Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-01-22
AUGUSTA LOCALS.
THE OFFICIAL STORY
nj Grand Trunk Wreck in Which Clarence R.
Tebbetts Was Killed.

THO Portland Press. Monday, said:
ron, official sources the Press is now
NJ 10 give n complete and correct aC-
ae,nt of the accident to the two double
Ssoader freight trains on the Grand Trunk.
nmhursday night. 1t was caused by the
lanralessness or forgetfulness of the oper-
oaar at Shelbourne and no one else was
"a blame for il in any way. The facts
:. Given out are as follows:
tn down train was ''4th, 81 in other
..arIs the fourth section Of freight No.
~ IL was in charge Of Conductor I. Fo-
-, ,.y who had with him Brakemen Parks
in,nsi oliver Ii was drawn by engine iU5.
asu arnaineer Barker and Fireman Nashaw,
hi !his heing the head engine. and engine
sia Engineer Hill and Fireman Peasley.
?, was long and heavy train and
stopped for orders at Shelbourne. Here
Senductor Foley was SiVcn one order to
.ass at that station AN extra freig ight.
mich he did, and after receiving this or
sar he receipted If in due form. The train
ssnatcher at Island Pond sent Conductor
|sisv another order To cross train s.
te,,na west. at West Bethel. This order
~ operator at Shelbuurne failed to de-
HTer from some cause, and this is why
The accident occurred.
uronductor Foley had gone to the office
:, Shelbourne for his orders, as is Gus
o,nary. a. ana received the crossing order
W he extra freight but no other order
,ba second one not having been received
Toley had done his dltE when he made
Nc
aaa;n 10. and the operator did not get 10
I'm the required order.
'' # happened that Train Superintendent
1ones was in the Portland ONCE at this
time. engaged i'll clearing the track a
sborr distance up the line, where 4 freight
~ had gone of the iron and was cauS-
ing to some trouble. lie heard the train
s;snatcher's order to '4th. 81" and it's q.
u nv the operator at Shelbourne Then
= l;tfIe later he heard the 18th -" as
,pf h.l -h.D q, /
have stopped at West Bethel for train So
In y second after this was reported the
rain dispatcher at Island Pond got Bry-
ants Pond and told the operator to
ston train - there. The operator left his
uira omen a second. and evidently looked
nnt of the window. reporting at once
mar train s. had passed. Mr.. Jones then
broke in ana ordered out Wrecking trains
from both ends Of the line. for he knew
ihaf these two trains would come to-
oather No sooner had this order been
Sent through than the lines Were opened
and communication failed. Bat the
wrecking trains We're ordered out before
the two trains had come together.
The accident occurred mile and a half
above Locke's Mills. ON train 80 was
Conductor Il. c. Damon. with Brakemen
oliver and Damon. This train was drawn
by two engines also. Engine 3S9. Engi-
neer Roberts and Fireman CaIndry, was
ahead and in this engine was the conduc-
TOR Behind was engine Sll, Engineer
Thompson. Fireman Tebbetts and Head
brakeman Oliver. These three men in
engine 81 were the only ones killed in
the wreck
Conductor Damon was sitting on the
fireman's side of the cab. and when the
train rounded the curve saw the glimmeT
Of a light ahead. further up the track. Al
first he thought it was light in a house
but suddenly he caught the glare of tho
reflector on the headlight, and behind this
the light OF another headlight, SO he knew
rstff, t.t-
and double-header at that. 1t was al
the time . car lengths ahead. He shout
ed to the tiremen and engineer: Here
comes a double-header, jump for your
lives"
Engineer Roberts and Fireman Caun-
dry followed the conductors lead and
Jumped. In the engine behind, on train
S., the engineer and fireman and the
brakeman did not see the lights or have
any warning, and We're into the train be
fore they knew what had happened.
on train '4th. -, Engineer Barker
was sitting on the side Of the cab toward
the inside OF the curve. ana saw the re
fectOrS on train - 5 engines. reversed the
locomotive sanded the track, turned on
the air for the brakes and whistled q
warming, and then jumped lie did al.
tins coOlly, and knowing that ne riSked
his life ana had no chance to stop his
train When ne jumped he was within
% car lengths Of the other engine. anu
had wild scramble after ne landed py
the side of the track, to keep out Of the
way of the cars which rolled over the
embankment after the SmaSh-up. MS
warning whistle had given the engineer
and fireman in the engine behind him
warning, and they also jumped But for
DarkerS coOlneSS, these three men in Ell
gine $50 would also have been killed with
out doubt. Fireman Caundry had his
shoulder put out of joint and cut over
his eye. but is not badly hurt. Engineer
Roberts has a strained back. The others
were not injured. Brakeman Damon OF
train So was sitting in the cabOOse. and
when the train came to a stop. with INC
jar of the Conision. he slid along the car
in his chair to the end without beinS
thrown from the chair and did not know
Of the accident until the conductor came
10 tell him Of il.
The coroner's inquest will occur, Tues
day, at Bethel, and the Maine railroad
commissioners will probably be present
at the same time. The operator Whl
caused this trouble arrived in Portland,
Saturday night. and is now with friends
He says he will attend this inquest II
they want him to. He wrote Foley S
name at the bottom Of the order Foley
did not receive, but did not deny that IN
had done so when asked about it.
No tramps We're killed in this wreck.
The story arose from the fact that two
Gorham laborers stole ride on the 'ith,
3, and jumped off when the crash oC-
Cured without being hurt. Afterwards
they worked about the wreck all day
The debris is now cleared away. ANA
trains are running as usual past this
point.
Engineer Thompson lived in Montreal.
Fireman Tebbctts in Augusta. ANA Brake
man Oliver III Bangor These three men
We're killed. Thompson's ribs being
crushed in lie did not lose a foot as re-
ported, but had his leg badly crushed.