The Portland daily press., 1896-03-23
INTO The RAPIDS.
Awful Plunge from Train on Lewis.
ton Maine Central Bridge.
TERRIBLE DEATH OF CIVIL EN-
GINEER ALLEN.

/
Leaned Over to Watch Men at Work
and His Head Struck Post by the Side
of the Track-Was Alive When He
Struck the Water-Body Carried To-
ward West Pitch.
| Lewiston, March 2l.-Chief Engineer
Allen of tho Maine Central railroad was
thrown from train on the bridge above
the falls here this afternoon. He f ell
to the water many feet below and was
carried over the dam. Several persons
saw him fall and watched him until he
was swept over the falls and from th cir
sight. From the movements of the body
in the water. they believe that he was
alive during the few seconds in which
he was borne along by the rushing wat
ers to his death. In the recent freshet
all communication had been swept away
between Lewiston and Auburn, and
the Maine Central railroad kindly offered
to put q sidewalk along the lower chords
of this bridge. Workmen were aIread y
employed upon it, ana Mr.. Allen was
coming to Lewiston to see how the work
was getting along, intending to return
to Portland at 4. 80.
just before the train reached Lewis
ton, he spoke to the conductor and stepped
to the rear platform to see what they
were doing on the lower chords.
Looking down rs he did, Mr.. Allen
did not see the posts by the side of the
track. His head struck one of these and
an instant later he staggered forward :
lost his hold upon the guard and his
foothold upon the flying train, pitched
forward, struck the stringers of tbs
! bridge and, bounding with the fearful
blow, was swept forward and over the
bridge into the f1cod that sweeps on be-
| low the falls.
Conductor Gle, who was apprised of
| it, said at once, "My God, it must be
the chief engineer" He hunted through
the train and no trace Of the official
could be found and the tidings borne
to Station Agent Benson at once were
| to this effect. No man could live in a
fall from this height, for it is fully 60
feet above the falls.
| dbN III bhhLN pA w LII ALL.
Mr.. Breen is in charge of one of the
crew. He was overcome by the shock,
but said that he saw the struggles of the
dying man and his fearful plunge to
denth. He went down through the sluce-
way and on towards Vest Pitch. AS
he passed into the current at West Pitch
his hand protruded as if to wave last
farewell to the world.
Vearic Princhard saw MIR. Aliens
death. He says: sit was at the second
pier The men we're at work at the Au-
burn end and Mr.. Allen was on the north
side of the rear car leaning out where
the upper dam makes a big circle SO that
| the Auburn end of the bridge is south OF
the upper dam. He fell right in this
spot where the waves boil furiously.
he struck the spot or not but at any rate
he went clear out over the bridge.
cat the upper point where he went off,
over towards the upside, happened
| to be looking at the train and should
| say that 1t was about the second post
that Mr. Allen struck. He struck so
that it seems as though I could hear it.
His hold loosened and he struck the
post twice. He was
ALIVE WHEN HE STRUCK
| the water. I saw him struggle and he
was borne away down the stream and
I saw him no more"
c. H. Ray, who was walking across
| the bridge at the time Mr.. Allenfel !,
says: THE first thing / saw, a man
fell on the north side of the bridge with
waving of hands He wore long black
overooat. He fell at the foot of the dam,
beyond she pier which is being repaired
toward the Lewiston shore. The current
swept him violently toward West Pitch.
| All the while he was waving his hand.
The men at work on the abutment
shouted to men on the island It was
an awful sight. The man hung for q
moment in an eddy in the centre of the
plunge; it seemed as if he whirled about
in the eddy a minute-then plunged
The workmen on the abutinent saw the
man same as l did. There was rush
to help. but no help was at hand"
Mr. Aliens hat was found little later
and was brought to Station Agent Ben
sons office. Mr.. Benson at once mott
fed Vice President Tucker of the Maine
Central, and it was thought most likely
that Il special train will come out from
Portland to take active steps towards
Every one is Frustrated by the blow
Station Agent Benson could hardly
speak and tears were in his eyes, his
grief over-mastering him. Conductor
Gle was greatly effected. and the Grove
lined the shores, and stood about the
ferry slips on both sides of the river.