Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-10-12
AUGUSTA PEOPLE IN
NEAR-REPETIT|ON OF
DEATH CURVE TRAGEDY
One Rear Wheel of Car
Goes Over Embark
ment at Scene of Sun
days Fatal Accident
Mr.. and Mrs. Norris
Clough and Daughter
Are in Party

An automobile accident which barely
avoided resulting in repetition of the
tragedy of last Sunday at Dead Mans
Curve, in the town of Wells, was met
with Wednesday evening in the same
locality by party which included Mr..
and Mrs. Norris M. Clough Of Augusta,
and their daughter, June. Also in the
party We're Mr.. Cloughs brother,
Frank Clough of Madison. a Mr. But
Ter of that town, and a man from Lew
iston. The Clough brothers maintain
a public garage at Lakewood. The
party left Augusta for Boston Tues
day evening and was expected to ar
rive back in this city Thursday even
ing. The Biddeford Journal carries the
following story of the accident:
Only the presence of mind Of the
driver Of a steamer car Tuesday night
prevented another serious accident at
the place known as Dead Mans Curve.
which runs under the Boston and
Maine railroad bridge in the town of
Wells where three Lewiston women
and one man met a terrible death early
last Sunday morning. One rear wheel
Of the automobile dropped down over
the four-foot embankment between the
highway and the track of the Atlantic
Shore railway and 1t is considered a
miracle that all escaped as they did
1t required a good deal of hard work
to get the machine on the highway
again, and the party. which was on
the way from Augusta to Boston, was
able to continue under it's own power.
The accident happened about $50
o'clock Tuesday evening The steam
er Is owned by Clough Brothers, who
run garage at Augusta. The man
who was running the machine has
been over the road hundreds of times,
he told Mrs. M. L. Capell. the Good
Samaritan who lives In the bungalow
about 100 feet from the railroad bridge.
going west. The driver said he was
running on slow speed as he still had
in mind the terrible accident of last
Sunday morning, and he did not want
to take any chances at the death curve
Before he was aware Of Il, however,
the hind wheel of the machine sudden
ly skidded towards the four-foot en-
bankment over the electric car track,
and one wheel went over the side when
the driver turned the steering wheel in
manner which saved the car from
tipping over on the track
There was a man and wife and
three other men in the car and the
woman screamed at the top of her
voice. Mrs. NJ. L. Capell. who was the
first to go to the scene after the Lew
iston people were killed Sunday morn
ing. FASTENED from her home to give
what help she could. She was greatly
relieved to find that no one was iniur-
ed. and the woman, who was badly
frightened, was taken TO Mrs. Capelrs
bungalow and remained there until the
occupants Of the automobile and a
number of others finally got the car
up on the highway and ready to start
again.
Residents Of Wells are greatly
alarmed over the conditions at Dead
Mans Curve, and they are anxiously
waiting to see what the Public I-tili-
ties Commission will do in regard to
the petition of the members of the
board of selectrlen for the abolishing
of the curve and making the road
straight and safe for travel