Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-28
TRAINS MEET
Continued from page ~

from their backs and covered the suf-
1erlhg injured as they were borne to the
less shattered cars of No. 5, into the
remains OF the parlor of the car OF No.
.. Nearby farmers, hearing the crash,
turned out with blankets and did val
liant service.
According to statements made by
oli'c1ais of the Pere Marquette, the
West-Dound train was travelling down
grade at the rate of 60 miles an hour.
The east-bound train was climbing the
hill at speed of 40 miles an hour.
The former carried probably IS pas
sengers, while the latter is believed to
have been carrying at least 125 persons.
TIL two trains collided at about the
middle of a long, sweeping curve, three
quarters of q mile west of East Paris.
| On the inner side of the curve is a
high enbankment, preventing view
| of the trackhead. When the engines
| met, one turned completely over and
| lay headed in Il direction opposite TO
| that in Which it had been travelling
| rhc other climbed the Wrecl1age of the
| first, its boiler torn from the trucks,
standing erect in the center OF the
debris.
I In the cafe coach of the Inflated
feast bound train. which was demol-
iished as far back as the rear of the
forward trucks, one of the most shock
ling CT the many tragedies of the wreck
Twas enacted.
! Section Foreman Linden J. Baldwin,
wife and son, had spent Christmas in
Grand Rapids and were returning to
their home at AIilliken. Between the
man and wife, sitting on the top of the
tr seat and playing with a bank re-
! ccived rs a Christmas gift, was their
little son. The crash came and ell
three met death. a beam flying through
! i e air struck the child, beheading him.
" other and son We're found together
Io the floor Of the cafe car.
| The first relief train sent out from
ne e brought in the Injured and those
of the dead who could be recovered
With the aid of the wrecking outfit. The
injured We're rushed to hospitals where
everything was in readiness for their
reception. The second relief train, with
the. tool car and steam crane. ives sent
TO the wreck as soon as the temporary
hospital train had arrived here. With
ing 2 minutes the wrecking crew had
taken out eight bodies, each one of
them frozen stiff. They were brought
here and sent to the morgue. Shortly
before noon a third train from the
wreck arrived with the last OF the bod
les, those of Engineer Stoddard and
Fireman Burns, which had been found
beneath the wreckage of the engines.
| General superintendent Smith inter-
viewed Operator Booth at McCords,
,,;1r III
Il have no reason to doubt the state
ment of Booth that his light was burn
ling two minutes before No. 5 passed
McCcrds and that the wind extinguish-
ed it. He is an Old operator and has
be, in the employ of the road several
ye3 s."
s perintendent Smith said:
his is the first wreck in which the
Pc Marquette ever killed a passenger
on s own train
roner Hitler inpanelled q jury,
tod; VI and the remains of the dead
We're iewed. The coroner says the
Jury VII not sit before Jan. |, and in
fact he is una BILE to- state the day when
it will begin its Investigation.
Cen. Superintendent Smith said, to-
night:
AS ated, last night, from the IN
Formation J. then had it appeared that
the ca sion resulted from the fact
that the high winds blew out the Or
der board light just before the arrival
ut McCuds of train No. 5, and too late
for the perator on duty there to flag
No. ), with hand signal.
This morning, l talked with the en-
sineer. fireman and conductor of train
No. ;. 11ay are positive that the order
hoard tain as McCords did not show
red. and lie engineer. on whose side of
TIE track The order board is, was quite
oositiv., 1T it did show white for the
ranson III he would have stopped II
thora had ,een 70 signal light burning.
The onl explanation | can see is
that the eineer on account of the
high wind I'd snow storm mistook the
light of til switch target 10Y WHAT ne
sunnosed l. be the white light OF the
order hoari and that the order board
lan,n was ~ ually not burning
| -,Arn