The Portland daily press., 1901-01-21
Only Three Men We're Killed in
The Smash.
Story of 1'ramps Being
Killed a Fake"
The Goodness of Engineer Bar
ker of Train 92.

From Official sources the PRESS II
now able to give a complete and correct
account OF the accident 60 the two double
header freight trains on the Grand Trunk
! Thursday night, 1t was oauEe1 by the
careIessness or forgstfulness Of { he opera
tor at Shelhourne and no one else was to
blame for IL In any way. The facts as
given out are as follows:
The down train was 18th, 90" In 0theg
words the fourth section of freight No.
%. 1t was in charge OF Conductor L..
Foley who had with him Brakemen
Parks and Oliver. 1t was drawn by en-
gines 4c3, Engineer Barker and Fireman
Vashsw, this being the head engine, and
engine $50. Engineer Hill and Fireman
Peasiey. 1t was long and heavy train
and stopped for orders at Shelbourne.
Here Conductor Foley was given one or
der to cross at that station an extra
freight which he did and after rec ewing
this order he Ieceipted 1t in due form.
The Train Dispatcher ut Island Pond
sent Conductor Foley another order to
cross train S5, hound west. at West
Bethel. This order the operator at Shell.
bourne failed to deliver, from some cause,
ana this Is why the accident occurred.
Conductor Foley had gene to the Office
at Shelbourne, for his orders as lie GUS
tomary, and received the crossing order
for the extra freight, but no other ordsr,
the second one not having been received.
Foley had done his duty when he made
this call, and was n OF required to go
again, and the operator did not get to
him the required order.
IL happened that Train Superintendent
joiner was in the Port land office at this
tine, engaged In clearing the track a
short distance up the lins, where q
freight car ha1 gore off the iron, and was
causing some trouble. He heard the train
despatcher's order 10 "4th, 92.h and its
.. X. by the operator at Shelbourre
Then a little later he heard the 18th,
o. as having passed Bethel, when it
should have stopped at West Bethel for
train s.. In a second after this was re-
parted the train despstcher at Island
Pond got Brysnts' Pond. and told the
op orator to stop train So Shers. The
OPCldloI AtAt WIZ OHCh q SSNOhds Gh q
evidently looked out of the window, re-
porting at ON CO that train So had rassed
MIR. Jones then broke in and ordered out
wreckiug trains from 10th ends OF the
lins, for he knew that these two trains
would come tne ether. No sooner had this
order been sent through than the linss
were opened ami telegraph communioa-
fail knk ba
were ordered out before the two trains
had come together.
The accident occurred a mile and half
above Locke's Mills. On train So was
Conductor b. Z. Damon, with Brakeman
Oliver and Damon. This train was
drawn by two engines also. Engine 800,
Engineer Rote.ts and Fireman Caun5ry
was abe ad, snd in this engine was the
conductor. Behind was engi ne Si1, Engi
reer 1hompson, Fireman Tibbstts ana
Head brakeman Oliver. There three men
In engine Sll, were the only ones killed
in the wreck.
Conductor Damon was sitting ON the
iireman's side of the CAB. ami when the
train rounded the curve saw the glimmer
of light ahead, further MP the track. At
first he tn ought 1t was light in house,
but suddenly he caught the glare of the
reflector on the headlight, a1d behind
this the light OF another headlight, SO he
knew that 1t was train ON the same
track, and a double -hesdes at that. Ii
was at the time 90 car lengths ahsad He
shortsd to the IRE nan and engineer
"Here comes a double. header, jump fer
your lives"
Engineer Roberts and Fireman lid
he.ts followed tee conductors lead and
jumped. In thu engine rea'nt, on train
brakeman did not sse the lights or have
any warning, and were into the train be-
fora trey knew what had happened.
On train "4th, g. Engineer Earker
was sting on the s'ds OF this cab towards
the inside of the curve, and saw the re-
iieetors On train s5's engines, rsver ID this
locomotive. sanded the track, turne1 on
the air for the brakes and wh'stled a
warming, and then jumped. He did all
this coolly, and knowing that he risked
his life, and had no chance to stop his
train. When he jumped he was within
twenty car lengths OF the other engine.
and lad wild scramble after he landed
by the side OF the track to keep out OF
t he way OF the cars which rolled over the
emtankment after TIE smash-up. HIS
warning whistle had given the enginser
and fireman in the engine tehind him
warning. ans they also jumped. But for
Barker coolness S, these three men In
engine e5e would also have been killed
without doubt Fireman Caundry had
his shoulder put out OF joint and a cut
over his eye, but IL not ra1ly hurt. Engi-
nter Roberts has strained tack The
others were not injuret. Brakeran Da-
men Of ain 80 was sitting in tire Or
boss a1d when the tram came to