North Adams, Massachusetts
Hoosac Tunnel Train Wreck
February 23, 1912
COLLISION IN HOOSAC TUNNEL IN
MASSACHUSETTS.
Four Trainmen Killed.
North Adams, Mass.--Four trainmen were
killed and Hoosac tunnel was choked with burning
debris as the result of the collision of an
eastbound Boston and Maine express train and a
string of freight cars.
The list of dead as made public by railroad
officials, follows;
DAVIS, LUTHER, Greenfield, apprentice on
electric engine.
GREGG, HENRY, Scotia, N. Y., assistant engineer.
KEMP, REUBEN, 31, North Adams, flagman attached
to freight train.
SIMONDS, ARCHIBALD L., 50, Williamstown,
engineer of the electric locomotive on passenger
train.
Many of the occupants of the coaches were
badly shaken up, but there were no serious
injures.
With the exception of the electric locomotive
the passenger train was not damaged, but fifteen
freight cars were burned in the tunnel and the
feat has caused large rocks to fall from the
roof.
About 4:30 in the afternoon a watchman at the
eastern portal of the tunnel noticed smoke
pouring out and realized a train was afire. He
went into the tunnel to investigate, but was
only able to penetrate far enough to see that
there had been a collision. The watchman
notified railroad officials and the local fire
department sent Chief MONTGOMERY with forty men.
They were taken on flat cars into the tunnel,
but the smoke and heat were so intense that they
were unable to get near the wreck.
The freight train consisting of thirty-two cars,
for some reason yet to be learned came to a
standstill in the tunnel. Brakeman KENT was
ordered back with a red lantern, Engineer
SIMONDS of the passenger train saw KENT'S danger
signal and slowed down to let KEMP jump aboard
the electric locomotive. The passenger train was
proceeding slowly ahead, apparently under
control, when from some unknown cause the
electric locomotive gathered headway and crashed
into the freight. There was a brilliant display
of electric fireworks and the wreckage was
ignited.
The engineer of the regular engine on the
express train saw that the only hope of saving
his passengers from death by suffocation was to
get away from the spot at once, and he
immediately started to back away. It was not
until nearly 7 o'clock that the train finally
emerged into the open air, having been held up
west of the main airshaft awaiting orders.
The accident happened about 2,500 feet from
the portal of the tunnel.
Shortly before midnight a gang of wreckers
went into the tunnel and attempted to reach the
burning debris. They had got to within about
three hundred feet when a car of oil burst into
flames. There were a number of heavy explosions,
and smoke, denser than ever, spread through the
tunnel. The wrecking crew was barely able to
escape. No further attempt was made to get into
the tunnel until the fire had burned itself out.
The Cranbury Press New Jersey 1912-02-23
Submitted & transcribed by Stu
Beitler Thank you,
Stu!
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