Freight Brakeman Injured

New Hampshire Sentinel,  August 12, 1891 - Joseph Smith, of Franklin street, a son of Erastus Smith of this city, who has recently been working as a freight brakeman for the Fitchburg road, was quite badly hurt, last Wednesday, by striking the side of the low bridge across the stream near the old pottery, at Troy.  Smith left Keene about dark with conductor Tole and another brakeman, on a wild freight going South.  The saloon on the train was an old freight car provided with side ladders to reach the top.

As the train approached the bride in question, Smith, who was on one of the rear cars, started to go down into the saloon, evidently thinking nothing about the bridge – the sides of which come very close to the cars as they pass through.  He got nearly down the car ladder when, as he thinks his lantern first stuck the side of the bridge and was at the same time driven into his hip, knocking him off the car.  He was lucky enough to fall so that he was not otherwise injured.  His comrades rendered him assistance as soon as possible and he was brought to Keene on freight No. 20 and taken to his home.  A surgeon was called who found that the hip ad been broken by the concussion, but no other serious injury sustained.