Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-03-04
SNOW BLOCKADE
On the Pennington ROad-PassenseTs
Detained Three DAYS at Liver.
more FalI>-The Blockade
Raised.
LIyERMoRE FALLS. Mar. ,,

LIvERMoRE FALLS. Mar. ;.
The snow blockade has just been raised.
The Pennington branch of the Maine Central
has had tough experience. and the wonder
is that all hands have come out of il alive.
Friday al 5 P. NJ, the dve O'Clock pas
senger train passed through Livermore Falls,
en- route for Farmington. The train was
made up as follows: Snow plo~, dsnge dig
ger, engines Nos. %. GO and 5, pulling
freight, postal car and passenger car. About
one and one-half miles from Lvermore Falls,
at or near Walton's Crossing, the stow plow
left the track, and coming in contact with
the fiange digger, raked the whole train, fore
and aft tearing one side of the digger clear
off.
The men must have jumped to the
other side of the car when il struck, 10 hav e
escaped instant death. Engine %. being
ahead of the other two. received the force of
the blow. and was badly damaged The side
of the cab was taken of, the cow-catcher de-
molished, the pipes stove of, and large holes
knocked in the right hand corner of the ten
der. This engine is in worse shape than the
other The cab of engine No 81 was turned
completely around, the side of the engine is
-
der. same as in No. %. No. ) was slightly
damaged. The only person hurt was Young
Foster fireman OF No ) He was hurt in
the back but was able 10 set up in the chair,
and does not seem TO be much injured. The
train was in charge of the conductor, Geo.
Knapp.
The train men worked all night clearing
the wreck. and getting the plow on the track
The weather was terribly cold, wind blowing
gale, snow piling up in big drifts. and it
was only by great effort that men could keep
from freezing.
Engines Nos. Il and 10 came from Lewis
ton and the baggage and passenger cars were
hauled back TO Livermore Falls, where the
passengers were III ide as comfortable as pos
sible.
! BY the help of engines II and 10 the dis
abled machines were pulled back to Liver
more Falls abont noon, the snow plow run
ming off again near the crossing on Main ST..
and causing some delay in replacing IT back
on the track.
Saturday nights special train through to
| Farmington consisting of engine and pas
senger ear. WIS disabled by the breaking of
the engine shCr, distance below Livermore
! Falls. At abeut : O'Clock in the evening
/ the broken pieces were duplicated from the
three engines placed on the wounded list IN
/ the former aCClUtUt- lie lTtih uit" uP "
the station and started for Pennington. being
DELAYED three hours. 1t succeeded In reach
ing North JAY seven miles distant, when 1t
was compelled to wait until rescued by an
engine from Pennington, Sunday noon. The
early Monday freight passed through Liver
more Falls as usual, and it is hoped that the
blockade has been raised. We have re-
ceived only one mail from the outside since
! Thursday One does not appreciate the
need of dailv mailed papers until deprived
of them. There was at one time Sunday on
the track at Livermore Falls, four broken
engines. The wind blowed so strong during
the gale that the snow was packed hard upon
the track. and it was almost impossible to
push plow through and keep it on the rails.
1t was great inconvenience to passengers
and business. A number were compelled to
wait at the depot for three days, for train
to Lewiston.