Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-17
REMARKABLE RECORD
OF the aaaias Central for Safety to It's Passsn'
gers Commented Upon.

Tho conversation at Eugley's, Saturday,
had taken q swing around all the inter-
esting events of the passing weeh , anu ONE ,,
the Maine Central Railroad last Sunday
AT IItna in which one passenger was
killed. SAYS the Bath Times. Thos. }. Dill
lon came I'm just as the conversation
started He was n train man on the
Maine Central for IL years and has been
a constant traveller over the line the past
IL years and is pretty well posted on rail-
road matters.
Mr.. Dillon said that the accident at Eft
ma was the first train accident on the
Maine Central in which a passenger was
killed since the summer OF 1911 when the
evening passenger train into Bangor Went
through the Hampden road bridge into
Bangor and four passenger cars and one
baggage car went down through the
embankment one passenger and brake
man were killed. Several people We're m
jured but none seriously. Jonas Gray OF
Waterville, was conductor in charge OF
the train Charley Low was engineer.
Il was running in the Pullman as bag
gage master that night and it was the
hardest looking wreck / ever saw. said
Mr. Dillon. Wrecks came thick ana
fast that summer of 1871 Two miles
north of Freeport an axle broke under the
tender of an engine and let it down and
tipped a baggage car and hVe passenger
cars over on their sides. The baggage
master was thrown out the door and the
car went over him. His name was George
Chase The middle brakeman got caught
between the platforms and hung there
by one leg. There was a physician on the
train who amputated his leg to get MIN
out He died in about an hour.
The very next day the Gardner ana
Augusta accommodation train ana
mixed train on account of the Democratlc
State convention collided at Farmlngdale
Daniel Berry of Brunswick. the engineer
on the passenger was killed outright. The
fireman who was badly scalded lived two
days. ! was running baggage master on
the passenger train. we were soins
about 80 miles an hour when we struck.
In those days there were no Miller coup
lers or air brakes. | was on the foot
board lifting on Il brake wheel as hard as
l knew how when We struck. 1t Knocked
me about ten feet back into the smoking
car and | struck my head against one of
the seats and was stunned for moment.
| Jumped off on the river side and climbed
back between the cars to get a flag, when
! saw the engineers leg lying on the
ground cut off above his knee as il 1t had
been done by circular saw.
The accident was caused by mis-
understanding of orders given verbally.
At this train there was no train DESPATCH
ing system. The same summer there was
q rear collision at VaSSalboro. of two
freight trains some of the passengers in
one of the saloon cars were hurt. In the
fall of the same year, the night Pullman
was wrecked by washout at Farming
dale.
During the past 26 years the two acct
dents above mentioned which occurred in
1871 are the only ones that | can recall in
which passengers We're killed by n train
accident on the Maine Central, and when
considering the mileage of the road and
the number of passengers carried. the
record is Il wonderful one and one that
doubt if any railroad in the world can
show
Il don't suppose there are many pas
senger conductors in service now that
we're on duty them asked one of the
Gentlemen present who was on the wait
ing list. Mr.. Dillon replied: I'm 1861
there were IA passenger conductors, and
of that number seven have passed away
George Knapp of Pennington Henry
Smith of Skowhegan. Stephen p. Eaton
If Augusta, John Holmes of Gardiner
Oscar Williams of Brunswick, c. NJ. Bar
ell of Watervile and John A. Mace OF
Belfast. Those who are now living and
N train service are l.. V. Philbrook and
John Jewett of Portland, Josiah l.. Owen
Of Dover, who was conductor on the train
in the accident last Sunday at Etna; Jo-
seph Anderson. now station agent in this
city, Augustus Lincoln, now tending the
signal tower at Benton, Luther Jones. the
station agent at Leeds Junction and VIM
BODICE one of the Oldest if not the oldest
Of the A. is still in service but is lying off
this summer.