Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-08
HEROIC WORK
Of Monmouth Physicians and Others
in Trying to Save Victims.

| Monmouth, Me. Dec 1-(SpeciaD.-
| Residents along the Winthrop road
about a mile and half this side OF
Annabessacook station We're aroused
| just before midnight last night gy q
| tremendous crash on the railroad
| tracks to the east Of the road. Two
freight trains, ii regular. No. -. from
Watervilc bound for Portland and Il
special consisting largely Of cmptics,
bound eastward from Portland met
about midway on TIL" curve which be
gins at Annabessacook station and
swings toward the east for nearly half
a mile. At that point there is an en-
bankmcnt about l. feet high.
The engine of the regular freight
was No. 81, one OF the ncw machines,
and was making its third trip when the
accident happened. The pony trucks
were rakcd from under the front end
and the big steel cradle which supports
the forward end of the boiler and on
either side of which are the cylinders
was broken in two like piece of
bread The pilot and headlight We're
smashed fiat and the front end of the
boiler which covers the smoke box was
caVcd in. The cab and all the rear end
Of the giant machine We're crushed and
torn from the boiler. In fact there
seemed to be little left of big, new and
powerful 312 except the shell of the
boiler and the six drivers under it, The
engine pulling the special was No. $50,
one of the very best machines belong
ing to the road, though not one of the
latest models. 1t was iii much worse
condition than the other. None of the
men in the cab Of this engine escaped
death. Both engines We're Of the big
moEul typ" and very powerful
TIL" regular train consisted of heavi-
y loaded ears and was slowly gather
ing Roadway. on the heavy gra,ic in,
Monmouth station. The special was
On the down grade ana bowling along
at a fast clip in order to get onto the
siding at Winthrop in plenty of time.
as was supposed, for - 10 pass. At
either end Of the curve is a vo,uu
hardwood growth conCcaiug the
straight stretches Of track. However.
tn" ";'"n ground, across which there is
an unobStructed Wow. extends between
nan ami three quarters Of a mile. II
Is somewhat of a mystery to those
VINO were on the ground r.triy this
morning. why the engineers did nnt
sc" cach other in time to avoid so ter
iihc an impact. at least. What would
nave happened had the heavy train
been coming down grad" ana the light
Tram gong w. can hardly be ina gincd
Conductor Hargraycs. who cscancd
serious injury. but who was compIote-
~ daZ"d by the shock. ran down tho
track to Monmouth ana reused DR.
Flake. DR.. Eand!cttc ana Thomas Enb-
'rtS"n. section hand. The party
mounted handcar ana made their
way to the wreck as quickly as possi-
Die. According to the townsneorIo the
work of this it'll" party was mo.r
heroic. 1t is said that Robertson held
an engineer whose foot was wcdgod in
10 the Wrcckagc so that ne could not
De liberated. for nearly two hours
while the others worked frantic,IIv IA
save his life. They succeeded in free
ing him at last. but the poor fellow
was 50 frichtfuly crushed ana burned
before daylight. Or. Randlcttc ,wappc,
coats with Charles T. Freeman. the
fireman who jumped and whose arm
was crushed into pulp and warming
MS great fur coat about the injured
man, continued his work Of digging
away the debris in the much lighter
ana thinner garment 1t was hitter
roid and sharp wind caused the frost
10 penetrate even the warmcst cloth
ing.
Dr. Blake was in the thickest of tho
work AMI did everything in his power
to release the men who wcra mime,
under the tons of iron and steel. Neith- |
er physician cared to discuss the death |
Oh Fireman Hodges, for it was too hor.
rioie. 1t was commonly reported among
lhe spectators later in the MORNING
however. that live Goals from the fire
poN were thrown upon his head while
ne lay pinned between the cab am
'eii''cr' slowly roasting him to death.
brakeman on the regular train ran |
o"ck 10 Winthrop. nearly five miles |
ana alarmed the people there bi,f i !
vas impossible to find telegraph Oh
orator to notify Waterville. the repuIar
ope'ator being III Augusta. When !. !
u'hed he summoned the wrackinc,
'i'El from there. another from III.
west ana il hospital car from Portland
i!llS cN.HainS why the Wra,Lipe ,,.,i