Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-19
SEVEN KILLED
Continued from page ~

The engineer of 403 was Peter
Thompson of Montreal. the engineer
of $50 was w. c. Oliver of Bangor. The
engineers of the other train were En-
@ineer Roberts on 300 ana Z. &. Damon
on S11.
of course the clamor of the laborinS
Of the engines drowned all sounds from
distance. Added to that was the
thickness of the night. Suddenly the
headlights of the approaching trains
tlarcd at each other through the dark
ness. They were so near then that it
was impossible to do anything to
do anything to check the speed one
Il ain was roaring down the grade and
the other was taking the grade at its
foot with great speed. Behind were the
heavy trains. plunGiIg on with vast
momentum. The red eyes of the en-
gineS glared furiously at each other
for an instant and then the rushing
trains met.
Those who were on the cars at the
rear and those who escaped from the
engines can give no intelliGible account
Of the terrible scene at the moment of
collision.
'IIc VI tilt lllt!lltU WHO WAS saved
says expressively. 1T was hell let loose
and the skies falin.'
There wasn't time to know what
struck us said one of the conductors
who was able to jump and save him
self. when those four engines came
piling up together going as they were
at - mile an hour clip there was
sight that | have never seen paralleled
and have seen one or two smash-ups
in my time. When they struck there
was just one great blaze of red fire that
almost blinded a man. There was the
shock of the collision that shook the
ground for miles about. Then came
several explosions from the engines that
had locked themselves in a death en-
brace. No railroad collision in the
country ever offered a more awful spec
tacle. for it isn't often that four en-
gines come together at full speed l
shall never get over the shock of that
sight and that horrible noise
When the gigantic impact of the tons
of steel occurred. n dozen cars came
pling on top of the locomotives that
massed themselves together in mex
tricable confusion. Immediately these
cars took fire and the flames were COM
municated to the telescoped cars piled
in dreadful confusion along the track
and at the foot of the embankmont
The survivors after picking them
selves out of the snow where they
leaped. sought to save their compan-
ions who were dying horrible deaths in
the wreck
Peter Thompson, aged So, and "A
Montreal man, was buried under his
engine. His screams led the rescuers
to him. When the men pulled him out
his left foot was detached at the first
pull and remained under the driver
that had cut it off. Thompson died in
a few minutes after he had been re-
moved from the wreck. His body was
taken to the station at Lockc's Mills.
His fireman was a GOrham man and
no one at the wreck, Friday morning, .
could tell his name. He was buried
under the engine in such a position
that he could not be got at. His BODY
was burned almost entirely THOMPSON
ana his fireman We're in the rear engine
going east.
The engineer and the fireman in the
lirst engine jumped and saved themselves
lhey received only bad bruises One fire.
man mad his arm and shoulder badly in
)ured, and Gundry. another fireman. cane