From the Friday, February 25, 1898 Potsdam St. Lawrence Herald:

 

1898--No. 7 Train Wreck

The track walker between Potsdam and Norwood discovered a broken rail at Sissonville crossing, and with difficulty succeeded in replacing it with a new rail before the arrival of the evening train Monday. Later Monday night there was a freight wreck between Potsdam and Norwood, but it was cleared away before time for the passenger train going south Tuesday morning.

R.W.&O. passenger train No. 7, which runs from Syracuse to Massena Springs, leaving Watertown at 8:45 a.m., met with an accident at Norwood at 11:50 Tuesday forenoon. The engine tank and several cars were derailed, the express car badly damaged by the collision with a string of freight cars, 80 feet of track was torn up and expressman and baggageman were injured.

No. 7, which was drawn by engine No. 1,005 and was in charge of Conductor D.P. Francis and Engineer H. S. Mowers reached Norwood promptly on time at 11:50 and started to take the siding. The tank jumped the switch, and with the mail car was derailed. The train broke in two between the mail and express cars, and the section headed by the latter ran up the main track, colliding with a string of freight cars. The side of the express car was smashed in by the force of the collision and the cars of the passenger train were derailed. The track was torn up for a distance of 30 feet.

Express Messenger Edward A. Bowers, whose home is in Rome, but who runs between Dekalb Junction and Massena Springs, had his right arm broken and was badly cut and bruised about the head and face.

Baggageman James Moulton, whose home is at Altmar, Oswego county, had his right leg badly jammed. None of the passengers were injured. The Tuesday afternoon passenger train, was delayed until six o'clock by the wreck.

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