The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-07-16
THE WHITE MOUNTAIN ACCIDENT.
A Six Horse Team Rushing Down the
Mountain at Breakneck Speed.

"Above the Clouds" the paper published
on Mt. Washington, gives the following inter
esting details of the recent accident on Mt
Washington in which a Michigan lady lost
her life:
The passengers nine in number, who were
descending the mountain to the Glen House,
were all members OF William FL. Brearley's
excursion party. The stage left the Summit
at half-past 2, and was driven by Freeman
Lindsey, an old and experienced driver. He
appeared to be sober when going up the noun
tain in the morning, but soon after leaving the
Summit ON the return to the Glen House the
passengers discovered that he had been drink
ing while waiting for them to descend. They
asked the driver to let them out of the wagon.
lie stopped and some of them got out and
walked to the Halfway House.
The employees of the Carriage Road Com
pany at the Halfway House assured the pas
sengers that the road was safe below and that
it would be safe to go down with the driver
They all re-entered the carriage and had pro-
ceeded about half mile when they noticed
that he appeared to be Supplied. His foot
slipped off the brake and he soon lost control
OF his six-horse team, which had begun to run
furiously down the mountain. For consider
able distance the carriage, a regular mountain
wagon, appeared to run only on the wheels of
one side, and in going around a curve it was
overturned. The occupants were all thrown
over an embankment into the woods and fell
on the rocks. Mrs. Ira Chichester, of Allegan,
Mich, was instantly killed. Her husband was
slightly bruised on one leg. Mrs. M. L. lows
ley, OF Kalamazoo, Mich, had her left arm
place, was slightly injured in the head Miss
Helen e. Mellen and Mrs. c. Ferguson, Of
Romeo, Mich, and Miss Emma Lamb, of
Howell Mich, were all slightly injured. Mrs.
Vonderhoehl, of Chicago, was also slightly
bruised.
Mr. Lindsey, the driver, had driven over the
road ten years and was thought to be reliable.
He was very seriously injured, and it was sup
posed Monday night that he had sustained a
conclusion of the brain and fracture of the
skull; but Tuesday he recovered his senses,
and the doctor thinks there are some hopes of
his recovery. The last accounts from the Glen
states that the injured were doing we'll and
only three were in bed.
When the carriage was turned over the
horses continued to run down the mountain,
and after going about hundred rods ran into
Autograph post, instantly killing one of the
wheel horses. The others kept on and two of
them fell in the road. The others became en-
tangled and were obliged to stop.
w: ID. Brearley and several others had left
the Glen House in carriage for the Summit
ang were followed by Milton A. McRae and M.
r. Freeman, of Detroit, with load of fire.
works which were to be set off in the evening
on the mountain. They had gone about two
miles when they met one of the injured ladies,
lIOul Wuon Gu6y lodrH6u Oh the dcClu6nC. r.
Freeman ran back to the Glen House to in
form Mr.. Milliken, and Mr.. McRae and MIR.
Brearley went to the assistance of those who
had been injured.
On learning of the accident Mr.. Milliken Or
dered mattresses and medical supplies to be
sent up the mountain at once. He took a
saddle horse from the stable and went at full
speed to the relief of the injured.
Mr.. McRae and Mr.. Brearley, who had pre-
coded him, found Mrs Chichester lying on her
back dead, and the driver not far from her in
an unconscious condition. Mr. Chichester sat
on the ground not far from the dead body of
his wife completely overcome with grief, and
reproaching himself for not letting his wife
walk from the Halfway House to the Glen. as
she had desired. He said, s'Thirty. three years
we have lived together, and not an unkindly
word has passed between us. never before
refused to grant her any request that she had
made"
Mr.. Milliken found a bottle of liquor in the
drivers pocket which he smashed on the
rocks. The dead and the injured were tender
ly cared for and borne to the Glen House. The
scene was indeed sad one and cast gloom
over what had until then been Joyous Occas-
ion. Mr.. Milliken on Tuesday settled with
the parties injured, and with the husband of
the lady who was killed, for all damages and
they all united in signing paper generating
him from all blame in the matter, and thank
ing him for his generosity and the handsome
manner in which he provided for their wants
and cared for them in their trouble.