Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-01-22
THE WORST YET.
THREE MEN KNOWN TO BE KILLED.

| tnHee MEN NNOWN ~ De NeIGO
BIGGEST WRECK IN YEARS ON TIKI
GRAND TRUNK. FOUR LOCOMOTIVES
AND THIRTEEN LOADED FREIGHT
CARS TOTALLY DESTROYED.
The worst accident of this winters
series on the Grand Trunk happened
Friday morning about II 80, when there
was head-on collision between two
double-header freight trains, about a
mile and half east of Bethel.
The west-bouud train was regular
train No. SIS, in charge of Conductor B,
G. Damon and Engineers Roberts and
Thompson. The esst-bound was section
4 of regular train No. 80, in charge OF
Conductor Foley and Engineers Barker
and Hill. This train was by some mis-
take on the part Of the operator at Shell
burne, allowed to 60 by.
From the place Of the collision to
Locke's Mills is quite heavy up grade,
and east-bound trains are generally run
at this point at pretty good speed, to
get good start up the grade. IL pecu-
liarly happened that at the time OF the
accident the conductors Of both trains
were riding on the forward engines, and
this probably helped about discovering
the danger.
The men on the east-bound train all
had chance to jump, and though they
were shaken up and more or less bruised,
at last reports none Of them were thought
dangerously hurt. The men on the for
ward engine of the west-bound train also
Jumped, but the engineer and the fireman
of the second engineo land one brakeman.
were either killed outright or fatally in
jured. 1t Is also supposed that two
tramps who were stealing ride were
buried in the wreck.
Engineer Peter Thompson OF Mon
treal was taken out of the wreck alive,
but lived little less than an hour. He
was 80 wears of age, and had been mar
ried about three months.
Fireman Clarence r. Tebbetts OF Au-
gusts was also buried in the wreck. He
was a Young man, and unmarried.
w. c. Oliver of Bangor, brakeman,
was also buried in the wreck. lie was
35 or 40 years Of age, and leaves wife
and three children.
1t is supposed that two tramps also
lost their lives. Remains Of two men
were seen in the wreck by the train men,
but thew could not be taken out before
the fire interfered with the work.
The wrecksge was piled in an indie
scribable heap. The four engines and
twelve or fifteen cars were piled In one
mass covering q space Of not over ten
rods in length Of track, but towering
into the air for thirty or forty feet. The
wreckage took fire at once and the fire
burned until there was not much left
but a iunkheap Of twisted iron. The
wrecked cars were loaded with all sorts
of freight-wheat, apples, peas, coal,
paints, boxes and bales OF dry goods,
ETC., most of which burned furiously,
and IL was number of hours before
much work could be done toward clear
ing the track, owing to the blaze.
The fire company and steamer from
Berlin were brought down to the wreck
early in the forenoon, but In their haste
they had taken the wrong suction hose,
aud had TO send back to get the right.
Then they attempted to work the steam
err on fat car set on the bridge near the
wreck, but it would not work, and the
engine had to be run down the steep
embankment on to the stream. 1t hn-
ally got to playing, and was Kept at
work until far into the night.
Passengers and baggage on the fore
noon trains we're transferred around the
wreck in sleighs, and went on with a
delay Of some two hours. Meanwhile
the several train and track crews whicn
had been hurried to the place worked
well, and when the afternoon trains had
stopped at opposite sides OF the wreck,
and the work Of transferring was about
to begin. the officials in charge decided
to wait the short time necessary to finish
clearing the track. This was accom-
plished about 6 O'Clock, and all trains
moved to Bethel, from which point the
passenger trains moved in their respect
i've directions.
The track under the wreck was not
torn up or much damaged, and trains
ran over it Immediately after narrow
space was cleared, though within few
feet of the rails on each side hot fire
was burning.
1t grew cold rapidly during the day,
and high northwest wind swept across
the open meadow and chilled everybody
to the bone. In spite Of this, there was
a great number Of spectators at the place
all day. Probably half OF them had
cameras, and some very good negatives
were obtained. Still, as practically all
the wood in the wreck had burned be-
fore daylight, and as there was cloud
of smoke over the place all day, 1t was
difficult to obtain picture which would
give clear idea of the awful heap OF
wreckage.
One of the officials stated that in
twenty-eight years of railroad work this
was the worst wreck he had ever seen.
1t was decidedly a costly wreck, as in
addition to the men killed, four loco
motives and thirteen freight cars with
all their contents are n total loss.
Considerable doubt is expressed as to
any tramps having been on. board the
train.