Pelham, New Hampshire, USA
1903 - KILLED IN TROLLEY WRECK. SIX PERSONS DEAD AND MANY BADLY HURT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Pelham, N.H., Sept. 6. -- Through a head-on collision today between two electric cars, each running, it is said, at a rate of more than twenty-five miles an hour, six persons were killed and over a score seriously injured that they are under physicians' care, and some of these may die.
There were seventy persons on the two cars, and every one received cuts and minor wounds, which, however, did not prevent their reaching their homes.
The accident occurred just before noon on the line which runs through this town between Lowell and Nashua, and one of the cars which was coming from the latter city was nearly filled with people on their was to a Summer resort. The collision was due, according to the officials of the road, to a misunderstanding of the starter's orders by the motorman of the car bound for Nashua. The car starter endeavored to rectify this mistake by sending a man to shut off the power and trying to recall the Nashua-bound car but failed. The accident occurred on a curve.
The dead as reported up to 10 o'clock tonight were as follows:
CHARLES H. GILBERT, 50 years, Canal Street, Nashua.
ALBERT COLLETT, 25 years, dry goods clerk, son of Frederick Collett, Nashua, N.H.
GEORGE C. ANDREWS, 56 years, Postmaster, Hudson, N.H.
SAMUEL R. MAYES, motorman on the Nashua car, Hudson, N.H. Died in Hale Hospital, Haverhill, Mass.
MRS. SYLVIA GILBERT, Nashua, died at Lowell Hospital.
MRS. JAMES DILLON, died at Lowell Hospital.
The injured:
CHARLES GILBERT, fractured scapula.
MRS. CHARLES GILBERT, leg crushed.
JAMES CUMMINGS, slight cuts and bruises.
MRS. JAMES CUMMINGS and child, slight cuts and bruises.
DENNIS NEVILLE, slight bruises.
MRS. DENNIS NEVILLE, slight bruises.
DR. L. P. CAISSAC, face cut and generally bruised.
GEORGE BIGUE, slight bruises.
CLARA PALARDY, severe bruises of both legs.
MARIA TERESA PALARDY, severe bruises of both legs.
ROSE PALARDY, fracture of thigh.
MARY BARRON, bruises and shaking up.
GEORGE BOWLER, slight bruises.
E. H. TYRELL, fractured clavicle.
MICHAEL GLYNN, severe scalp wound; back injured.
MARGARET GLYNN, bruises of left arm and leg.
LAVINIA LAVOLE, bruises of head, arm and back.
CORA LAVOLE, general bruises.
JOHN McCOY, slight bruises.
JOHN MALONE, bad scalp wound; back badly wrenched.
CHARLES MYER, severe bruises.
H. A. SPENCER, slight bruises.
MRS. H. A. SPENCER, severe bruise of shoulder.
J. AZILDA DUBEE, general bruises.
EUGENE MESSIER, left leg sprained; rib fractured; strained back.
ANNIE D. LANDRY, general shock.
CHARLES LANDRY, general bruises.
ARMAN and ARMANCE LANDRY, slight bruises.
RALPH TILTON, slight bruises.
MAX WENDELL TILTON, slight bruises.
MRS. RALPH TILTON, severe shock.
GEORGE L. GRISWOLD, general bruises.
MRS. L. GRISWOLD, back sprained and general shock.
F. C. BARNEY, slight bruises.
GEORGE M. TUTTLE, bruised knee; head cut.
FRED F. ROBBINS, slight bruises.
MRS. MARY COSTELLO, compound fracture of left leg, just above ankle.
NELLIE COSTELLO, severe bruises and general shaking up.
MRS. LOUISE BEAUCHEMIN, compound fracture of right tibia.
JAMES B. KELLEY, severe sprains and bruises.
FRANK W. COBB, severe bruise of back, shoulder and leg.
ANNIE E. COBB, cuts and bruises; teeth loosened.
FRANK WINN, cuts and bruises.
W. McDONALD, left leg wrenched at the knee.
EUGENE HARRIS, general shock.
GEORGE H. GREENE, badly sprained back; general shock.
AGNES TRULL, legs bruised.
CARRIE B. INGHAM, legs and arms badly bruised and hip sprained.
WILLIAM J. VINING, left knee and shoulder sprained.
ARTHUR B. GRAVES, general bruises.
CARRIE M. BARCLAY, general bruises and nervous shock.
JOHN KELLEY, general bruises; leg sprained.
J. H. FAIRBANKS, general shock.
J. HENRY WELTON, general shock.
F. H. KNAPP, motorman of west-bound car, general bruises.
M. J. DORGAN, serious cuts and bruises about the head and legs.
CHARLES E. DUFFLIN, slight bruises.
L. BELKNAP, slight bruises.
WILLIAM STANEFIELD, head and nose badly cut; lower teeth knocked out and left knee badly wrenched.
WILLIAM TERRY, general bruises.
C. B. GOULD, severe bruises on left side; fractured rib; head badly cut.
G. M. WEBSTER, hand badly bruised and general shock.
MRS. G. M. WEBSTER, nervous shock and severe bruise of left knee.
MRS. EDWARD MAYO, general shock; back and legs bruises.
IDA L. MAYO, head badly bruised.
MRS. GEORGE G. ANDREWS, severe scalp wound; punctured wound of abdomen; general shock.
MAUDE A. SLEEPER, general shock; strained back; left eye injured.
JOSEPH J. VENNE, (conductor on east bound car), general bruises.
CHARLES H. FOSS, slight bruises.
MRS. CHARLES H. FOSS, back and knee wrenched.
EDWARD McCOY, back sprained;; small scalp wound.
C. C. SWAIN, slight bruises.
ANNIE RYBERSHACK, three ribs fractured; general shock.
SHERMAN T. SMALLEY, bad laceration of knee, hernia.
MRS. HATTIE A. SMALLEY, general shock.
G. W. SMALLEY, slight bruises.
ANNIE SMALLEY, general bruises.
PAUL THIBEAULT, sprain of shoulder and ankle.
G. B. HOOD, slight bruises.
NELLIE RILEY, general shock.
JOB MASON, slight bruises.
PERLEY HILL, severe bruises.
HAROLD HILL, general bruises and head cut.
MRS. LIZZIE SULLIVAN, general bruises.
DANIEL SULLIVAN, general bruises.
DENNIS J. SULLIVAN, general bruises.
The dead and most seriously injured were all on the Nashua or east-bound car. GILBERT sat on the front seat and was instantly killed. COLLETT died four minutes after being taken from the wreck, Postmaster ANDREWS while being removed to the hospital at Lawrence, and MAYES, the motorman, died at the Haverhill Hospital this evening. As the accident took place at some distance from any large city the injured were distributed among the hospitals of Lowell.
The accident occurred on the Hudson, Pelham and Salem division of the New Hampshire Traction Company Electric Railway. The car from Nashua, carrying fifty-four passengers for Cannebic Lake, a Summer resort, approached the curve a quarter of a mile west of Pelham Centre at terrific speed, accentuated by a down grade. The cars met on the curve, neither motorman seeing the approaching car until too late to avoid a collision.
Neither was there time for the passengers to escape by jumping when the cars came together with a force that threw the west bound car directly upon the forward part of the other, crushing the top of the car down upon the passengers, and pinioning those occupying the first three seats in the wreckage.
Persons who witnessed the collision said afterward that it came so unexpectedly that it seemed some minutes before the passengers realized what had happened. All were silent and the passengers made no outcry, appearing to be completely dazed by the shock.
Near the accident were a number of campers who at once rushed to the scene. With crowbars and other instruments the wrecked roofs of the cars were pried up and the imprisoned passengers released.
As the work of rescue proceeded the passengers gave way under the strain and both men and women became hysterical. The injured passengers were carefully taken from the wreck, while their groans and cries added to the general confusion. Not one of the passengers on the two cars escaped injury of some character.

The New York Times
New York, New York
September 7, 1903

Visit Pelham, New Hampshire, USA
Discover the people who lived there, the places they visited and the stories they shared.