The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-07-11
A CRASH IN THE DARK.
one OF the Blue Jackets Badly Hurt
at Peaks Island.
Portland Young Men Escape With
Some Slight Bruises.
An Accident In the Tunnel on the
ToboRgan Chute.

Last evening the big skating rink On
Peaks Island was the scene of bad acct
dent The roller toboggan chute in the big
building has proved favorite source of
amusement to the jolly tars from the white
war ships, and in one of the cars were four
of them having a gay time as they spun
along the track This toboggan chute is
really small railroad one end being at
point few feet below the roof and nigh
above the floor. From this elevated point
the track winds down to the floor of the
rink, in all circling round the building three
time. Completing the first two circles the
track winds through tunnel, entering at a
point near the end of the rink and some
what lower than the gallery and coming out
on the floor, the tunnel being nearly in the
shape OF half circle. The cars are of wood
and each contains two seats capable of ac-
commodating four persons in each car. The
cars are raised to the point of starting on
two elevators, so arranged that as one goes
up the other is descending. Once at the top
the weight of the cars start them, the track
from each elevator joining, SO that there
may be two or more cars on the chute at the
same time The cars run with considerable
speed and of course the people in them can
neither stop them nor get out without get
ting hurt. Signs are posted in conspicuous
places warning riders TO keep their hands
and arms In the cars to avoid danger
The sailors who were riding last night, ev-
identity with the idea that they were increas-
ing the speed of the car, were seen to sway
their bodies back and forth. The accident
occurred in the tunnel. Just what happened
there is not known. One story is that one
OF the sailors in attempting to stlnd up or
can to one side, struck the Ioof OF side of
the tunnel and fell, the weight of his body
dragging aloDgs topping the car. Some dis
lance behind was second car, containing
Mr. Henry Bradley, better known to his
friends as Checker" and Mr.. John Hamel
of this city. This car ran into the first with
crash, which was heard outside the rink.
Another car was just starting on its down.
ward path, but quick work on the part of
the attendants cleared the tunnel before it
got along and prevented further damage
When the first two cars were dragged ont in
to the light one of the sailors was seen to be
badly injured. Blood was flowing in streams
from an ugly wound in his head and his
right arm was broken in two places below
the elbow. Mr.. Bradley and Mr.. Hamel
were both somewhat bruised and shaken up,
but happily escaped serious injury. The
other sailors were not seriously hurt. Now
~, the man who was so badly in
jured, Is the one who is supposed
to have tried to stand up in the tunnel. An
Indian doctor, who is staying on the island,
was called in and sewed up the cut in the
mans head. The wound began at the front
of the head just above the forehead and from
there an ugly looking cut extended back
across the scalp. The poor fellow pluckily
refused to allow opiates TO be administered
and bore the pain like hero while the limb
was being set and his head bandaged. 1t
took an hour to make these temporary
repairs and he was then taken to his ship.
the Baltimore, where he is employed as
tailor.
Mr.. Hamel said that he first knew some
thing was wrong when the crash came. The
roof of the tunnel seemed to fall and gave
him a long to be remembered whack on the
top of the head. lie and Mr.. Bradley cs6s
to the city on late boat. Neithe-r 40 hnr,
badly enough to require asst stance - ''''
After the first exci EXCITEMENT was over man
snS D n aa Explored the tunnel but. could
nnu nU.n.1sg wrong there.
The running gear of the cars seemed to be
all right, as did the track. This is the first
accident which has occurred on the tobog.
gan chute in the several years it has been in
operation and the general belief seemed to
be that the sailors carelessness was in some
way responsible for 1t.