The Portland daily press., 1896-06-29
FLOATING in THE RIVER.
Body Of Engineer Allen Found Satur.
day Night.
BY TWO BOYS ROWING DOWN THE
RIVER.

Was Recovered About a Mile Below
Where the Accident Happened-Taken
to Undertaker's Room and Brought to
Portland Sunday.
lewiston, June 27.-The body of the
late Engineer Allen of the Maine Central
railroad was found floating in the An
droscoggin about O'Clock this evening
by couple of boys who were out row.
ing on the river for pleasure. The boys
were Gideon Jacques and Fred lib
belts both about 20 years old, and living
at 14s Oxford street, in this city.
After they had finished their day S
work in the cotton mills, where both are
employed, Tibbetts and jacques went
down to the river. and got into row boat
which one of them owned and started
to pull down kthe rstream, intending to
take swim when they got outside the
city limits.
They had proceeded about a quarter
Of mile and when within 80 feet from
shore on the Auburn side, just opposite
one of the city cemeteries, Jacques's oar
shipped from the row lock and he fell
backward into thesbottom of the boat
He recovered himself. and looking for
his oar which fell into the water, he
SAW THE BODY
of man floating within few feet of
him.
The floating body caught Tibbetts's eye
about the same time it did of his COM
panion. The two boys did not know Of
course who it wss. but they pulled back,
fastened rope to one OF the ankles and
towed it carefully ashore.
One stayed to guard it, while the other
ran up and notified Mr.. Ralph Filing
wood, the keeper of the cemetery. and he
drove to the drug store in that part
Of the city known As new Auburn, and
telephoned City Marshal Turner.
Officer Turner notified Roak & Plum
mer, the Auburn undertakers, and these
gentlemen with an ambulance imme-
diately proceeded down the river.
They had already surmised that it
might be Mr.. Aliens body, and of course
knew nothing.
The body was in bad state of de-
composition and unreeognizable by the
features, of conrse.
The coat was hanging on one arm
and dropped off as soon as lifted from
the water.
By couple of rings found ON the fin
of 4bo ar,l
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR CHARM,
the body was identified at the rooms
of the undertakes as that of Mr..
Allen. His watch was opened and
within it was found a picture of
the late Mrs. Allen. The watch
had stopped at AZ minutes and Sc Sec
onds after two.
The body was for with taken to the
rooms of the undertakes on Turner
street, where it was viewed by num-
Der who had known the deceased engi-
neer in life. Mr.. Henry Hanson, ths
lower Maine Central station agent, re-
cognized the clothes as those worn by
Mr.. Allen on the day OF his death.
Messrs. Roak & Plummer, both of
whom are mombers of the Knights Tenn
plar order, worked on the body until a
late hour preparing 1t to be taken to his
home in Portland.
BELOW THE FALLS,
where the terrible accident occurred.
The Androscoggin is very broad hero
and on tho a 7, huyp cida ic friprod x.-,tb
thick growth of trees.
1t is supposed that the coat was pulled
partially of from the body when the
overcoat was removed by the dredges.
The boys who found the body arc
both working for small pay in the cot
ton mills and the reward which oomes to
them for finding the body will no doubt
prove very acceptable.
Mr.. Aliens WAS tragic death. He
was chief engineer of the Maine Central
Railroad Company and about 40 years of
age. The flood of March 1st niece ssitated
work on the Maine Central bridges
across tho AndFoscoggin between Lew
iston and Auburn, and just above Lewis
ton Falls. The work was in progress
and on Saturday afternoon, March 81,
Mr. Allen came to examine the work.
In crossing the bridge, standing on tho
platform of the rear car, he was struck
by q telephone pole and knocked into
the river. The body was swept over the
falls. Divers and river drivers employed
by the Maine Central Compsny failed
TO find any trace of the man except his
ulster. The body was probably started
moving this afternoon by drive of logs
down over the falls, the first logs since
the accident.
A train left Lewiston at a. m. Sun
day and brought the remains to Portland
arriving Mt a. m, where Mr.. A J. Rich
tookt charge Of them. Tt is reported that
the funeral will probably be held We'd
nesday. There will he q great desire
on the part of many friends outside, as
we'll as in the railway service to tender
their respeu is on this occasion.
Maine People in the South.
The first week in Nav q convention Of