The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-01-06
BOSTON AND MAINE.
THE COLES CORNER DISASTER.
The Inquest Adjourned to Saturday.


accident case met at 2.10 o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon and consisted of A. e, Haley, Marcus
Watson, John Cousens Joseph Parsons, Hen
nv f. Curtis and George Varney. Commits
sioner Anderson was in attendance. No testi-
mony was taken yesterday. The jury went to
examine the bridge iron and will convene on
Saturday at 10 O'Clock a. M, when several OF
the railroad employees will be examined. A
portion of the bridge iron will be sent to
WATERFOWL for testing.
A special to the Boston Herald yesterday
stated that all the iron of the four cars thai
were burned up after diving into the cut below
the BRIDGE was carried off as junk on couple
of platform cars Tuesday night. The broken
Orders, trusses and other gearing belonging to
the Inflated bridge were for the most part re-
moved Wednesday and but little remains OF
the structure. In its place has been erected
heavy and substantial wooden bridge, which,
however, will not be a permanent institution.
The spans are composed of heavy and we'll
seasoned beams, braced up from beneath by
substantial cross-beams, or horses. The brac-
ing is finished up so as not to inter fere with
travel on the highway, beneath the bridge.
alongside of the baggage car, in the gulch at
the foot of the embankment on the Kenne-
bunk sids of the bridge. The former car ha'
been stripped of its rich furniture, which has
been taken to Portland. The body of the car
is unfit for further use, other than in the way
of fireyood. The car cost $4,000 and was one
of the best on the road. 1t will be replaced at
once by one with more modern improvements.
The baggage car, which was one of the most
substantial on the road, will be repaired at
Portland for further service.
The actual loss in rolling stock consists OF
five cars-the drawing-room, TWO passengers
and mail and smoker-in all valued at about
$40, 900. The bridge that was wrecked cost
5000, was erected under the supervision OF
Mr. Parker of the New England Bridge Co.,
and was constructed with many others of its
kind, eight years ago, when the Boston and
Maine extended its line from South Berwick
to Portland.
Mr.. Hodgdon, who was killed, had but re-
Gently returned from Kansas, and was at one
time engaged in business with his brother. His
remains have been taken in charge by relatives.
His death was due to internal injuries and a
fractured skull
The Herald says the impression of the road Of
feers seems to be the accident was caused by the
breaking of the axle of the left wheel OF the
baggage car close to its inside face. The loss
of the wheel caused the truck to cant to the
left with such force as to drag the other three
wheels from the track, their fanges cutting
deep ridges diagonally across the top surfaces
of both Orders. Upon the truck jumping the
track, the forward end Of the car swayed with
terrible force against the top Of the left truss,
which was broken off like pipes tenn and
hurled to the bed of the road, 20 feet below.
The taking away of this truss naturally weak
ened the left girder, which, by the wrench
given to it, was thrown out of plumb and
loosened in the sockets provided for its sup
port at either end on the abutments, which
formed the chief support of the bridge. The left
girder fell an instant after its truss fell, pull
ing with it the other girder and its truss into
the road, the whole forming a mass of some
40 tons.
Tue chief witnesses who will be examined
at the inquest will be Edwin Weymouth, con-
ductor, e. Bowditch, James Nolan, Engineers
Smith and Rankin. Fireman Collins, Herbert
sNAO
wrecked train 1t is extremely probable that
the jury will be unable to settle definitely any
responsibility on the road for the accident,
" hich is also to be inquired into by the Maine
railroad commissioners.
Tho following passengers over the Boston
| and Maine who were aboard the wrecked
train Monday passed the following vote while
at Kennebunk:
We, passengers from the train wrecked on
the Boston and Maine Railroad, Monday, Jan.
3D. 1882, DO hereby express our protest and in
dignation against the manager OF the said road
for the delay and shameful neglect in permit
ting us to lay in this station more than five
hours without means of transportation to our
| homee.
A. b. Kicker. Alfred, Me- H. M. Howes,
Portland; r. S. Boulter, Saco, Me-; @. s.
Smith, Concord, N. H: G. E. Hyde, Bath,
Me-; Freeman McKown, Boothbay, Me-;
| Capt. John B. Nealey, So. Berwick, Me;
Stephen f. Kicker. Lebanon, Me-; David
| M Howe, Methuen, Mass; III. Lorin Mer-
rill, Parsonsfield, Me-; G. T. Ridlon, Saco,
| Me.
Mr.. S. A. Roberts, telegraph operator at the
transfer station, although injured, took the
| responsibility to go on tho engine to Kenne-
bunk, telegraph for doctors and wrecking
train, and telegraphed messages for half an
hour, while suffering agony. He is the kind
of all employe to have.
A dispatch from Kennebunk says the cor
oner's jury examined the bridge yesterday af-
ternoon. To-day they will examine the
Mitchell bridge, five miles from the one de-
stroyed, and which is built after the same pat
| tern, in order to obtain a clear idea of the
| strain coming upon the various parts. The
| inv, orc da+orroinad tn maka a. thorou oh In
vestigation of this sad affair. Supt. Furber
| was there and signifed his willingness to aid
| in this investigation all in his power. Henry
Downs, victim of the disaster, who was not
expected to live through the night of Monday
| is still very low, and it is doubtful about his
| recovery