The Portland daily press., 1882-01-03
The Arrival iu Portland.

The Arrival III POrtlanu.
On the arrival of the train in this city
large crowd of anxious persons had gathered
at the depot, fearful lest their friends were
among those badly injured. Ambulances were
in attendance to take those desiring or needing
it to the hospital, where beds had already been
provided w
The news of the disaster had been greatly
exaggerated through the city, and feeling of
relief made itself manifest when it was found
to be less terrible than reported.
The experiences of those who went down in
the ruins as told by them were exciting and in
some cases thrilling.
Mr.. H. s. French of Brockton, Mr.. G. w.
Lane of Leeds, Mr.. Mark Sinons of Boston,
and Mr. w. A. Hill of Rookland, all took
quarters at the Falmouth Hotel.
Mr.. French is evidently quiet keen OBJ
serving man, and his story proved very inter-
esting. He stated that he was riding in the
smoker, having Mr.. Lane for chum. All at
once he felt sensation as if flying through the
air, and then heavy shock accompanied by a
sliding motion, as if the car was slipping along
the road. The interior of the car seemed to
rise and fall in waves, if such comparison
meant anything. AT any rate it seemed to
him that the seats and floor were dancing up
and down with regular motion like waves of
the sea. How long the affair lasted he could not
say. To him it seemed half an hour, but it
might have been fifteen seconds. Men were
seen grasping Seats and were thrown about in
every fashion, except those who were pinioned
by the seats. The fore end of the smoker was
all crushed in, and the interior made perfect
wreck. He found one leg pinioned SO tightly
| between the seats that it was some time before
he could extrcate himself, and then he crawl
| ed out of the hole at the front end of the car.
AT the time of the accident four gentlemen
just behind Mr.. French were playing cards
one of them an oldish man. After the accident
all made their way out but the old man never
relinquished his grasp on the hand he held.
He bore it off safely through the wreck and
ruin. 1t was flush"
The stove by the conclusion, was shot clear
into the centre Of the car, but strange to relate
did not upset nor set fire to the car.
When the passengers entered the train in the
morning the atmosphere was chilly and all the
travellers gathered around the stove After
Mr.. French got warm and the car was warm'
he removed his oyercoat and left it on seat
in the forward part OF the smoker, while he
and Mr.. Lane took their seats IN centre Of
the car, where they were at the time OF the
accident. Ii ne had renamed where ne ieis
his coat he would probably have been killed a.
| Mr.. Kidder was Mr.. French says the passen-
| gers all behaved splendidly. One lady was SC
pnioned in one of the passenger cars that she
/ could not be got out easily. He begged the
men who were trying to get her out not to tear
her clothes, those seeming to be OF more i'm
portance to her than her life. But the car had
taken fire and was burning, and the four or
five men had to pull her out by main force
tearing off all her clothes at the waist Mr..
/ French also saw man, wife and little boy
who had escaped from the wreck. The lady
| and child did not know the father was safe
i and the mother kept asking the child if he
the child-was badly hurt. The brave little
i fellow. although badly cut, insisted he was not
hurt. AS they climbed the embankment the
| husband came rushing to meet them all safe,
and the ioy Of all the parties at meeting can
he better imagined than described.
/ Mr.. French. like the other passengers seen
4 l,o onrs reroyter was verv severe ON the man.
agement of the road after the accident. He
claimed that Il. was an bour and a half before
anv assistance was rendere3 .stl,at the wreck.
10 tra;,, nos ~ a1ll,awod - % from Kanna-
h.,k - tho soona ~ the disaster for at least AN
torr of+a, i+s orr;,o,at tbst station with the
s,,.,oo,,s -, ,o.rs. tba+ oftar +ba nassan oars
- j, - zo,,o,,,1, t,ev conld oct mn
,aa, - ,s,,, linn, ,ola Ia ,sna.cbed 10
their destinations neither vase food pro-
r;ded for than Perieontrs we hear that the
v;reg were down and that the management OF
tbe road conld Get only the most meagre par
ticu,ars Of the disaster.
Mr. lane said that his experience was sub
stont;ollv that Of Mr.. Freneh,s. In attempt
inc 70 hold ON to his seat when the crash came
lie Nod was knocked violently against the
side Of the car. and he exhibited bunch like