Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-12-25
Fatal Railroad Accident.

COLLISION OF FREIGHT TRAINS ON THE
PORTLAND, sACO AND ORrsMOCrII ROAD,
NEAR KENNEBuNK-rIIREE MEN KILLED
And rwO INJURED--FIFTEEN CARS AND
rwo ENGINES WRECKED
BIDDEFoRD Me, Dec 2O.-This MORN
ing the Boston bound freight train of forty-
seven cars and two engines, which left
here at | O'Clock. coilded near kennebunk
Camp station with the Portland bound
freight train, and three employees of the for
mer train were hurled into eternity in a
moment. The names of the Killed are ::
Conductor Albert Bisbee Of Saco; brelke-
man Myron c. Felch, of Portland and fire
man Abraham Sherman. Of Shaplegh
Bisbee lived at Saco, and was to be mar
ricd on Christmas to Miss Scamman. an
estimable young lady OF that city. Two
others were seriously injured zone of them,
named Theodore Davidson, sustaining a
dislocatiou of the shoulder and broken
ankle. Thirteen cars and three engines
are a total wreck, aud are piled ~ indis-
criminatcly upon the track presenting n
horrible appearance. The cause of acct
dent j. said to be the neglect on the part
OF the kenuebunk Waterman TO stop the
Portland train. Walter Gowen, engineer
of the smashed train, had. 1t is laid. order
ed the telegraph operator and the watch
man. at the depot not to allow, on any
terms. the Portland b ound train To pass. a
he was going back after the ears he had
lost. lie found the cars near the old camp
GROUND station. attached them, aud had
just got under headwav on the return when
the Portlad train came laundering along
towards him. The air was thick with the
damp. fIlliu. snow, and he did not discuy-
cr the approaching train in time Ia speak
tn his fireman. t'owcu jumped aud rolled
over au embInkmcnt, receiving several
severe scratches.
PORTLAND. Me. Dee 3l.-Coroner J. ".
Sargent. OF kennebunh. has summoned an
inquest on the disaster. The road author
tiles will afford every opportunity for an
impartial investigation. From the evidence
thus far produced, 1t appears that freight
train'W :" from the east, broke apart at
kcnncbnuk port, a thick, binding snow
storm prevail ling at the time. The train
was made up OF some forty Caas. After
breaking from them the engineers were
compelled Ia run ahead 10 keep out the
way OF the train, running wild on 4 down
grade. The cngiucrrs reached kennehunn
ON time, AMI notified the telegraph opera
tor aud night Waterman at that station that
their train was blocking the road ask
in. a delay oi nil trains until they could
return aud clear il. The operator i'm
meIiately hung out 4 rrd ligrt saving
To the ngcnccTs that no train would dare
go by that. they then returned to secure
their train in order Ia cross the train from
the west At kcnnebuuk. Shortly after Sc
curing the wide cars. little short OF two
miles east OF kcnncbnnk, they were met
by the train from the west. the snow falling
50 thick and fast that the headlights were
hidden on both tracks. Why the train
from the west dlsregarded the warning
given at kennebuuk does not vet appear
The witnesses have all been summoned.
and the mystery will be unravelled on
Monday. At the time of the collision
there were four men ON the foremost engine
OF the up-train, the conductor and friend
besides the engineer and fireman. The
conductors friend was the iii To see the
engine coming upon them aud Ieaped,
escaping uninjnred. The engineer revers-
ed his engine, whlstled on brakes and also
jumped. The conductor and the fireman
were Killed OH the Sc cond engine. The
engineer was thrown sixteen feet into the
snow escaping with a crushed shoulder.
The fireman was killed. The men on the
down train escaped by jumping.