Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-04-13
FOUR KILLED.
CONTINUED from page ID

| q DreaKfndn HdINeu lHioPct"N-
Iy killed. The driver of the freight IS
in the hospital with broken spine ana
! cannot live. -.
onish. N. S., who was in the cab OF the
] express with Fireman Oakley is also
| fatally hurt. The tramp had been
caught stealing ride on the Train anu
had been nut off by the train hands but
managed to swing on again anu was
finally taken into the cab out OF dan
Ger The brakeman of the freight, who
was killed. was in the cab, having gone
forward prior to reaching WINDSOR
| Junction to be in readiness to drop Oft
the train when it slowed up ana open
the switch to let the freight in on the
| siding.
When the speed of the freight was
reduced approaching the Junction,
| Conductor Haynes realized that moth
| ing short of miracle could prevent
| q collision. There was no bell cord
| tn send q warning to the driver at the
| other end of the train and the con-
| ductor ordered a brakeman named
4 THOMPSON to drop off the rear end of
| the freight and telegraph the next sta
ton, Wellington, to hold the express.
| The message was too late. Inc ex-
press sped past wellington station as
| the operator there received the warn
| ing signal. He dashed out on the pat
form wildly waving lantern, out the
train disappeared down the line IN the
darkness. A few moments later the
collision occurred. The driver OF the
express blew the whistle once and I'M
| mediately after the passengers felt the
| crash and shock.
The locomotives locked together and
remained on the track. The postal ana
baggage cars went over the embanK-
ment and down into the lake. There
| were two railway mail clerks In the
postal car. They were shaken up but
were not hurt. The car landed right
side up and commenced to fill with
water. Both clerks escaped by climb
| ing through a window in the roof ana
walked ashore. The clerks in the bag
gage and express car had the same
Experience except that a heavy safe
broke loose in the fall and smashed
through the side of the car and made
the exit easier. The passenger coaches
were considerably damaged in the
smashup, but remained on the track.
Several of the passengers were thrown
down by the shock or cut by flying
glass. -p
The hoppers and box cars on the
other train were scattered around In
every conceivable shape and those
nearest the engine were smashed into
| kindling wood. The locomotives were
locked in an inseparable embrace and
at this hour the half burned body OF
Fireman Hill of the freight remains
hanging in the wreck of the machines.
| 1t may be necessary to dismember his
mains to extricate them. Death
awaited the members of the engine
| crews in various forms. Driver Wall
of the express lived for some minutes
| after the collision, but he was firmly
| caught in the mass of twisted iron
| and was scalded to death by escaping
| steam. Fireman Oakley was thrown or
| Jumped from the cab and was drowned
| in the lake where his body was found
| in six feet of water. Fireman Hill
was burned to death, as his body is
charred and blackened, and Brakeman
Thorpe was killed outright. Another
| brakeman of the freight train is miss
Ling and is believed to have been
| drowned. The lakes is being dragged
Cor his remains.
A coroner's jury has been empapelled
| 20 Investigate the accident, for which
| no explanation has been given. There
l is no one who can tell why Driver
| Copeland disobeyed orders received in
Halifax and ran past Windsor juno
| ton. The sempahore was also against
1 him at the junction but he apparently
l determined to take chances on reach
| ing the next siding and crossing the ex-
tpress there. If Copeland lives, Of
which there is hardly remote chance.
| it is said he will be indicted for man.
| slaughter if not a more serious charge.
The wreck still blocks the road and 1t
/ is going to be a difficult job to clear
| away the distorted locomotives. in the
| meantime, passengers arriving at the
| scene on other trains are transferred
| past the wreck by boats on the lake
| ana are forwarded to their destination
| by trains in waiting on the other side.
| The deceased engine crews were all
| veterans and knew every inch of the
| road Driver Copeland had a reputa-
| ton on fast running but had never had
a charge or an accident against him.
! TO disobey orders as he is alleged to
| have done in this instance is held by
II
| mind was temporarily unbalanced and
| the fast freight left Halifax with mad
| nan at the throttle.
]. E. Price, general superintendent of
l the Intercolonial Railroad accompanied
| by General passenger Agent Lyons and
| other officials, came from Moncton to
| the scene of the collision in special,
| md at once commenced an investiga-
! ton of the cause of the disaster.
To the Associated Press reporter
l these gentlemen stated that Driver
Copeland had received explicit orders
| % stop at Windsor Junction and that
| nobody knew better than he that pass
| that point meant almost certai death.
The officials are now investigating the
lying drivers movements Immediately
prior to taking his train out of Halifax.
They expect to find that he was unwell
md that his actions were not usual for
the man to display. 1t appears that
there was no object in running past the
| junction inasmucn as there was no
other crossing for a long distance
which could receive so long train as
Copeland had in hand.