The train wreck of 1893, Lancaster, Massachusetts

Two Worcester & Nashua freight trains collided head-on about 3:35 a.m. on September 21, 1893. The crash, which occurred in back of the Middle Cemetery, killed a fireman, injured an engineer, wrecked the engines "Boscawen" and "Hollis," and damaged 13 freight cars. It was rumored that a mistake in the Ayer telegraph office led to the accident. The dramatic event drew a curious crowd of 2,000-3,000 to the scene the next day.
Courtesy of Lancaster Historical Society