Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-09-29
THE LEWISTON WRECK.
Late News from Scene of Railroad
Disaster.

DiSdSIGT.
Lewiston. Me-, Sept 2S-The Journal
says, tonight:
The scene of the railway accident in
front OF the Maine State Fair grounds,
Monday evening, was us much an at
traction of the opening day of the fair,
Tuesday, as any other feature.
Il don't believe" remarked one OF
the policemen on duty, that there
have been 10 people who have visited
the fair, today. who have not come
over here to view the wreck and there
have been thousands of Them ;,
The souvenir hunters We're to be seen
every where. Bits of the engine, pieces
Of the cars and baggage disappeared
as if by magic.
During the night of Monday, the
train wr<kers had accomplished Won
iers. Nearly all of the superstructure
of debris. a towering mass more than
Il feet, in heighth had been removed.
When Tuesday morning daWned near
ly all of the loose Wreckage had been
taken away. The relative positions of
the engine and parlor car We're clearly
revealed for the first time. Indeed, for
one who wished to determine the pre-
else position of all parts of the wreck,
Tuesday WAS the day to inspect it.
The engine was not 50 badly demol-
ished rs had been supposed. 1t lay on
its side With two Of the big drive
wheels SUSPENDED in the air. Its posi-
ton was almost parallel with that of
the parlor car. although a little far
Their to the front. There We're not more
| than 10 feet as carefully estimated. be-
tween the engine and the parlor car. A
veteran eX-enginecr, who was eXamin-
inc the remains of the engine when the
writer was on the spot, remarked:
II have been deeply interested in
looking over the engine. l find that the
lever is on the center and the throttle
q bout four inches closed. | have no
doubt that this was the exact position
Of both OF these parts when the acct
| dent occurred. There is quite a down
! grade right here and that is the natur-
| II position that the parts would have
: been placed in running. | don't be
| lie,e shat Engineer Kimball had time
! to reverse his engine. The distance
50 short before the crash that it would
1
leve. however, that he set the air
brakes. This is cOnclusively shown by
! the manner in which the cars rolled
UP at the moment of collision. No one
man could have done more in the few
seconds that We're allwed him before
he met his DEATH"
An examination of the lever and the
throttle found the conditions exactly
as stated by the old engineer.
The boiler of the engine was bat
tered considerably. but it's general
form WAS pretty we'll preserved.
What became of the tender Of the
engine?" was asked the old engineer.
1T was picked up in small pieces
some 90 yards over yonder in the field"
he answered.
The direction indicated was more
| than 4 hundred feet away from the en-
CINE in the right hand pasture as one
goes toward Lewiston. 1t must have
passed completely over the roof of the
rarlor and baggage and express cars.
| The engine was found on the Very
topmost point of the pile of Old raH-
road iron. Had it not been for this
pile Of iron, those best informed on tho
features of the accident say that the
list Of dead ana wounded would have
been shorter. Indeed. if the pile of
old railroad iron had not been in the
way. the accident might not have been
serious in any of its features for the
soil is very soft and sandy all along the
, line at this point, thus breaking the
fan
| Il shall never understand,' remark
Cd the old engineer, why somebody
was not killed in the parlor car
Just look at the end of it,
Here the old engineer led the way to
the forward end of the car-the end
tha- bore the brunt of the collision and
undoubtedly saved scores of lives
I he huge steeel buffer was bent double
.. If a pipestem. Thu massive entranca
ana doorway were crushed in like 50
much paper.
IF it had not been for the heavy
construction of this rarior car COM
mentcd tho old engineer, Il would not
like to say what would have been the
result Of this accident. The least that
can be said is that tie car probably
savel the lives Of nearly everyone who
occupied the smoker.
Wednesday morning nearly every
, VeStige of Names most dramatic rail-
way accident had disappeared. Visit
ors To the fair who go over there now
Will find only fields of gently swayins
: ! grass while the breezes sigh softly
: through the Wires overhead.
The Maine railroad commissioners
will meet Monday. oct. 10. ut Lewis
ton city hall. for the investigation into
; the cause If the railroad accident at
the State Fair Grounds switch. Thu
condition Of Chase and Merriman. the
injured men. is slightly improved
though still critical.