The Portland daily press., 1901-01-19
IMMENSE PROPERTY LOSS.
The Locke's Mills Collision VIII Cost
Road s2OO,0O0.

The Locke's Mills Collision VIII Cost
Road 100000
Through trains wee telng run on the
Grani Trunk after SIX o'clock last night,
the first TO pass the wTesk as Lockes
Mills. At midnight the wreck was re-
portei to he still on fire every particle of
woodwork about the train was reing de-
stroyed, although wrecking crew was
ct work with the thermometer twenty de-
grees fellow zero trying to clear up the
wreck. There were six men killed, two
of them being tIamps on the down train.
Two OF the bodies OF the trainmen,
brakeman and fireman had not been re-
covered at last accounts although they
could be seen in the mass OF wrecknge OF
one OF the engines. The bodies OF the
tramps were seen between two cars badly
crushed and mangled, but had not been
found up to midnight by the wrecking
crew. The full particulars of this affair
have not yet been reported at the Port.
land Office of the Grand Trunk because Of
the fact that they are probably not fully
known at the scene OF the wreck.
In the manifest train so-nalled which
was the up train was a great deal of
valuable freight including a car load or
so OF paint sulphur and paper. All Of
this burned tiercely and could not be ex-
night that the actual loss from this wreck
would amount to $500, 600
The wreck was known here as soon as
1t occurred. MIR. Jones, the local operator
at the Grand Trunk heard the order
given for the down train to stop at West
Bethel, Then he heard the train des-
patohsr trying to stop the up train at
Looke's Mills The train had just left
Locke's Mills and 1t was known that two
ira ms were going towards one another
on the same track. Suddenly at IL. 80
every wire in the local office celsed to
work. Then 1t was known that the wreck
had occurred. The local office could talk
with the operator at Locke's Mills, but
could not get any one beyond that point
because of the fact that the wires were on
the ground. The train dispatcher could
talk with West Bethel, but with no one
else. 1t seems that there was a wreoking
train at work mp the road between here
and the wreck, and this was at once sent
to tue spot by the local officials. The first
train was followed by a second at five
o'clock.
1t is said about the Grand Trunk sta
tion here that the operator and the con-
ductor of the down train are held respon.
sible for the wreck. The first because he
did not deliver his orders and the con-
ductor because he did not go after them
or see that there were TO orders before
he left the station. The operator Is at
Island Pond, having returned last eve
ming sometime. An investigation will be-
ordered soon, No attempt was made TO
save any of the cars which were smashed
mp, or tie engines. The road was cleared
by rolling over the embsnkment every
thing that was smashed so as TO clear the
track for the through traffic. 1t was the
worst disaster on this road 10 years and
considering the amount of business done
on this track in the winter time 1t is real
ly remarkabl that there are so few aooi-
dents.
The wreck delayed the loading OF
steamships here for the day, but trains
were being rushed into Portland last
night and the WORK will go on today
without interruption.