The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-09-29
SERIOUS RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Three Killed, Nine Seriously Injured and
Twenty or More cut and Burned.


Twenty or More cut and Burned.
LEWISTON, Me-, Sept. e. Three are
dead, nine others seriously injured and
of passenger train No. "a on the Maine Cen
trail Railroad running into an open switch
and crashing into a freight train opposite
the State Fair grounds, two and half
miles east of this city, late this afternoon.
Engineer Kimball and Fireman Chapman
were thrown 40 feet from their cab. Chap
man was killed instantly and Engineer
Kimball survived but few minutes. The
most seriously injured were removed to the
Central Maine hospital.
The dead:
William F. Kimball, Portland, engineer.
Almon 'HodgdOn, government mail
weigher, who received a scalp wound and
fatal burns, died at the hospital tonight
The more seriously injured
John r. Chase, Portland, baggagemaster,
badly burned about the face and hands.
Eli Merriman, Portland, mail clerk, body
burned and legs lacerated.
Frank NJ. Smell, Lewiston, car inspector,
burned on body.
A. 7. Clark, express messenger, legs
burned.
&c. Bickford, express messenger, legs
burned.
John W. Woodsum, Lewiston, car in
spectOr, burns on arms and body.
Joseph E. Cook, Portland, travelling en-
gineer for the Maine Central Railroad,
burns about the head and body. Mr.. Cook
died Tuesday,.
Charles b. Dustin, Pennington, leg
broken.
J.C. Brown, "a Broomfeld street, Boston,
side and back sprained.
AS the::wreckage caught fire almost i'm
mediately those in the baggage, mail and
express cars suffered chiefly from burns
The train, which was in charge of Con-
ductor Edward l. Lowe of Portland, left
Pennington at 2.25 O'Clock, for Portland,
being due here at 420 and at Portland at
$50 p. NJ. 1t was made up of an express,
combination and mail car, smoker and two
coaches.
The passenger train going at speed of
about 30 miles an hour, took the open switch
and smashed into the freight cars, which
had just been unloaded of stock for to-
car and several freight cars were practically
demolished. The parlor Car was thrown on
its side with the baggage and mail car piled
on top. The smoker was turned at an angle
OF IS degrees, while the passenger coaches
remained upright although derailed.
Every seat in the parlor car was occupied
and the smoker was filled.
" hen the Wreckage caught fire from the
engine many of the passengers were panic
stricken. A score or more passengers in
the smoker and day coaches seeing the
smoke broke out the windows in an effort
to escape. Some of them were cut but not
seriously. Although the parlor car was
overturned, none of its occupants were fatal
ly injured
Wild reports of large numbers killed and
injured reached this city with the first news
of the wreck and the fire department, all the
ambulances and every doctor available were
dispatched as soon as possible to the scene.
The speedy arrival of the fire department
saved the wreck from contiagration. The
injured were hurried to the Maine Central
hospital.
Conductor Lowe, who was not injured,
together with the 'brakemen and others,
aided in extricating passengers from these
cars. Express Messengers Bickford and
Clark had miraculous escapes from the
Wreckage
Those upon the scene state that the switch
was not only open but locked.
PORTLAND, Me-, Sept. %. William F.
hImball, the passenger train engineer, who
was killed in the wreck at Lewiston this
afternoon, had lived in this city a number
of years, He was about rs years old and a
widow survives him. He was formerly en-
gineer of Bath freight train and only six
weeks ago succeeded Charles York as en-
glneer of the Pennington train, when Y ork
was injured in Portland