Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-21
CRUSHED TO DEATH.
Boston Subway Employe Instantly
Killed, Thursday Evening.

Boston. May 2O.-Christopher Miller.
80 years old. unmarried, Of 16 Higgins
street, Medford, signalman employed
by the Boston Elevated Railway, was
killed by a train near the Haymarket
square station of the subway about
10 o'clock last night. The train was
just going into the station, north
bound.
Owing to the difficulty of getting at
the body, it being necessary to jack up
the car to do so, delay of more than
an hour and a half enSued, during
which time no cars ran through the
subway north, and the Inconvenience
of the hundreds who wished to reach
the North station between 10 and the
time the last train left the station was
great.
1t was Miller's duty each night about
9 o'clock to start at one end of the sub
way and go through inspecting the
block signals. When train came along
he had to back up against the wall of
the subway as it passed. He was in
specting the signal that stands within
five feet of the Haymarket square sta
ton when he was killed. The motor
man Of the train. Samuel 3. Francis,
saw Miller at the signal, and noticed
that he prepared for the coming of the
train and stool close UP against the
wall in niche, and out Of harms way.
Just as the train drew into the sta
ton cry was heard. A signal to stop
at once was given. and the train was
brought to a standstill. Most of the
train was within the station. and as
he Of hn
opened the passengers fockcd out of
the train to see what had happened.
The road employees jumped from the
end of the station and found the
| crushed body of Miller under the rear
| trucks of the smoking car.
1t was impossible to remove the body
without lacking up the car. The rear
car was unoccupied and the others were
taken ahead a short distance and the
wrecking crew was sent for When they
arrived jacks We're applied to the car and
1t was raised far enough to get the body
out. 1t was nearly an hour after the
cident happened that the body was taken
from under the car. 1t was carried to
Briggs undertaking rooms ON Howard
street.
Until formal statement of the accident
was given out to the press by the Boston
elevated at l o'clock, this morning. the
greatest efforts to suppress the facts were
made.
When Briggs undertaking wagon APP
peared at the station the police knew
then that something serious had occurred
and Patrolman Palmer and others forced
their way into the station and made an
Investigation, later notifying Medical En-
aminer Draper
The body of Miller was badly manglcd.
There was no doubt that death must have
been practically instantaneous.
While it is all presumption as to how
the accident really happened, the theory
reached by the police after their investiga-
ton was that while Miller was standing
close up to the wall as the train passed,
his footing was none too secure and that
he either slipped under the ira in or that
the suction drew him down and under.
Traffic on the northbOund tracks in the
subway was not resumed until 11.3O or
later, and people intending to use trains
going in that direction were put to great
substitute route that they could take.
Those who wished to get from the thea
tcrS to trains in the North station were
the greatest sufferers They poured into
the Boylston street. Park street and Scol-
lay square stations and were told to either
walk or go to Washington street and
take surface cars. which are rather scarce
at that time of night. Scores of people
MUM. and old and young men and Wo-
men could be seen running in drovcS down
Washington and fremont streets toward
the station.
At some Of the stations there was con
siderable loud talk among the suburban
tics, some of whom insisted on getting
in and taking a chance. At the Haymar-
kct square station quite a number were
determined to get into the station and
see what the trouble was, and they had
to be kept back by force by the en-
ploycs of the road and the police. One
man,, who said he was a physician. de
manded to get in. and finally succeeded
hut was elected before he had got half
way down the steps