Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-01-24
FREIGHT WRECK.
TRAINS PILE UP AT ELLSWORTH
STATION.
FREIGHT PLATFORN AND PASSENGER
PLATFORM AND SHE'D BADLY DAM
AGED-A PECULIAR ACCIDENT.

serious freight wreck, Of . peculiar
nature, occurred ct the Ellsworth station
BIO O'Clock yesterday morning. Thir-
teen cars were involved in the wreck, tho
main track and local freight siding were
ripped up and twisted for several hundred
feet and the freight platform and part Of
the passenger platform and shed were
wrecked. Two box cars rode the station
platform and under the shed roof their
full length, the forward end stopping OPP
posite and within five feet Of the baggage
Office. No one was injured.
The train Was through freight north
bound from Washington county. As is
usual for through freights at this point,
the train was running at high speed,
probe bly, between forty and fifty miles an
hour, to gain Roadway tor the stin grade
north OF the station.
On the curve nea- the Beal avenue
crossing, one or more Of the cars left the
rails, as shown by the marks on the ties
there The first switch for the siding
west of the track was passed safely, but
when the switch to the local freight siding
at the freight house was struck, the trucks
broke on one OF the derailed cars, and the
train, parted. The frog OF this switch
broke and the rear of the train took the
freight switch, crashing into fiat car and
three box Gears standing there. The
three forward cars remained on the rails
and with the locomotive kept the main
track.
AnN ,Ak I'D
approaching freight, was lifted and cut
its way more than half way through
box car of the Washington county
freight, which was loaded with pulp, its
heavy timbers projecting by the middle
door OF the box car. On the fiat car were
two new Buick automobiles. One OF
these was thrown clear over the freight
platform, which was turned up on its
side, and the other remained on the car,
but was badly damaged.
The box cars which we're on the siding
were hunted forward, leaving the siding
between the freight house and passenger
platform, and crashing in upon the
passenger platform and under tine shed,
the forward end stopping in front OF the
baggage room. The supports of the shed
roof over the passenger platform were
carried away like pipe stems for distance
OF eighty feet, and the shed roof rested
upon the roofs OF the two forward box
cars. The platform was ground to pieces.
A long section OF the freight platform was
demolished.
These cars were thrown from the rails
by what is known as . derailing switch,
put in for just such an emergency. 1t
worked to perfection. But for this de-
railing switch, the cars would have gone
on the main line in front of the locomo-
tive, and much worse wreck would have
resulted. The curious Gaze would then
have been presented Of . locomotive
colliding with the rear OF its own train.
Several of the cars in the freight were
reduced to kindlihg wood, while others
were but slightly damaged. In all, thir-
teen cars were OF the rails. The rails
we're spread and twisted, and splinters
and broken trucks and IRON work OF the
cars Uttered the yard. One box car had
turned on it's side and been showed along
the track for yards. The csboose and last
freight car did not leave the rails.
Passengers and mails on the early
morning train down were transferred
around the wreck. By o'clock the
wrecking train was at work, and by II
O'Clock the main line was clear, the north
bound passenger train going through
without delay.
All day long interested crowds watched