Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-12-12
TWO LOCOMOTIVES TOGETHER.
SMASH UP IN THE RAILROAD rARD AT
SOUTH PARIS TWO LOCOMOTIVES
AND FEW CARS DAMAGED, BUT no
BODY ISJUREp.-A MISPLACED SWITCH
Tux CAUSE, But NOBODY KNOWS
WHO DID IT.

As the result Of smash.up at the up
per end OF the Grand Trunk yard at
South Paris Friday forenoon, two loco
motives and two or three freight cars
were sent TO the repair shop In more or
less damaged condition, but fortunately
no one was injured seriously, although
one OF the trains was passenger, nor
was the main line traffic interrupted tor
any length OF time.
AT the upper end Of the railroad yard,
Just south OF the Nichols Street crossing,
Il q switch which throws trains on 10
the spur track running. to the works OF
the Paris Manufacturing Co. Ii is
split switch, put In during the present
season, when the heavy rails we're put
on in place of the lighter ones. The old
wooden signal post from which the
switch Was operated was taken out on
Thursday. and an Iron one set In Its
place. This iron switch post was not
complete, AS no target" WAS put on IL,
so that the only warning II would give
sn approaching engineer OF les condition
Was by the color OF the glass Ia the lamp
on top OF the post.
Friday forenoon the down local freight,
J. Neils conductor, George Buck engi-
neer, had been doing sotne shifting 1T
that end Of the yard, and the engine was
attached 10 the rear or the train. 10
get out OF the way OF the passenger
trains. the freight WAS set In on the
sled factory spur. This brought the en-
CINE at the upper end OF the train. next
to the So itch, next 10 II the caboose, aud
the rest Of the train extending 10 the end
Of the spur track
This Was the condition Of things when
the down passenger train, due at south
Paris NJ So, came into the yard. For
tuustely the train was running only
about fifteen miles an hour, not 90 fast
as passenger trains frequently come In,
but IL was fast enough TO strike quite
heavy blow.
IA soon rs the engineer hid passed
the switch, he struck the curve OF the
rails and realized that the train was run
ming on to the siding, but IL WAS too late
10 stop the train, A. IL was not over nve
rods from the freight engine, and the
passenger locomotive crashed into the
tender of the other engine.
The engineer and fireman OF the
freish, engine were on the ground beside
the track, which Was fortunate for them,
as the end Of the tender WAS pushed up
into their cab pretty hard, and they
might have got hurt. The rect OF the
train crew were Ia the csboose. They
got quite shaking up ss well as Dig
surprise, but nobody was seriously hurt.
The passengers on the other train also
got sudden surprise, and one lady GOT
= slight cut on her face from being
thrown against the seat In front, but no
serious damsge was done on this Train
As far as personal injuries are concern
ed, IL was very fortunate accident.
The fireman Of the passenger train
/ WAS out on the foot board fixing the
whistle cord, which had become discon-
nected, and was working with bis face
TO a ard the cab. He explains the fact
that he was not thrown of by saying
that he supposes he had good hold
IA II WAS, the only damage he suffered
was a soaking from the water In thu
tank Of the freight engine tender, whicf
was ripped open when II was bit.
The passenger engine was more Oh
less damaged In front, but not 90 bu
that, after the wreck Of the pilot, OF
.'cow-knocker," as her engineer csief
IL, Was cleared away, she was able u
run on her own steam. The freight en-
CINE suffered worst, the tender oeint
ripped open and twisted around on tn'
rails, and the engine itself entirely dis
sbled. The headlight Of this locomo
tive WAS driven fairly through the doc
of the caboose, and the drswbar OF tn
caboosc went straight through the boile
head. The caboose was filed with no
water and steam in an instant, and tn
men in IL got out in hurry, Fortunately
not badly hurt. The caboose was prett
well cleared Of steps, rails, and every
thing that would break OF easily, an
was quite q wreck, and the car next
had an end smashed in. Not much dam
, Are was done TO the rest Of the cars Oh
the train. :,
An engine was taken from freigh
. train In the yard to pull the Passenee
+ train into Portland, and as the wrec
was entirely clear Of the main tract
there Was only Q short interruption
traffic. =,
How the train came to run In on II
E siding has not been satisfactorily e.
planned. There Is no indication tn,
ANYTHING jumped the rails-indeed, not
Ing left the rails at all except one set
q trucks under the freight engine tende
All the indications are that the passel
ger train ran straight In on the sidini
lust a the switch was set; but some
the freight train crew assured the Dem
lcrat that the switch was set for the ma
. line, and that after the switch was se
and while they were standing on Z
/. | siAinn ,raifin1 for the nasaenRer. No.