Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-11-07
uaiIp n;ennebec 3ournaL
BOARDING TRAINS.
Some Men Will Wait Until They Are
Started.
Three Marrow Escapes from Death Resulting
From This Habit.

station, the quicker ne Is To detect the
persons who are not in the habit of
being about the trains. and the more
apparent becomes the supposition that
the man who is forever jumping upon
trains that are in motion is not oyer
stocked with common sense.
1t has been the writer's fortune,
whether good or bad is but matter of
opinion, to see three narrow escapes
from death during the summer not to
speak of the escapes that get to be so
common that they cannot be called
narrow, all caused by the man who will
jump upon train after it is moving.
The first case was perhaps the mar
rowest of all. 1t occurred at the
Wateryille station. when the troop
train was coming to Augusta in May.
A private, evidently one who was not
used to being where he could show off,
waited until the long train was well
started before he attempted to board
it. Then he made leap that he sup
posed would show the onloo1ers what
an expert he was, for a step between
the two last cars. Instead of grasping
the hand rail on the next to the last
car or the guard rail on the last car,
he took hold of the guard rail of the
next to the last car and attempted ro
board the same steps. Any man who
is not ratified should know better The
momentum was 50 great that as quick
as flash he was swung between the
two cars, which were of the old style.
crushed between the wheels, when n
brakeman reached over and took him
by the collar, fitting him aboard. And
if ever a man got call down that sol
dier got one from the. brakeman, who
was thoroughly frightened. even mora
if anything than the soldier
Those of us who were on the plat
form and saw the act were too fas-
cinated at the sight of the man going
DtlNttll tilN SsilSb1 W. 6iNS .iooifsIetiiNN,
and but for the presence of mind of the
brakeman. the Maine militia would
have lost q valuable man. That sol
der is cured of the habit of jumping
on moving trains, unless it is q neces
sity.
The next escape was at Rigby park,
or near the park where the train is
taken for the city of Portland. The
trains run every few minutes at the
time of races at the park, and on the
afternoon in question there was an i'm
mense crowd aof people at the track.
An accommodation train pulled up to
the place, there is no raised platform,
and the signal was given to go ahead.
The train moved away slowly, gradu-
ally increasing it's speed. Two gentle
men fully 60 years old, hurried after
the train, and one succeeded in get
ting aboard though stumbling on the
step. The second man got a firm hold
on both the hand and the guard rail.
and attempted to jump aboard. To the
horror of those of us standing about
he missed the step and dropped upon
his knees upon the ground, still keep
ing his hold upon the rails. All sup
posed he would let go, and as the train
was not moving at a great rate he
would roll away from the train. But
no, he kept hold upon the rails, and
tried to rise upon his feet, being un-
successful A brakeman rushed to his
assistance and got a firm hold upon his
collar, so there was no fear now of his
rolling under the wheels, but would he
ever get aboard? Men rushed frantic
ally down the track waving their hand:
and arms to attract the attention ol
the engineer of the train, and each
moment the train moved faster. All
the While the old gentleman was being
dragged along on his knees. Only q
short distance was the place where d
side track connected with the main
line, and there he must surely be torn
from the grasp of the brakeman or his
legs would be torn from his body
Nearer and nearer approached the
train to the switch, and yet the en-
gineer had not seen the signals of the
men. Some of the bystanders looked
away as they did not want to see the
sight as the switch was reached.
Suddenly the train came to a stoI
as quick as it is possible to stop
train. The conductor had appeared a.
the door of the car where the tragedy
was about to take place, and seeing tht
situation had signalled for the brakes
When the train stopped the old mar
was helped aboard the train and II
moved on. That little occurrence
broke another man. and possibly more
than, one, of the great habit.
The third occurrence was where tW'
men attempted to board the same ca
step. which luckily was the rear stel
Of the rear car, or there would surely
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