Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-04-21
Trains Crash Together Here.
ONE FREIGHT RUNS INTO ANOTHER HEAD
ON.-ONE MAN BADLY INJURED, AND
ENGINES AND CARS DAMAGED.

Some of the people of South Paris
who are accustomed to hearing goo
deal of noise from the freight train
which go through in the night, heard
louder crash than usual Wednesday nigh
soon after eleven; but so soundly wer
most of the people sleeping, and 81
constant is the noise of trains, that few
knew until morning that an acciden
had happened which had locked tw'
damaged locomotives together, demolish
ed one freight car and damaged others
and inflicted serious injuries upon ont
man.
At the time stated, an east-bound
freight train was standing on the main
track in the South Paris yard, waiting t.
cross west-bound freight. This east
bound freight was drawn by one of the
roads large compound engines, with
Charles Peabody engineer and Arthur
Dumond fireman. The engine stood
about opposite the upper standpipe.
The west-bound freight train came in,
drawn by large mogul engine; engineer
Billings and fireman Kenneth Waldron.
Instead of stopping, this train steamed
right along up the main track, at a slow
speed, until it crashed into the train
standing on the track.
When the crash came, the front brake
man on the moving train, Fred Sloan,
was caught between the cab and the
tender. The tender was tipped up sharp
~, and Sloan had several ribs broken,
a shoulder injured. and also sustained
other injuries. DR.. Littlefield was sum-
moned to. attend him that night, and
ON the first train in the morning he was
taken to the hospital in Portland. His
home is in Island Pond. At latest re-
ports he was improving somewhat.
Considerably more damage was done
to the moving than to the standing train.
The cowcatchers of the two engines
were crushed in and locked together,
lug not more than three or four inches
apart. The eaSt-bound locomotive re-
manned on the rails, nor were any of the
cars behind it derailed or badly wrecked.
The moving locomotive was derailed
except one pair of trucks, and the gear
of the tender was completely wrecked,
one set of trucks of the first freight car
coming TO rest we'll under the middle of
the tender. The first car of the train,
box car loaded with coal, was complete
wreck, and the next one, also loaded
with coal, was badly torn to pieces.
The wrecking crews from Portland
and Gorham were Immediately called,
and they succeeded in getting the track
clear before noon. The forenoon trains
were not seriously delayed, as they were
able to get by on the siding
Neither boiler was damaged, but both
locomotives will need extensive repairs
before they will be ready to go out
lgaiu.
The crew of the train which caused the
wreck had been worked long with little
'est. One of the brakeman stated that
ne had had but two hours sleep in forty
eight hours. The injured brakeman,
sloan, says that he was on his way into
he cab to warn the engineer when he
vas caught. 1t is said that the engineer |
protested when ordered out for this run,
aging that be had been without sleep
20 long that he was not fit for it. He
vas nevertheless sent out. 1t is general
y understood that he was asleep at the
ime of the accident, and that he so re-
ported to headquarters Immediately
1t is somewhat singular coincidence
hat Brakeman Sloan was fatally injur-
d within few feet of the spot where
brakeman Michael i. Gleason was crush
d and killed between cars last June.