Ashley Falls, Massachusetts
Train Wreck
August 18, 1910
DEATH IN WRECK.
Great Barrington, Mass., Aug 18.--A large
automobile containing a party of five from
Bristol, Conn. Collided in terrible violence
with the New York-Pittsfield express at Ashley
Falls, six miles south of this village today,
with the result that three of the motoring party
are dead, one is dying and the other is
painfully injured.
The dead:
CHARLES J. ROOT,
48 years old, a prominent manufacturer, of
Bristol.
MRS, JOEL H. ROOT,
aged 82, his mother.
MISS CANDANCE ROBERTS,
aged 70, the latter’s sister.
The dying:
Miss Mary T. Root,
aged 30, Mr. Root’s sister.
The injured:
Miss Catherine Root,
aged 11, Mr. Root’s niece.
According to the engineer and Conductor of the
express, Mr. Root
had been apparently racing with the
train, the tracks running almost parallel with
the road for some distance. The accident
occurred at a grade crossing of the New York,
New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, just north of
the Ashley Falls station. As the train does not
stop here, it was running at high speed. The
motor car struck the tender of the engine at an
angle, the violence of the impact being shown by
the fact that the car was smashed to bits. The
five occupants were hurled many yards to the
earth. The express was stopped as quickly as
possible and the train crew hurried to the
victims of the accident, two of whom,
Mr. Root and his aunt,
Miss Roberts, were found dead.
Mrs. Root and
Miss Mary Root
were taken aboard the train and to the hospital
at Pittsfield, but the former died before the
city was reached. Miss
Catherine Root was brought to the
home of a friend here where it was learned
tonight that her recovery is expected.
Miss Mary Root
was reported at the Pittsfield hospital as
likely to not live until morning. She has a
compound fracture of the hip, her shoulder is
crushed and there are serious internal injuries.
It was learned from Mr.
Root’s friends who came here from
Bristol tonight that he was deaf. His mother and
aunt were also hard of hearing, the former being
also blind.
The motorists were familiar with the road, over
which they were traveling.
The accident practically wipes out, one of the
most prominent families of Bristol.
Mr. Root was a
well-known manufacturer there, of brass fittings
for pianos, counting machines and registers.
Miss Root,
his sister is the author of many books on
Connecticut’s history. She was graduated from
Vassar College in 1878 and is now president of
the Alumnae Association of that college.
Mrs. Joel Root
was the granddaughter of
Gideon Roberts, the first clock maker
in America.
Under direction of the medical examiner the
bodies were removed to Bristol tonight.
Daily Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME 19 Aug
1910
Transcribed by Audrey. Thank you,
Audrey!
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