Train Wreck in Phelps - June 26, 1906 Dr. Ron Grube
The westbound passenger train “Buffalo Express” collided with a freight train called “Morning Glory” on June 26, 1906, at 9:28 a.m. The westbound “Morning Glory” was stopped on the New York Central Hudson River line near the Crown Drill Company and the pickle works on South Wayne Street. Apparently, the flagman did not go back to flag the on-coming “Buffalo Express”. If you stand on the tracks on South Wayne Street and look easterly, you will see a bend that would eventually obscure the “Morning Glory”. Reports in the Phelps Citizen (June 28, 1906) stated that the passenger train was moving at a “pretty lively speed”. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (June 27, 1906) agreed that the “Buffalo Express” was moving at a fairly high rate of speed.
The passenger train rammed the caboose of the freight train and then plowed into three box cars. The whole area became a high pile of debris. The crash could be heard all around the middle and east end of the village. According to the Rochester paper, the passenger train was buried beneath the wreckage. This might explain why in one photo viewed from the north side of the wreck, it appears that the roof of a passenger car is lying on the ground. The view from the south side, including the view of the Crown Drill building, shows what looks like the windows of a passenger car.
The Crown Drill Company whistle blew which brought the fire department. They, in turn, called the five medical doctors in Phelps to the scene. Luckily, there were few injuries. This is probably due to the “telescoping” of the passenger train into the freight train. The caboose and three box cars absorbed the impact of the passenger train. Injured was the fireman on the passenger train, who jumped from the engine before the crash. He said he rolled over 14 times. The engineer said he was too large to jump so he stayed in the locomotive when it crashed. The engineer was not hurt – the fireman was. One lady on the passenger train suffered a cut hip.
When a passenger train from the west arrived at the Church Street station, the passengers from the “Buffalo Express” were transferred to Geneva where they continued their eastward journey. Wrecking crews from Canandaigua and Syracuse arrived to clear the tracks shortly after noon. Another crew from Newark arrived with a steam crane to help in the removal of the debris. The photos provided show the audience from Phelps and likely from the passenger train.
The passenger train rammed the caboose of the freight train and then plowed into three box cars. The whole area became a high pile of debris. The crash could be heard all around the middle and east end of the village. According to the Rochester paper, the passenger train was buried beneath the wreckage. This might explain why in one photo viewed from the north side of the wreck, it appears that the roof of a passenger car is lying on the ground. The view from the south side, including the view of the Crown Drill building, shows what looks like the windows of a passenger car.
The Crown Drill Company whistle blew which brought the fire department. They, in turn, called the five medical doctors in Phelps to the scene. Luckily, there were few injuries. This is probably due to the “telescoping” of the passenger train into the freight train. The caboose and three box cars absorbed the impact of the passenger train. Injured was the fireman on the passenger train, who jumped from the engine before the crash. He said he rolled over 14 times. The engineer said he was too large to jump so he stayed in the locomotive when it crashed. The engineer was not hurt – the fireman was. One lady on the passenger train suffered a cut hip.
When a passenger train from the west arrived at the Church Street station, the passengers from the “Buffalo Express” were transferred to Geneva where they continued their eastward journey. Wrecking crews from Canandaigua and Syracuse arrived to clear the tracks shortly after noon. Another crew from Newark arrived with a steam crane to help in the removal of the debris. The photos provided show the audience from Phelps and likely from the passenger train.
View from north side of the wreck. It appears that the roof of a passenger car is lying on the ground.
(click photo to enlarge) |
The view from the south side, including the view of the Crown Drill building, shows what looks like the windows of a passenger car. (click photo to enlarge)
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