Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-10

Andrew Ryan. brother of the girl who
| was killed: John Willard, Frank Shea,
| Mary Burns. Ernest Cahll, John Lee
| John Harrington, Annie Mccormick, May
| McCormick Emily WEIGH, John Dallher
! William Doherty. May Dwycr, David
| Walker. May Collins. Patrick Carroll.
Kitty Cuddy. William Cuddy and Miss
| Surdam.
! The stories told by some of the 10 pas
sengers ON the ear agree in the impur-
| tant details. 1t is estimated that at the
| instant the crash came the car was tray
| cling at a speed of 20 miles an hour. Just
| as the had entered on the steep grade
near the Catholic cemetery in Dalton,
| the motorman tried to stop to take on Il
passenger. The rails were slippery and
the air brakes failed to work. Conductor
owen Blake of Dalton, who was III the
car collecting fares. noticed that some
thing was wrong and lie rushed to thu
rear veStibule and applied the hand
brake. The car. despite the application
of both brakes, gained speed and was
rushing at a tremendous rate when it
jumped the track on the curve at thu foot
of the half-mile hill and crashed into the
railroad bridge abutment
The car struck the stone pier glanc-
ing blow, ripping off the front top and
the right side. Miss Bessie Ryan was
sitting in the third seat on the right with
Miss Mary Burns When the crash came
Miss Ryan was crushed between two
seats and her head was squeezed into a
shapeless mass. Her death was lnstanta-
of ba
forward. Some were jammed between
seats, others were cut by broken glass,
while still others were bruised by the ter
rife shock.
During the forenoon General Manager
p. c. Dolan, and Director Bartholomew
Brickley issued a statement in behalf
of the Pittsfield Street Railway Co. in
which they stated that the car was thor
oughly inspected before being sent out
this morning and that it was one of the
best cars owned by the road They un
derstood that the brakes failed to work
on account of the frost making the rails
slippery.
Medical Examiner Colt examined Mo
torman Murray and Conductor Blake af-
ter the accident and was informed that
there was no sand on the car. At the
House of Mercy it was stated that all of
the injured will recover.
Seven other persons were brought to the
House of Mercy during the day, making
a total of ~ that had to be given surgical
attention. Twenty-Five others are report
ed to have received minor injuries
| several of the persons at the House of
| Mercy will undoubtedly be kept at the
| institution for some time on account of
| the severity of their injuries The two
| most seriously hurt are Miss Mary Burn.
VINO was sitting in the seat with Bessie
Ryan, and Miss Catherine Cuddahy.
Mayor Mac1nnis of this city called a
special meeting of the board of aldermen
for this afternoon to take action on the
accident.
United States Senator Murray Crane. in
whose home town of Dalton the acciden.
| happened. was notified by telegraph of
the wreck During the day a reply was
received from him in which. after ex-
pressing sympathy for the victims, he Sc
verely criticized the management of the
street railway company for the manner
in which the cars were equipped. The
| senator said that he had several times
called the attention of the railroad com.
missioners to the improper equipment OF
the road and that he had suggested tina,
the road be taken out of the hands Of the
present management. The senator in hi,
statement said that he had notifid tn,
railroad commissioners that il the com
pany were allowed to continue it's polio,
serious consequences would follow. A
other times, he said. he had entered pro
tests against the service and equipmen
of the road with both the railroad com
missioners and the local management.
In statement issued this afternoon
GEN. Mgr. p. c. Dolan of the street rail
WAY COMPANY said that both brake