The railroad accident which happened at the North Truro Station on the evening of July 29th, was the only thing of the kind which has occurred in this vicinity since the road was built.
On the day in question the downward freight train in charge of Conductor Lothrop at about 11:15 AM, did not, owing to an unusually heavy train, reach North Truro until nearly 6:45 PM. During the afternoon an engine with one baggage car and two passenger cars under Conductor White had been dispatched from Boston with, as we understand, orders to run straight through to Provincetown on quick time. As the track would then be clear, and by reaching the latter place by 6:30, which it would seem was the intention, would leave the road clear for the outward local freight which should leave there shortly after 6. But owing to circumstances the inward freight had but just arrived at the station here when a cloud of smoke and dust and the shriek of a locomotive denote the approach of the special. In a moment it came flying around the curve south of the depot rushing onward with a velocity of forty miles an hour and in another instant dashed into the rear of the long line of freight cars standing on the main track.
The engine passed completely through the passenger car which was attached to the rear end of the freight, one half of the car falling on each side of the track. The next car, an empty one, was split open and torn to pieces, the third torn from the tracks and thrown down the embankment, and the forth thrown into the air and hurled on its side far off the track. The engine fortunately kept to the rails but the entire front, headlight, smokestack, wheels, and everything except the boiler were smashed into a shapeless mass. The iron rails and heavy wooden ties were snapped off like pipe stems.
Engineer Stickley, on the engine of the special, as he rounded the curve, saw the terrible danger confronting him and with the presence of mind which the nature of his calling had helped him to acquire, instantly reversed his engine, but the speed of the train, slippery condition of the rails (from a recent shower), and the downgrade were obstacles too great to overcome. Seeing that a collision was inevitable, he called to his fireman, “save yourself,” and together they sprang from the cab as the crash came. The fireman escaped unhurt but M. Stickney, falling upon some timber, was somewhat hurt in his hip.
Mr. Snow, baggage master on the train, also jumped for his life and was more seriously injured than Mr. Stickney but they are both recovering. Conductor White remained by the train and escaped with only a pretty lively shaking up. Some of the freight hands had very narrow escapes, George Young, seeing the approach of the train, had just time to jump clear of the “buggy” attached to the freight. The sound of the crash, as the trains came together was distinctly heard two miles away.
Had there been a number of passengers on the freight train, as there usually is, it is probable that every one of them would have been instantly killed.
(From an uncredited newspaper clipping—probably the Provincetown Advocate)
