Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-11-22
Blocked the Maine Central
All Monday Night.
1 Wonder That Some Of Train
Hands Were Not Killed.
jump and Save LIves...CaTs Badly Smashed
Free Coal for Some.

Freeport, Me, Nov. 21.-A regular
east-boind freight train on the Maine
Central Railroad broke apart at the
top of the grade west of this station
at 4 o'clock. yesterday afternoon, and
half a dozen cars which ran back
down the grade were met and four of
them telescoped by a special freight
train that was following. No one was
injured, although several of the tram
hands were shaken up. The tracks
were blocked all night and severai
east bound passenger trains were Sent
around by way of Lewiston. Inc en-
CINE of the special train, when met
the runaway freight cars head-on, was
badly smashed, but the engineer anu
the fireman were both able to jump
In time. The damage to the rolling
stock Is estimated at $25,0OO.
The accident was caused by freight
train No. 81 breaking apart ana pc
fore a man could be sent back to sig
nal the extra freight which was tol-
lowing it came along at fair rate Oh
speed and piled into the rear section
of the freight train.
There is a fairly shap grade at the
no,nt where the accident occurred and
undoubtedly the grade prevented En-
gineer Harry Marston of Waterville
from bringing his train to stop or
at least greatly reducing its speed pc
fore the crash occurred. Engineer
Marston saw the stalled section of the
train some moments before the COL
In V.
thing possible to bring his locomotive
to a stop, realizing at length that a
crash was inevitable, he told his hre-
man to jump and sprang from the CAB
himself just before the crash came.
Fortunately there was no one in the
caboose when the locomotive crashed
into 1t. The occupants of the caboose
realized that the train had broken apart
when the air brakes suddenly tighten
ed and they had just left the caboose
to investigate the cause of the trouble,
when the crash occurred.
The accident happened at a point
where the road bed follows along q
high embankment with a deep gully
on either side and a moment after
the crash occurred. freight cars We're
rolling down the steep slope ana TO-
connective No. 1858 came very near fol-
lowing them, for it plunged straight
across the tracks and came to stop
lust at he edge of the embankment.
Had it been travelling little faster
at the time of the collision. it would
have undoubtedly piled down over the
embankment into the ditch.
The tender of the locomotive was
thrown on tor of a fiat car and laid
crossways to the track. A number OF
coal cars went down over the embank-
ment on the right hand side of the
track and finally brought up in Il brook,
one of the cars standing on end When
1t landed The contents of the cars
we're scattered in all directions ana
some of the people residing in that
vicinity will probably obtain consider
able coal free Of cost as a result OF the
accident.
The rails were ripped up for some
little distance and the trucks and truck
frames which did not go over the en-
bankment were piled up several tiers
high and some of them We're also
driven into the earth.
A locomotive. three coal cars and the
caboose were badly wrecked. i'll fact
the cars ana CaDOOSe are OafndS eQ al
most beyond hope of repair. A number
Of the other. cars were crippled.
Almost Immediately after the col
lision fire broke out in one of the cars
and for time it was feared that quite
an extensive blaze might result, but
the flames were extinguished before
they did any great damage.
News Of the wreck was immediately
sent to the main offices at Portland and
several wrecking crews were sent al
once to the scene. One wrecking train
left Portland and another came from
Brunswick and still a third from Wa
terville. There were about $50 men III
the wrecking crews and the moment
they reached the scene every effort was
made to clear away the wreckage and
open the lire to travel again.
Train No. 112 from tn east due in
Portland at lilo was held at Bruins
wick and did not get through to Port
land until the road was clear again.
Train No. 2, due at the Union Station
at 10 A. NJ, swung off the main line
at Watcrville and went through to
Portland by way Of Lewiston, and
train No. from the east also reached
Portland by the same route. Train No.
Al from Boston 20 Bangor. which ar
riVes IN Portland at 1890 P. NJ, was
sent out BY way of Lewiston to Wa
terville