Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-08

head-on collision in the history of the
Maine Central Railroad took place just
before midnight last night between
freight ira in No. -, bound from Water
Vile to Portland, an an extra train
from Portland to Waterville. OF the -
trainmen, four We're killed and three
injured, one seriously. Conductor
Walter Russell of Portland. who was
in charge of the extra train, assumed
the responsibility for the wreck because
of Il lack of knowledge of the running
card The crash took place on sharp
curve at the foot of Il steep grade near
station and one and i
half miles east of Monmouth. Both
trains were travelling at high rate
Of speed. The track was blocked for
hours by the wreckage. which was piled
as high as a house. The dead:
Forrest Fletcher. South Portland. en-
2incer of regular train. Leaves Il
j. idow.
A. r. Hartman. Portland. engineer
of extra train.
$. FL. Hodges. Portland. fireman of
extra train.
A. f. Lowe. Lewiston. brakeman Of
regular train.
Tho injured:
Charles +. Freeman. Portland. fire
man OF regular train. sustained com
pound fracture of the arm. WhlfH
probably will be amp;;tated.
Thomas Harmon. Portland. brake
man. cut about the head and n"cf
scaldcd
Benjamin Franklin. Portland. slight
~ injured.
The regular train was in charge "'
Conductor George II. H&rgraV"S "a
Portland. The urcrlasc did not take
tire.
cond:ct II Russell. who was IN charg'
Of the extra train, was y. MS 'dp""o'
With two If his b:akem. II ana b"Eon"
q shaking III, and minor wounds. cScaP-
cd unhar:.."d. as did conductor fi":-
graves i'll charge "i the f'Sui'l' " -
e.. -, hi. ran,nyc The dead and IN
ir,red were nearly all riding III the en-
vines. owing ~ the 1t" hour II Whl'h
TIL acci,r. 1T ocrtirr.I all lii" lc'"ph"nt
ana tclcyraph Offices i'll IT" vicinity
were closed amt great 'Huiru'lY WA.
.xpcrirnced IL getting N"id t1T"dF"
IN mi. CITY for help. The survivors
r,Ilied from the sudden shock "i 'E'
c,t,strnphe when they S:tW ~ 'N'"h'
and worked desperately to reach thril
comrades imrriSon"l beneath VI
,.ron,,,nn some oi them silent IN IN
.uddar ,lnath that had stricken ti'cil
others rrcanin@ with thc pam "i th'h
j., i,,,.ir. and the horror of the rScanIn"
steam.
Engineer Hartman Of the spec"
was taken from his cab "ilN' "'i" ~
cer.d until several hour" int" me morn"
ing when he SuCcumb"d- fhhll!''
Euotrb,,. was also praCtich'lN hu'H'' u
death but il could not b. t"'t Wh'''l''
tba others had been l:ill"t 'u'ri1l't -
died before aid reached th"m. ~ S"'''
rs wrcckin;, crews and piE'i' '''!'
could reach the seen" "f"dHE'hNii'E
verc made to carry the wounded u
III. Central Maine General hpST'tal a.
Io,.iston hut later 1t was decided Il
remove them directly to Portland.
",Tbc regular train was bound IRON
woterville for Portland and the spec
iaI from Portland to WaterVille oFe'
tho Maine Central line known as th'
hack or upper route. Conductor Rus'
sell of the special assumes all resp"ii'
sibilitv for the accident. according u
DR. Blake Of Monmouth. one OF th'
first physicians on the scene.
Russell stated that he had received
instructions that the regular train wa:
* minutes late and the special wa'
given 30 minutes on the regulars time
| in order to make siding at winthrop
Russell said that in reading the order
no noted the regulars time for leaving
Winthrop at lilo, which was al
error of an hour, the regular beinf
due to leave Winthrop at 1910. Bas
ing his calculations on the wrong time
he thought he had time to make tn
siding at Winthrop and gave the fata
order to go ahead.
The wreckage, fortunately, did no
take fire. The body of Fireman Hodge:
was removed from between the tende
and engine during the forenoon. bu
not until the wreckage had been par
TALLY cleared away. A rather unusua
| Illustration of the speed at which TIL
TRAINS were moving was the condition