White River's Train Disaster

More than 25 Perished by Fire and Ice On This Date in 1887

John Dumville of Royalton was responsible for installing this sign when he worked at the VT Division for Historic Preservation as the head of the state's historic sites and the Roadside Historic Marker program.

February 5, 2023

Hartford, VT — The Hartford Train Disaster took place 136 years ago on this date at 2:10 am on February 5, 1887. The Montreal Express, train #50, partially derailed with 3 passenger cars dropping off the bridge onto the icy White River 45 feet below.

Some accounts show deaths as high as 50. A ballad, “The Hartford Wreck”, was composed. This accident changed the way railroads operated from that point forward, doing away with coal and kerosene, and moving to steam and electricity. Train accident death rates declined as a result.

For an account of this disaster, Click Here, for Fire and Ice, An Anatomy of Vermont’s Worst Train Wreck, as published by the Rutland Herald in 2014.

The bridge across which this train passed, then known as The Woodstock Bridge, is said by some to be haunted. For photos of the train wreck and an article about its purported ghosts, Click Here. According to the article, “The lingering scent of burning wood, a ghostly railway worker, and a small boy who materializes just above the river (as if standing on the ice), have been just some of the ghostly events encountered.”

And for another article with photos of the post-wreck charred remains of the train cars, Click Here, which also tells the story of Ghosts of the Night Express Train.

The aftermath of the wreck. Source: vermonter.com

One other bit of history is that a ballad about this disaster titled “The Hartford Wreck” was composed, interestingly, as a musical piece to sell. According to the Baltimore Underwriter edition of March 20, 1888, this was one of he best selling songs of the day! The lyrics for this ballad appear at the end of this piece, in case you have an interest.

I often drive that stretch of the White River where the Hartford Train Wreck of 1887 took place. Today, on its 136th anniversary, I took the color photos included in this article. It’s a lovely stretch of the White River, and one I enjoy each time I drive along it. Today, the blue-greens of the water undulating under the ice were spectacular. Hard to imagine a fiery train wreck happened there. While I’ve long known there was a train wreck in that spot, today I stopped to take photos and, to my great surprise, it was the anniversary of the disaster. Could it just be coincidence, or did some supernatural force direct me?

You decide.

Here are the ballad lyrics I promised, as found in American Old Time Song Lyrics.

The Woodstock Bridge Disaster.
Tune- "Milwaukee Fire."

In our country far and near, each day we read and hear
Of shocking accidents on land and sea;
Your attention now I'll call to the latest of them all,
The Vermont Central Railroad tragedy.
As the Montreal express was speeding at its beet,
Near Woodstock bridge it struck a broken rail,
And with a fearful crash down the dark abyss was dashed,
Now few survive to tell the awful tale.

Chorus.
Twas in the dead of night, no words can paint that sight.
The sleeping-cars were filled with living freight;
This ill-fated train was dashed to the river with a crash.
And a hundred souls went down to meet their fate.

Boon the wreck was in a blaze, horror met the victims' gaze,
Their frantic cries for help were sad to hear;
None responded to their call, they must perish one and ah,
Alas! kind friends, no help for them was near.
'Tis shocking to relate, and sad to contemplate,
No words can paint a picture of that sight;
Little thought they death so nigh when they bid their friends good-bye.
Ere leaving home upon that fatal night.- Chorus.

There's one who'll ne'er forget, that's little Joe Malgret,
He was with his father on the fatal train;
Although wounded by the fall, when he heard his father's call,
To free him from the wreck he tried in vain.
'Tis no use, my boy, said he, there is no help for met
Just then the burning flames around him curled;
Little Joe began to cry as his father said, good-bye.
We'll meet again up in the other world!-Chorus.

Now you’re up to date on this fateful day in history, February 5, 1887, in Hartford, VT. Some good did come of this disaster, as per the following account from the Rutland Herald:

“The disaster’s notoriety encouraged all railroads, including the Vermont Central, to discontinue coal and oil as a source of heat and light, substituting steam from the engine to warm the cars and generating electricity from the railroad engine for lights. Six years after the tragedy, the U.S. Congress passed legislation delineating national standards for railroad safety. Consequently, the mortality rate for railroad accidents dropped by more than half in succeeding years.”

In closing, I can’t help but recall a Robert Frost poem that reminds me of this wreck, with thanks to The Poetry Foundation.

Fire and Ice

BY ROBERT FROST

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

Dave Celone writes from Sharon, VT. He traverses the White River regularly in all months of the year, sometimes by swimming it, though never in February — and not yet by train!