Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-12-19
No Serious Injuries from smash-up.
FORTUNATE ESCAPE FROM FATALITIES
IN SHOWS FALLS COLLISION.

Il
Two trains on the Grand Trunk me
head on about 6 O'Clock Wednesda,
morning, just above Shows Falls, som
two miles east of West Paris. Fortu
nately no one was killed, and only thre
trainmen received comparatively Sigh
injuries.
The east bound train was what Is col
loquially termed an "emigrant train,
of eight cars, bringing load Of psssen
gers from western Canada to take steam
or at Portland for the old countries To-
the holidays. This train was running az
the second section of train No. 4, which
is the through express reaching Soutf
Paris at $3.50 A. NJ.
The west bound train was what ii
known in railroad parlance as "light
engine" No. 100, one of the big com
pound engines used for through freight
trains, with a csboose and full train
crew.
Under ordinary conditions when a
train is running in two sections the sec
ond section has the same track rights
ana makes the same crossing Of other
however, traffic is at present 80 heavy
that in order to avoid wait different
orders were issued. Engine $50 was
ordered to meet the first section of No.
at South Paris, then proceed to West
Paris, and meet the second section there.
Orders to second No. to meet engine
100 at West Paris were delivered to the
train crew at Bryant's Pond.
Through some misunderstanding not
definitely fixed, second No. instead of
waiting for the light engine at West
Paris proceeded, following the first sec
ton a few minutes later. Engine 100
had meanwhile left South Paris, and the
collision came just above the Shows
Falls curve.
There was a west bound freight stand
ing on the siding at West Paris, and it is
understood that the train crew of second
No. A, seeing an engine there, without
noticing its number, assumed that it
was the one they were to meet there.
The operator at West Paris had also
failed to set his signal to hold the train.
After leaving the station, it occurred to
the engineer that perhaps that might not
have been the engine, and he stopped
the train, but not quite soon enough, as
the light engine struck it just about the
time that it got to stop. There was
fog which interfered with sight some
what, As it was, the passenger train
was practically stopped and the other
moving not more than twelve or fifteen
miles an hour when they struck.
Both the engineers and firemen
jumped before the crash, aud except for
slight scratches were unhurt. None of
the passengers were injured, and some
of them at the rear Of the train were
barely awakened by the shock.
Although both engines were partly de-
rallied, and one or two trucks on the cars
were thrown off the iron, nothing was
entirely off the rails, and nothing tipped
over.
Injuries of consequence were confined
TO the members of the train crew who
were in the caboose behind engine 760,
who had no warning to jump, and were
thrown when the engines met. Herbert
the conductor, was cut over one
eve. j. p. Cole of Island Pond, brake
man, had an arm broken, and Elmer May
Of Island Pond, brakeman, had some ribs
broken. These men we're taken TO West
Paris and treated for their injuries there.
The Portland wrecking train was at
the place in a short time. and after get
ting engine 760 back on the rails, towed
her to South Paris and set her on the
siding. She was out of commission,
pilot smashed off, and the end of the coal
bunkers on the tender resting against the
cab, but showed no signs of great dam
age to the main structure. The wreck
Or then went back and Strengthened out
the rest of the mix-up, and the track
was clear about noon. The forenoon
trains both ways had to be held two or
three hours, and the special which was
N the collision was delayed about seven
hours.