The Hartford Wreck
‘Twas the Montreal Express
It was speeding at its best.
Near Hartford Bridge it struck
a broken rail.
When down with a fearful crash
To the river it was dashed.
And few survived to tell the horrid tale.
--Joyce Cheney
(We Tell Our Story: Vermont Songwriters
and Their Stories)
This story is one of being in
the wrong place at the wrong time. In 1887 the worst train disaster in
Vermont’s history occurred. It was a bitterly cold morning in February of 1887
when the rear sleeper car from the Central Vermont Railroad’s Montreal Express hit a
broken rail and plunged forty-two feet off the West Hartford Bridge taking with
it three other coaches to the icy waters of the White River below. A coupling broke which saved the rest of the train from tumbling off the track.
Cast iron “Baker” stoves
stoked with coal heated these wooden cars and whale oil kerosene lamps
illuminated them. As a result when these coaches struck the ice below
they were immediately consumed in flames. The area around this bridge has been
haunted by one young ghost ever since.
The West Hartford Bridge was
a wooden upside down covered bridge which means the railroad bed sat on top of an enclosed structure as opposed to running through it.
“On top of its wooden trusses was a layer of sheet
iron placed between the rails and ties and the supporting structure, an apron
to deflect any sparks from the locomotive’s belching smokestack. Ironically,
what had been designed to protect the bridge from fire most likely contributed
to its ultimate demise.”
The cause of the accident was
never specifically determined. Train walkers the day before the accident, that
occurred at 2:20 a.m. in the morning had found no apparent defeats along the
track. But after the accident 2 to 3 breaks in the rails were discovered. It
was speculated that the combination of the speed the train was traveling * plus
the low temperature’s effect on the alloy and the curve of the rails might have
caused them to fracture. After this accident the U.S. Congress passed the Railroad Appliance Act, which
established national safety standards for railroads.
Many of the estimated 37
people who died were burned or trapped within these cars wreckage. Some were
swept away by the river’s ice cold swift currents. People from the forward cars
above rushed to help. Charles H. Pierce the train engineer shoveled snow onto
one car in an attempt to douse the flames but finding this futile he instead
smashed windows and managed to save 7 lives.
But the flames from these
burning cars, two of them sleeper coaches, soon threatened the bridge above.
Pierce then went to move the remaining cars on the bridge forward away from the
fire. The West Hartford Bridge made out of wood was almost completely destroyed by
these flames. The rescue efforts were also hampered by the winter temperature,
which dropped to 20 below zero.
Many passengers onboard were
in a celebratory mood for they were traveling from Boston to Montreal to attend
a weeklong Carnival. It is still not known actually how many people died but it
is estimated that 37 people perished and another 50 escaped with injuries or
unharmed. Many of the deceased, barely dressed were identified by bits and
remnant clothing or by personal gear. Others were not identifiable.
“One of the most heart rending remains was that of a
parent and child fused together in a final poignant embrace, burned beyond
recognition.”
Among the passengers were a
father and son, David and Joseph Maigret ** traveling from Holyoke to their
home in Shawinigan, Quebec. Tragically, being in one of the coaches that
plunged off the bridge Joseph’s father was pinned down by the wreckage. Unable
to get out he gave his personal belongings, which included a watch and
pocketbook to his young son. Joseph bade a tearful goodbye and then watched
helplessly as the creeping wall of flames reached his father.
Very quickly after this
disaster the West Hartford Bridge was rebuilt now constructed out of steel. But
a haunting near the bridge in the years since has kept this accident fresh in
many minds. The smell of something burning has been noticed under this bridge for
years, without cause. Witnesses often report aromas as a first sign of a
haunting because they are often out of place in the area they are noticed.
But by far the most
compelling evidence that this area is haunted is that witnesses have seen an
apparition of a young boy. Many of these witnesses have been driving across the
West Hartford Bridge when they get a fleeting glimpse of this ghost. Often they
don’t realize he is a ghost until afterwards.
This area is used for
recreation today. In the warmer months many people swim in the White River near
the bridge so it is a common sight to see people wearing swimwear. But what is
unusual is many people report seeing a young boy who is believed to be Joseph
Maigret wearing old-fashioned clothes--including white socks and knickers. ***
His ghost is seen sometimes
walking four feet above the White River. According to one man, Steven Marshall
who has investigated this haunting this makes sense because at the time of the
accident the ice would have raised the river to the level this boy is seen
walking along. Many feel that even though he survived the accident his spirit
returns to the place where he last saw his father alive.
* The engineer slowed the
train to a safe speed, 12 miles an hour as it approached the bridge.
** In some versions of this
haunting the boy and his father’s name has been changed to McCabe. But their surname was Maigret. Some spellings
have it as Meigret or Maiquete--they were French Canadian from the Province of Quebec.
*** Knickers are loose
fitting trousers gathered at the knee. Young boys during the this period wore these short pants until they became older and were allowed
then to wear long pants.
The following is a video that
highlights Steven Marshall talking about this haunting.
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