Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-02
TWO MEN KILLED.
Continued from Page One)

Al the rear Of the station the north
oa,,le had fallen out into the street. fort
unatcly no hacks were out, orsthey woui"
have been struck by the falling debris.
7, WAS in the basement that the most
terrible sight was seen.
As soon as the explosion occurred, OPP
orator Penney notified the Portland office
and summoned force OF physicians from
brunswick, ard then called up Chief CODY
Of the fire department, who ordered gen.
eral alarm run in SO that the 1iremen
could assist in the work of rescue. The
physicians who responded were DR.. c. A.
Palmer. Dr.. G.. NJ. Elliott, DIR. E. G. n.
Stetson ana Dr. E. H. Andrews.
Wher the firemen arrived the steam and
smoke were pouring UP from the base
r,ent and IL number of men. led by Chief
Colby himself. descended and began an
examination of the conditions there. 1t
was some time before they could make
their way into the boiler room on &c
count of the dense steam. When they
finally got there they found that the east
boiler was complete wreck, not piece
being left that is so large but it could
be easily lifted by one man. Pipes were
broken and twisted. The east wall OF the
basement was blown out and the west
boiler was knocked off its foundation.
After long search the body of Will
liam B. Woodward was found, half buried
beneath a pile of coal and broken fraS-
ments of pipes and the boiler His body
was badly nutilated. The back of the
skull was completely blown off and it was
with difficulty that he could be recos-
nized.
At > o'clock Superintendent Fred f.
Sanborn and Assistant Superintendent II.
T. Manchester of the Maine Central ar
rived and OF once began an investigation.
They found everything about the west
boiler in good condition. When they en-
amined what was left of the east boiler
they found that the supply pipe valve.
which should have been turned way ON.
was only turned quarter round.
L. is known that Mr. Woodward built
the fire under the boiler about O'Clock
ana it is supposed that when he went
downstairs at midnight he found thar The
boiler had no water in it and so started
to fiji it when the explosion occurred.
The boilers were made by the Manches-
ter Heating and Lighting Co. OF Man
chester. n. H.. and were the type known
as Mercer No. l. They were installed
when the station was built eight years
ago
There is always something fortunate
about every accident. no matter how ter
rible. The fortunate thing about the ac-
cident of last night was that it did not
occur five minutes sooner. Coming as it
did TT J. o'clock. the train for Augusta
and Bangor had been gone from the sta
tior more than 10 minutes The train for
Portland had just pulled out and the rear
lights of it were still visible. The Lewis
ton and Bath trains We're still in the sta
ton but We're on the outside tracks and
had but a small passenger list and conse
ouertly none of their passengers were
injured.
Mr.. and Mrs. ]. w. Kimball of Bath
had just come out of the station and were
going across the platform to take their
train when the explosion occurred. The
shock so upset them that they decided to
remain in Brunswick over night
An eye Witness said that il the eyplo-
sion had been five or even three minutes
earlier rot less than 30 people would have
been killed and many more than that
number had been standing just at the
point whore the greatest damage was
done. Most of them took the Portland
train, while others boarded the Bath and
Lewiston trains as soon as the train for
Portland pulled out.
The brunswick station will have to be
practically rs built. but it is doubtful if
more ifan temporary repairs are made
this Writer. The station was built in 1899
at a cost of s35, zoo.
Mr.. Woodward had been with the road
rs light haEgagemaster since that time.
Eefore that he had been selectran and
Was at one time postmaster of Brunswick.
He was very prominent in Odd Fellow
circles, being a member of Pei;epscot
Ledge, 40. l.. Casco Ercampment, No. s..
and Carton King. p NJ. No. II.
Coroner William f. Gordon irnpannelled
Jury consisting of Judson Z: Langen,
Charles f. Humphreys. Charles A. Ran
dali. Capt. George L. Sheffield, George
J.. Bowker and Herbert l.. Robertson.
this morning. and after viewing the
scene of the accident they adjourned for
the inquest until Tuesday.