FIVE KILLED, 25 HURT IN CRASH NEAR TROY

Fifteenth Cavalry Special Hits a Stationary Passenger Train.

CARS DOWN EMBANKMENT

Troopers From Picket Lines and Rescue Sufferers from the Wreck---Bridegroom Loses His Bride.

Special to The New York Times.

TROY, N. Y., Oct.4.---Five persons were killed and about twenty-five injured by a rear-end collision on the Boston & Maine Road at the Lansingburg Station this afternoon. An excursion train from Boston, due in troy at 3:18 o'clock, had stopped at the station for Boston that leaves Troy at 4:20. The brakeman had received orders to go back to flag a special train conveying four troops of the Fifteenth Cavalry and their horses from Fort Ethan Allen on their way to Cuba. It would appear that he failed to perform this duty, for a few moments later the soldier's train came around the curve at great speed, and the engineer and fireman, seeing that the crash was inevitable, jumped off and escaped injury.

Two Pullman cars were split completely in two and the third car from the rear was telescoped. The two Pullmans were swept from the track and rolled down the steep embankment houses located along the track. The engine of the special kept right on for a dozen yards and then turned turtle, the front end plowing into the ground and the tender backing into the care behind and telescoping it. Many passengers of the waiting train had decoded to walk up and down beside the track and thus escaped injury.

The Dead.

BLOCK, F. L., Peoria, Ill.
DACEY, Mrs. J. W., Arlington, Mass.
POOL, Mrs. H. D., 12 Chandler Street, Penecoke, Concord, N. H.
SHAW, Mrs. WALLACE E., Bath, Me.
STEVENS, Mrs. FRANK L., Charleston, S. C.

The Badly Injured.

BALCH, LOUIS, and wife, Newburyport, Mass.; Mr. Balch cut about head; Mrs. Balch, broken nose and severely bruised.
BENNETT, Mrs. Albany; severe shock.
BELCHER, FRANK, Medford, Mass.; head cut and both legs fractured.
BRAIRD, Mrs. FRANK, Boston; badly cut about the head and face and suffering from shock.
BLOCK, Mrs. F. L., Peoria, Ill.; fractured spine.
BUTTERFIELD, L. H., postal clerk, 7 Herbert Street, Summerville, Mass.; left shoulder dislocated.
CRONIN, W. J., railway postal clerk, Cambridge, Mass.; left arm dislocated, sprained back and knee.
LISTON, M. J., railway postal clerk of Hoffman's Corners, Mass.; fracture of left forearm.
LA ROUX, E. T., private, Fort Ethan Allen; arm mashed.
MITCHELL, F. A., Falmouth, Me.; head and face cut.
MASON, Mrs. CHARLES, Bath, Me.; back badly sprained.
MANSON, Miss Virginia, sister; three ribs broken.
STEVENS, G. D., Winchester, Mass.; compiund[sic] fracture of ankle and arm smashed.
SEYMOUR, W. H., Kenton, Ohio; scalp wounds.
RANDALL, Mrs., Bath, Me.; head gashed.
VAN FASSETT, W., AND WIFE, Boston; seriously burned.

Mrs. B. W. Hathorne, Mrs. Charles Blair, Mrs. Jane Houlton, and a Miss Jones went down the bank in the wreck, but were taken from the cars only slightly bruised.

The troopers quickly tumbled out of the train, and Col. Hardie, in command of the regiment, assumed charge of the reducing work and gave orders to clean the grounds. He stationed regulars as pickets to prevent looting. The accident had been witnessed by the employes[sic]of the Morrison brush factory, and headed by Mr. Morrison they also went to the rescue of the passengers and carried water to the injured, while the factory was turned into a temporary hospital. The Leonard Hospital is near the scene of the accident, and most of the injured were taken there.

Distressing scenes followed the crash. J. W. Dacey ran up and down the track crying for his wife. In a few minutes, when her lifeless form was identified by him, he fainted and was taken to a nearby house. There he told his listeners that he and his wife had been married last night at Arlington, Mass., and had planned an extended trip. To-night he was making arrangements to have the body of his bride shipped back to Arlington.

Louis Balch of Newburyport, Mass., who with his wife was injured, was one of the passengers who seemed to remember just what took place. He said:

"I was walking up and down the aisle of the car, with my wife behind me. I saw some of the passengers who were exercising out on the track looking toward the rear of our train in a frightened manner. Instinctively I started toward the door, and as I did so the crash came as I was in the vestibule. I was dazed for a few seconds, and then when I found I could move my arms I started to push the wreckage away from my head. About four feet below me I could see my wife in a heap with several others. I did not feel hurt, and I started to assist her. In a few minutes some men came along and helped us all to the ground. It was all done so quickly that it was some minutes before we realized what we had gone through."

Mrs. R. D. Pool of Concord, N. H., was an actress known on the stage as Miss Howard. Her husband was with her. He had been working in Watervliet[sic] went to Boston to bring her back to reside with him. He saw that a collision was about to occur and jumped, shouting to his wife to do the same. He escaped injury, but Mrs. Pool was instantly killed.

Many of the horses of the cavalrymen were injured, and four of them had to be shot.

As soon as the news was received in this city physicians were hurriedly called and sent to the scene. Automobiles were pressed into service to get men to the wreck as speedily as possible. All the city ambulances also turned out.

Thomas Holleran, the engineer of the special train, surrendered himself at the Fourth Precinct. Owing to the annual parade of the police, which was held this afternoon, only the janitor was there, and he took charge of the engineer. Holleran refused to make a statement.

The conductors of the trains disappeared, as did also the brakeman who was sent back to give warning to the troopers' special, and the police were unable to find them to-night. At the railroad offices it was stated, however, that they had probably gone to their homes, and would report for duty again in the morning. District Attorney O'Brien and Coroner Gravatt will make a thorough investigation of the causes leading up to the accident.

An enormous crowd from Troy, Albany, and the surrounding country gathered about the wreck and remained long after dark. The cavalry picket lines are being maintained during the night. Many of the soldiers have built campfires, which add to the general incongruity of the desolate scene.

The New York Times, New York, NY 5 Oct 1906
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!