Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-07
ROCK ON TRACK.
Celiberaole Attempt at Wreckino A
Seaport Railroad Train.

| The officials of the Northern Maiu,
Seaport Railroad are now investigate
ing i piece of raScality which is often
i;ard of in various PARTS OF the conn
ny but which has not occurred in
Maine for Il hong time. the deliberate
and malicious ;ittcmpt to wreck u
tlain on the Seaport road. Last Tines
day morning Il Special construction
u"in consisting of al engine ana Y
string of fiat ears loaded with gravel
and Italian labor"rS Was bound from
i gravel PIT north of Northern Maine
Junction To point in Winterport
where the roadbcd was Ia D.. ballas; =
cd. The train was bowling along at
a good rate of speed when it rounded
= curve about half a mile from the
Monroe road in Hamrdcn ana the en-
gineer with his head out the cab win
dow saw huge boulder on the rail
less than 100 yards ahead
The engineer closed the throttle
with on" hand while the other reach
cd for the air-brake and the sparks
flew from The rails as the heavy train
skidded along on locked wheels while
the Italian labOrcrs were sent tum-
piinG over one another among the gray
cl by the jar of the sudden stop. Even
win tn@ steam shut off and the bra l<c-
shoes gripping the wheels the train
slid along until it stopped less than
Two yards from the obstacle which
threatened its destruction.
The engineer and fireman leaned
down and tn" frightened Italians ran
ahead n hnt
They found Il boulder weighing nearly
$40 pounds within two yards of the
engines pilot and placed on the rignt
hand rail in such Il manner that the
engine must surely have been dcrail-
cd had it struck it. The Italian la
borers were not long in rolling the
boulder out Of the way and putting
IL where it could not get back on the
track
The train proceeded slowly on its
way with the engineer and fireman
looking for further obstructions on the
track or for Il sign of the person who
must nave put the boulder there. They
SdW nobody, however, nor have they
peen abie since to get a clue which
Woulh l@ad to the apprehension Of the
person or persons who put the huge
rock on the track.
That the attempt 10 wreck y train
Was deliberate there can be nc doubt.
INC marks of the rock where if was
rolled onto the track show that if was
rolled up over a small rise on ono sidn
of the rmbankment ana then evidently
given push which rolled it down the
cnb2nklncnt and out onto to the track.
with the aid Of a lover 10 place il on
the rail. IL would have been a hard
task for full grown man to have
moved the boulder without u lever. 50
there is not Il possibility that putting
IL ON tn" track could have been thhc
work Of boys.
Ih'' officials Of the road know of no
person who has 4 grievance that wolIld
read them to such Il ddStartlIy :ttennt
To wreck 4 train. Had it been the
n0rn!n@ passenger train over the Sra-
hhft lir" which came along at that
TIM" instead Of the construction train.
a wreck could hardly have been avert
cd for thC speed Of the paSSenccr train
Wo'iIi have been 50 much greater that
1t * doubtful il the train could have
ho"n stoEpcd before striking the bouTd
TT.
Detective Thomas f. Allen of Ban
g"r IS at work on the case ana every
BODY in this section hopes tn" mis-
cr"ant who put tho rock on the track
VIII be brought To Justice The people
living along the line of the Scaport
Road arc highly Indignant over the az
fair ard Will lend the officials al the
1CCistDn . :n l,,;
guilty person. If the miscrcant is ar
rested hr will be punished to the fun
extent Of tho IaW.