The Portland daily press., 1884-04-09
THE MAINE CENTRAL ACCIDENT.
The COLLATION. Due TO the Giving Way eta
Brake Chain.


The scene Of the collision on the Maine Gen.
trail Is about hallway between Gardiner and
Hsllowell, and Just below Rich's ice house.
There is long siding here where trains fire.
quently pass. The passenger train was run
ming at rate of eight miles an hour, much
slower than the regular rate, as 1t was expect
ed that crossing would be made with freight
at the siding. The train had arrived at The
lower end of the side track. and was about the
length Of the train from the lower switch. The
freight train, which was made up OF Is cars,
was moving some seven miles an hour. The
locomotives met with crash, which was
heard IS far away as Gardiner. The shock
was terrific Isaac Blake, engineer on the
passenger train, reversed his engine promptly
on perceiving the oneoming train. There Il .
short curve just below the siding, which cut
of the view, so that he was una bic to stop his
train in season to avert the accident. BE
stuck to his post until the last, never leaving
his machine until after the accident His fire.
man, Lewis Bailey, Jumped some time before
the trains met, landing long distance from
the track. He was able to rise after he struck
and witness the collidiug Of the two locomo.
tives. The engineer OF the freight,
Leavitt, jumped from bis engine as did ms
fireman.
The shock to the occupants OF the passenger
train was severe one. Many were thrown
forward and off their seats. There was much
excitement. Mrs. Loren @. Allen, OF Halo
well, whose husband is master mechanic OF the
Hallowell Cotton Manufacturing Company,
was sitting at one end of the car, with her hit
tie four-year-old boy by her side. She was
thrown forward with much force against ths
car door, and received bad flesh wound over
one temple. She exhibited great fortitnde,a nd
several gentlemen present assisted IL dressing
the wound. The lad was thrown upon hot
stove, directly in front Of him. He was
slightly burned. Mr.. Hathaway, travelling
salesman for Colgate's soap corcern, was
standing at the rear end of q car, gazing from
the door window. The sudden halt OF the
train threw the gentleman backwards, and no
struck the back OF bis head on q car seat. &c
was stunned for while, but after short time
regsned his senses and was able to walk. MI.
John R. Gould, Of HallOwell, received pain
ful injury in one hand. Mr.. John Mace, the
baggage master, was walking BY the open door
Of his Car when the collision came He was
shot out Of the door and upon the rails OF the
siding. He suffered from an injury to one leg.
Conductor Philbrook had one arm Injured.
Many suffered slight bruises and strains.
Among the passengers on the train were ten
Joshua L. Chamberlain OF Brunswick, Hon.
John l.. Cutler OF Bangor, Il. K. burpee oil
Bangor, general manager OF the New
Brunswick Railway, and Gen. Hall OF Dam
ariscotta; also quite party OF Augusta people.
The damage to the rolling stock Is estimated
at from $4,000 to $4,000. The accident ap-
pears to have been due to the breaking OF .
brake chain. There were three trains at the
point of the collision. The regular SkoWhe-
gan freight MP stood on the siding, awaiting
the passage of the other trains. The passcn-
ger train was on time, and the engineer b I'D
his orders to cross the down freight at Farm
ingdale The latter had orders to cross at the
same point. 1t should have stopped just
above the switch at the upper end OF the sid
ing, and run down upon the side track to await
the passage of Philbrook's train. But instead
1t continued straight on, and the collision oc-
CURED. @. M. BENJAMIN, conductor OF the
freight, says that the chain Of the brake appa-
ratus Of the saloon car brake was broken, and
he was unable to bring his train to halt 1t
the required point. Upon the giving away Of
the chain, he rushed upon the roofs Of the
nearest cars and had time to set three brakes.
Had the saloon brake held there would have
been no trouble.