The Portland daily press., 1871-11-18
The Narrow Escape ON the Portland, saco
and POrtsmeuth Railrsad.
PORTLAND, Me, Nov. 1s, 1871.

AOnALAND, nut. NOF. 10, 1911.
To the Editors Of the Boston Journal:
Your correspondent from Portsmouth seems
to have mag snifed an occurrence on the Port
land, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad, which
happened on Friday night last, into larger pro-
| portions than the facts warrant; and as the af-
| fair was only one which every railroad man
knows is liable to occur any day, and was one
really involving no danger, shall feel obliged
if you will give the facts in the case.
freight train of ordinary number of cars
left Portland for Portsmouth at 1 80 P. NJ. The
Pullman express and another passenger train
passed it, and still another crossed it before
dark. AT the junction of Great Falls and Con-
way road, ten miles from Portsmouth, it took on
additional cars, making the number 80, to take
to Portsmouth, but it coming on to snow hard
when within 21 miles of Portsmouth, and
then an hour clear of any other trains time,
the engine stopped, and the Conductor decided
to go ahead with ten OF his cars to a siding
about one mile distant, and return for tho bal.
ance OF his train. He accordingly despatched
one brakeman with the engineman and fire.
man to do So This was safely accom- plisbed.
and on leaving the switch at the siding, the
man in charge there was left with his light to
haul up passenger train from Portsmouth,
which would be due in three-quarters of an
hour, in case they were detained in getting up
the balance of the train to the siding, the Con-
dnctor remaining with his train to warn any
trains comipg up behind him, in case the en-
glne did not return in season. Up to this point
of time, certainly, al was made safe from any
possible collision men with good lights at each
end, and at sufficient distance to make sure to
stop any coming train from either direction
and provided with torpe1Oes in case the lights
failed to arrest these trains. The result was
no train approached to within halt mile of
the spot without coming to full stop. Now
comes the cause of the subsequent delay
In hauling up the ten cars when some half
way from the train to the siding, the two cars
in the rear became detached from some un-
known cause; probably the shackle pin flew
out, and instead OF leaving ten cars on the sid.
ing, as the men supposed, but eight were left
there, and in backing the engines to get the
balance of the train in the thick snow and
darkness, it struck these two cars, punching a
hole in the rear of the tender tank, and throw
ing one of the freight cars off its tracks. The
three men on the engine were thrown down
INTO tina tender and somewhat Jared, but not
seriously hurt; all OF them are now out of
doors walking around, three days only have
eladsep. To get sufficient lumber of men
together to put the cars on the track and the
train out OF the way took some three hours.
and detenson of three passenger trains for
about that time was the consequence. The en-
gine was rot disabled, excepting by the loss of
water from its tender. Your correspondent
speaks feelingly of sundry contingen cies,
Which If not needed or seen would have led to
serious results. This we all know, and we also
know that disastrous consequences are almost
sure to follow any neglect Of observances of
signals on the part of an engineman. Signals
both of danger and of safety which he is bound
to notice and obey on almost every mile of his
Journey And l am happy to give my testi-
mony 10 their uniform care and watchfulpess
In this as we'll as the ether important issues in
trusted to their hands,
f. CHASE, Supt. P. s. &P.R.R.