The Portland daily press., 1898-02-02
THE oRoNo DISASTER.
Statement From the officials of the
Road.

|
| Road.
Bangor, February 1.-President Will
son and General Manager Evans have
authorized the following. statement re-
garding the Orono disaster:
| Train 80 left Portland in tho usual
condition. That is, it was pronounced
perfect by the inspectors. The train.twas
then made up as it was at the time OF
| the wreck, with the exception OF the mall
| car, which was switched on at Bangor.
Thirty miles beyond Portland,a Bruins
wick, the train was again inspected and
was found faultless. Another. inspection
at Augusta, "a miles farther east, followed
with the same result. At Waterville, 20
miles from Augusta, another inspection
failed to show any fault in No. 80.
In Bangor, 55 miles, east, the car in
spectors searched not only the train that
had made the long run from Portland,
but the mail car which was put on here
and found things in perfect order.
The train thus left Bangor in perfect
condition, with only half dozen miles
to run between this city and the scene of
the accident
So much for the rolling stock.
The track and roadbed were never in
better condition, according to the reports
of the railway men. The section is in
charge of competent men, and General
Manager Evans has personally asserted
his belief in their ability to keep the
track in good order.
At the time of the accident 1T was i'm
possible to find any trace of trouble with
e.track. Not rail was broken. Every
tie was good. Every place had held.
There was place where the trucks had
scared the rails when the train went
off, but nothing to cause the slightest
accident.
The railroad commissioners came to
Bangor at once and went to Orono
where they passed good part of Sunday
looking over the wreck and the track.
The commissioners, though they
searched the cars from end to end, and
went over and over the tracks, could dis
cover no trace of any cause for the acct
dent. So far as thsy could see, the track
and the stock had been in the usual sale
condition at the moment of the break.
President Wilson said on Monday morn
ling: "With these facts in view, 1t must
be said that the cause of the accident
remains mystery. Both the company s
men and the commissioners have failed
to find any reason for trouble
"For lack of anything else, we can
simply say that the extreme cold wealth
er OF Friday and Saturday may have
affected rolling stock and track in such
way as to furnish a chance for the
accident.
"We only say that, in the absence Of
any other condition, we accept that for
what it is worth"
VICTIMS OF ORONO DISASTER.
Bangor, February 1.-This morning the
condition of those injured in 1.-The Maine
Central wreck who are at their homes or
quartered in the homes of other people in
the up river towns is much better than
anticipated on Monday.
The Orono physicians who have num-
Der Of the worst cases in hand made the
rounds of the town and visited all of their
patients this morning in spite of the
binding, drifting snow which made the
streets almost impossible.
All of the injured were found quite
comfortable.
Stanley Bean of Passadumkeag, who is
at the Orono house, passed a restless night
Monday, but the physicians are still
hoping to save his life.
Howard L. Maddocks of Skowhegan,
who is at the home of Mrs. Emily John.
son on Mill street, Orono, passed very
comfortable night, and the hopes of the
physicians to save him are increasing
materially.
James e. Drummond, who was at
Crocker's hotel in Oldtown. left for his
home in West Burke, N. B., Monday
afternoon. Drummond was one Of the
Juen with whom Claim Agent Head
made settlement Monday forenoon.