The Portland daily press., 1897-12-20

fortunate Escape OF IFainmeu-LOcomo-
tive and Cars smashed-Road Blocked
for Day.
A rear end collision, two miles east
of East Lebanon station, blocked the
main line Of the Portland & Rochester
railroad more than twelve hours, Satur-
day, and was the occasion Of q general
departure from the usual order of things
in the running Of passenger trains over
that road. The wreck WAS one of the
worst that ever occurred on the Portland
& Rochester, and that none Of the train
hands received injuries seems almost a
miracle.
Train No. s, through freight from
Portland to Rochester, which left this
city early in the forenoon, passed through
Springvale on time. Its conductor was
Woodbury. E. Cotton OF Portland. the en-
gineer, Charles O. Waterman, and the
fireman, William S. Dresser. About
twenty minuets later q special freight
train, in charge of Conductor Samuel E.
Gresley OF ForGland, and with Engineer
William G. Higgins and Fireman Fred
Ii. Young in the cab, passed the Spring
vale station, going in the same direction
rs the regular.
Two miles this side7of the East Leba-
non station is side track, known rs
Sanderson' s siding, whore some loading
Of luInbe is done. The regular freight
made stop at this siding, to take on
some loaded cars. Brakeman Barley
Feeney Of Portland WAS sent hack with
d red flag, to protect the train during its
stop.
There is quite O sharp curve for a
hundred yards or more east of the siding,
and it is slightly clown grade much of the
way between there and Springvale.
Whether Flagman Eeeney did not go back
far enough, or whether the special freight
was too closely following the regular, is
question on which all the parties that
figured in the accident do not agree.
1t is selfevident, however, that his
danger signal W9s not seen soon enough
by Engineer Higgins of the special TO
avert collision. Conductor Gresley WIS
riding in the cab with the engineer and
fireman.
A shout of warning, a whistling for
brakes, q reversing of steam followed one
another in rapid succession and then three
forms leaped from the locomotive just III
time to avoid what would surely have
been instantaneous death, had they re-
manned in the cab. They rolled over and
over down the small embankment that
borders the curve, and got out Of harms
way.
Meanwhile, the big locomotive Pre-
sumpscot, one of the favorites in the
freight department Of the road. had sped
on, in spite of brakes and reversed steam,
and crashed into the caboose of train No.
s. Fortunately, the caboose was unoccu-
pied at that moment.
The caboose was completely telescoped
and one OF its heaviest floor timbers went
through the head Of the boiler, and clear
into the fire box. Not only was that
car demolished, but five Others, some of
them loaded with through freight, were
piled up in various shapes and stages of
disruption. One car was standing on end,
when the commotion was over, and an.
other lay on its side across the siding. A
brakeman was standing on top of the lat
ter car when the collision occurred, and
ne mado quick work of leaping in the
direction of the EN- bankment.
The Presumpscot presented sorrowful
appearance. She lost her dome and smoke
stack in the first shock, and she lay,
twenty yards nearer Lebanon. a full
length from the rails, partly on her side
and with her nose half hidden in the sand.
She is practically total wreck. Her
tender, however, came out of the wreck
in better form, though it's running gear
is considerably twisted. At nine O'Clock
in the evening, when the last through
trains shifted passengers there, the tender
still lay across the main track, while be-
You'd it was q pile OF debris that gave
promise OF keeping the Wreokers hard at
work nearly all night.
The contents of the wrecked cars in
cluded shingles. lumber, mattresses,
wood pulp, sleighs, baby carriages and
general merchandise. These were strewn
promiscuously about and gave the work
men not little extra labor in getting
them in shape for reloading.
Passenger trains from both directions
ran slowly up to the scene of the wreck
and exchanged passengers, thorough
fare being made on one of the side en-
bankments: None of the through trains
could keep up with its regular running
schedule. The $50 train out Of Portland
made its westward trip on time, as far as
the wreck, waited there for orders and a
transfer of passengers, then ran back to
Portland, taking the place of the noon ex-
press which Is scheduled to reach here
about 1.30. The same train again doubled
the road between here and the scene of
the wreck, bringing its last passengers
home at 10. 90, just four hours later. than
its usual time OF arrival.
The wrecking crew worked all night
long, by the aid of lanterns, torches and
big bonfire. 1t is expected that the
work of clearing away the wreckage and
getting the roadbed into shape will &C.
cupy considerable portion of today.
The wreck was all cleared away yester-
day morning early SO that trains run as
usual.