the engine and the
nrSl coach
Stays on Rails
The second coach combined
smoker and baggage apartment re-
mained on the rails and those in It
assisted the injured in the other car.
The train left Waterbury at 1850
and here at $40 which were the
scheduled departures. The cause Of
the accident was not apparent to
the railroad men who were first ON
the scene.
Opinion Of competent observers Of
the train wreck was that the train
was travelling too fast to make the
curve on which the deraiiment o.
CURED.
The rails and ties were intact Anl
there was apparently no obstruction.
(Centinued o. FAge 1ol