Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-20
EIGHT ARE DEAD.
Continued from page ~

Iavenue crossing, long noted as a dam
gerous spot The trolley car was one
of the special vehicles which the North
Jersey Street Railway runs between
s and 9 o'clock, five mornings in the
week, FOR the special accommodation
of High school pupils. 1t had on board
young men and women from all parts
| of the city, many of whom had trans
ferred from other lines.
Immediately the accident had been
reported all the police reserves of The
| Second precinct We're sent to the scene
! TO keep back the crowd which gathered
immediately. The accident occurred at
$40 O'Clock. So full was the car that
the fiontlfiatforinn was crowded with.
boys. ,i9svta tstrdt.f.R se io .ti,et
| The trairb which scauseaI the accident
was the Delaware Cand,Passaic ,exIniess
(which started from Summit att SOB.
There is some question as to- whether.
both crossing gates were down when
the car and lrain3u approached the
crossing at the same time aEs
TIE motorman saw the train and put
on the brakes with all his force. The
car, however, slid upon the icy rails
until the front platform projected over
the tracks. a moment later the crash
came. The pilot OF the engine struck
the front platform and Slowed the car
around Then the ear toppled over.
The pupils. by the force of the col
lision. were precipitated under the
wheels of the engine. To some death
came Immediately. Others fingered
moment in fearful agony and then ex-
pired.
The scene of the accident resembled q
shanbles Dead or injured children lay
in ell directions
Word of the calamity soon reached tie
authorities. In addition to the police re-
serves every ambulance in the city was
soon on the scene.
The sight was a sickening one when the
crash came. Arms, legs and other parts
Of the bodies Of unfortunate children
were scattered in every direction and tn.
snow for q great distance around was
made blood rcd One mutilated body was
carried two blocks on the pilot of the en-
sine. The unipjurcd passengers carried
the injured children to nearby places of
temporary refuge. The trolley car could
not be stopped although the motorman
appeared to make frantic efforts to do so
George Gould was conductor of the troll
ley car. He said:
Its the custom for trolley conductors
to leave their cars as this crossing is
approached and as the car stops to run
ahead and sec if the track is clear
II should have done that this morning
had ! not seen that the gates were low
cred Naturally / concluded that the car
would stop and the first thing | knew of
an. danger was When we went crashin.
through the gates"
Mounted Policeman Stuckey of the
Fourth precinct, was an eye Witness OF |
the horror. He saw The train approach |
ing and said that the trolley car had pro- |
Jected about four feet over the track |
when it was struck. There were about
L. children on the front platform group |
ed arotihd the motorman. It is not known |
whether they hampered the motorman's |
movements so that he was unable to ap- |
Ply has brakes 70 stop his car.
Passengers on the train heard The |
screams of the children two blocks be-
fore the crash. BY the force of the col /
fsion the front part of the trolley car
was carried three blocks down the tracks. |
me engineer was so stunned by the ae-
cident that it was almost necessary 10 7
pull Kim off the engine.