The Portland daily press., 1897-09-06
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.l

ESPECIAL 70 THE PREss.1
Waterville September ga serious
railroad accident occurred between New
port and Etna Sunday morning at 10. 80
wherein one person was killed and 32
other met with more or less injury.
....There is in a session at Etna, a camp
meeting, ,and to this place the Maine Gen.
tral railroad was running an excursion
this morning from Dover and Foxcroft,
stops being made at intervening stations.
The train was in charge of that veteran
of 30 years service, Owen, who had never
been in a railroad accident, showing how
free from those sad things the Maine Cen
tral is In the cab at the throttle was
Engineer Will Pease, who knows every
foot of the road between Waterville and
Bangor His fireman was Fred E. Jor-
dan and Harry Chase was the principal
brakeman.
The train consisted of five regular pas
senger and combination car which was
attached to the end of the train. It was
observed when Newport was reached that
all Of the cars were filed save this COM
bination, which received its living freight
here. The train was on time and all
went well until within two miles Of Etna
and at "Burnett's Crossing"
| The fange of the second truck of the
front and south side of the combination
car broke. The car with bound was
snapped asunder from the train, complete
ly overturning and landing bottom up in
the ditch at the right going east, and
directly opposite Henry Simpsons farm
house.
The engineer felt but slight jar but
ever alert, brakes were applied and the
train brought to standstill and backed
up.
Hundreds were at once ready to assist
the prisoners in the derailed car. There
shadow of a doubt but many Of the in
| juries sustained were caused by the excit-
ed passengers thus thrown into one
great mass.
1t was some time before any one very
much hurt was found in tho car, but the
uTSU OUJCCU WalCi lICU uIO CJO was d ulcSu
suspended at the rear of the derailed car
some seven feet in the air calling for as
sistance. This proved to be Frank Bill.
ings, who made an effort to escape with
the first bump of the car, but got pinned
in some way and could not escape.
While the passengers were doing every
thing in their power to assist the impris-
oned, officials were despatched back to
East Newport for medical aid, etc. Little
time was lost by any one. The farm
house of henry Simpson was close at
hand and uninhabited. It was broken
beds prepared for the most seriously
wounded
A despatch had been sent to headquar-
ters and the general managers car with
tary, Mr.. Mcdonald, with Claim Agent
Heald, started for the scene. Conductor
Fred Sanborn was in charge of the train
which made wonderful run to Simp-
sons farm. Here it was found rything
possible was being done.
Newport physicians had arrived and
were dressing wounds here and there
setting bone. Serious as the accident
was, a half hour after it occurred one
not on the scene at first would never
have been able to have discovered where
it took place save for the car at the side
of the rails. The road bed was not torn
up and traffic was not suspended at all,
the newspaper train following on after
the special losing little or no time.
From the derailed car the passengers
| were pulled through the doors at
| the end.
Martin Payne was foundtto one side of
the track dead, having been killed in a
lump, it is thought by fellow passengers,
striking his head upon sleeper as he
landed.
| Mrs. Jane Townsend was one of the
first taken from the, front part of the
overturned car, her condition being very
serious, she having received q bad head
wound and laceration of the face. The
first report from the physicians was that
her case was hopeless, but there was 6
slight improvement this evening. Mrs
Townsend is of Newport.
| Another from the same town is Miss
Cassie Rice, who is reported to have re-
ceived internal injuries with cuts upon
head and arm.
Four others in very low. condition arc
Welch, Townsend, Buffers and Chas.
Getchell, all of these being at the Simp
son farm.
| A report is in circulation that there is
a woman missing and that she may be
under the car, but like hundred Other
statements it is without foundation.
| On the wounded list are:
Holman Tillson, Newport.