The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-12-23
THE RAILROAD DISASTER.
Corener's Inquest Began.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
RepOrted for the Pressl

panneled jury at Biddeford Saturday after
noon to investigate the causes of the fearful
disaster on the Eastern Railroad Saturday morn
ing The jury consisted of c. P. Berry, DIR. G.
). Emery, I. L. Merrill, Abjah Tarbox, j. NJ
Andrews of Biddeford, and A. E. Haley of
Kennebunk.
w. +. Lunt, esq.,, County Attorney elect, ap-
peared for the State, and T. H. Hubbard, ESQ.,,
Tor the road. The jury first viewed the ground,
where they found engines piled up with six
cars loaded with hay. The jury then came to
Biddeford and the inquest was continued. The
bodies of the dead and the wounded men were
placed in hay car where the inquest was held.
The first witness examined was George 8.
Peterson, night Waterman at the Biddeford
station, who identified the body of Albert Bis
bee.
Charles II. Shaw of Portsmouth, N. H., iden-
tilted the boy Abraham Sherman Of Shapleigh,
fireman.
Edmund S. Moulton of Whitefeld, N H.,
identified the body of Milan s. Feleh of Sea-
brook, N. H., son of Amos Fetch.
The bodies were in a fearfully mutilated con.
dtion. Bisbee's head was nearly gone and the
body was scorched and blackened Sherburne's
arm was pulled out of its socket
Theodore Davidson of Portsmouth, engineer
of the Chelsea, rear locomotive on train ''W,'
was the next and last witness. He was stretch
ed upon his back with shoulder out of joint,
and body bandaged. His testimony was given
in straightforward manner, though he spoke
with difficulty Lecause of his injuries. His
testimony was as follows:
Between Saco and Days Crossing, Kenne-
In n hn - ~ L. Il
We run to Days siding, left what cars we
could, went back after the missing cars, return
ed to the siding, got cars and were ready for
kennebunk at 11:45. The s'Fs' freight was due
at Kennebunk at II. 40, giving us Sc minutes to
run there. more time than was needed. As we
hauled of from the siding the engines broke
from the train. The track was slippery with
sleet and the grade was heavy down one. So
we were compelled to run fast, knowing that
the cars would run to some point west of the
old camp ground. 1t was so dark we thought
it imprudent to pickup the cars until we ran to
kennebunk and gave notice This we did and
tod the telegraph operator to hang out his red
lantern. This he did, and said no train could
pass him. We then went back, found our train
in the woods hear the camp ground, fastened to
it and were running back at II miles an hour,
when the collision occurred. didn't see down
train coming, for the snow was so thick the
headlight could not be seen. The whistle was
the first warning was not thrown from the
engine, but felt it settling beneath me aud
found myself on the foot board. crawled
from the wreck, my shoulder was out of Joint
and my ankle cut. 1 knew nothing more for
tainted: My fireman. Knight jumped off and
was slightly injured. On the engine ahead
were Rsbee the conductor, Gowen the engin-
eer, Sherman, fireman, Fetch, brakeman.
The inquest here adjourned to meet in the
Aldermen's room, City Building, Bddeford, at
2 p. m. Monday.
The following communication was read by
Mr.. Hubbard:
Please say TO Coronerand County Attorney to
let me know which OF our men they want, and
we will have them on hand. We desire that
the sad affair may be fully and fairly investi-
gated. G. F. HATCH,
Manager e. R. R.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The afternoon session began at the place of
adjournment at p. m. yesterday. The follow.
ing men, employees on freight ST." ap peared |
and were sworn: Chasles 7. Peitee, conductor,
Wallace w, Morrison, engineer Francis Bach,
elder fireman, Hosea French, William Bond
George H. Downs, brakemen.
Charles T. Pettee, conductor Of freight f, |
was the first witness examined. He testified |
as follows:
reside at East Boston. and am employed as |
Eastern Railrod freight conductor. Have been |
in employ of road eight years, five years in my |
present pos ton. Was in charge of freight F |
Friday night. 1 received verbal orders from |
Mr.. Wing, the train dispatcher at Portsmouth, to |
make my time to each Station. At Kennebunk |
saw White, the telegraph operator. There
were no signals out. Igot to Kennebunk about |
1880. Saw only watchman and operator. l |
stopped to take water. and the operator came |
out 1 asked him where freight w was He |
SAID it had broken apart, and the engines had
been over after water and wood. L asked if
there were any orders to hold me; he said no. |
asked him again and he said no. L ask
ed what time the engines left; he said II. TO- |
1 left Kennebunk at O'Clock. Before starting
directed the engineer to drive slowly round
the curve as he would have to saw by freight
w at Days siding. / was in the rear car; was
not running over IL miles an hour The first
notice had OF the collision was the shutting
off of steam by the engineer. Two minutes
shutting off told the brakemen to hold their
brakes, which they did, Then heard the |
whistle. One brakeman was on the engine and |
two with me. Before brakes were put on I |
was running at usual speed on the down grade
was watching for the train, but using only |
ordinary precautions Traln w was due at !
Kennebunk at 9.45 When left Portsmouth
the train dispatcher said, II have given no or
ders to train W; you may pass them when yo1
make your time. If give them orders will |
notify you" My train always stops at Kenne-
bunk. was 20 minutes late. The operator
told me train w was broken in the hollow. |
Did not tell me whether it was in the hollow
east or west of Days siding No signals were
out and nothing was said to me about waiting |
at Kennebunk left Portsmouth at TO- IS with |
% cars; the cars were from 80 to 80 feet long. |
think could see lantern the length of the |
train The saloon car is not the usual place for J
all brakemen One brakeman is required there |
by the rules, and one on top the cars. All |
freight trains are limited to three brakemen.
One should be on the engine. There was but |
one brake on the saloon car, and both brake |
men sprang to that. Our orders are to report |
my arrival at station Immediately to the train |
dispatcher, and then be governed by orders re-
ceived NY duty is to &c, on unless ordered to
remain. When we struck we we're going five |
to six miles an hour. In case of accident or de-
lay to my train must send man back or tor
ward as the case may be, a half mile or more |
If necessary, with flags by day and lanterns by |
does also must be carried. In case cannot
arrive station before another train is due to
leave must send man ahead with flag or |
lantern as the case may be, and flag my train |
in. met with no fiasmen between Kenne-
bunk and the point of collision, and no torpe-
uoes were exploded to my knowledge. / cou Id |
hear no torpedoes that night had they been ex-
ploded. IexpecteG 10 pass freight w at Days
siding. run my train, unless otherwise Or
der.d, by the time book, with which every en-
ploye is furnished. regulate my watch by
the time indicator at Boston every time leave,
Every train man is supplied with copy of the
running rules. -
At the collision got up from the floor where
1 was thrown aud saw the two brakemen get
ting off the guard rail. They said they were
slightly hurt. went up to the side of my
train and met Bach lder, the fireman who was
not hurt. Next met Downs, the forward
brakeman, who was bleeding from the mouth
1 then went to look after the rest. Found some
employees of the other train, who reported no
one injured. then went back to Kennehunk
to stop train G. and send for wreckers. re-
ceived no information from the train despatch
er that train G. was detained, though heard
afterwards that it stopped at Wells. The
morning dispatcher, Mr.. Myers, sent word that
he would send engine of freight E. to Keune
bunk for me to take to the wreck regardless of
all trains. This was about a m. II reached
Kennebunk at Ia. m. In answer to ques-
ton whether if he had learned on arrival at
Kennebunk that a bridge was down and no
further information or o1,lers was received what
he should do. he said he should wait fer orders,
aud if ordered to go ahead he should disobey.
He did not know that the freight w. was west
of Days Siding, bit thought likely it was at
that place. He knew of no instance in which
a conductor should exercise his own discretion
and violate the rules If he had been on the
rear of broken train he should stop it as soon
as ever he could. If Oh the locomotive he
should keep out of the way until the rear stop