Maine Railroad Accident Reports, 1876

Source: Reports of the Railroad Commissioners of the State of Maine for the Year 1876 (Augusta, Me.: Sprague, Owen & Nash, printers, 1877).

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ACCIDENTS.

European and North American.

January 24. W. Maling, conductor of freight train, in attempting to jump on to his train, when in motion, slipped and was run over, losing one leg.

June 24. Fred. Fortier was run over by a special from Vanceboro' in the night, near the Basin Mills. A coroner's jury exonerated the railroad company and its employees from blame.

September 24. Mr. John McKay, freight conductor, was seriously hurt by being thrown from his train while passing under the bridge between Great Works and Orono.

Knox and Lincoln.

April 28. Albert W. Hodgkins of Nobleboro', was run over by a freight train while shackling cars at the depot, and his leg was badly injured.

Maine Central.

February 5. Eddie White, 6 years old, son of Prof. C. A. White, while sliding down hill at Brunswick and across the railroad track, was struck by a train and his head severed from his body. The coroner's inquest found that the accident was the result of the boy's thoughtlessness, and that no blame attached to employees of the road.

A passenger, at Portland, was killed by falling from the train while intoxicated.

Atlantic and St. Lawrence.

William Chase, while attempting to get off a train when in motion, was fatally injured.

W. Guir, pushing trucks up and down in Portland yard, was injured and died in consequence.

December 30. We see by telegraph that a man was killed at Grand Trunk depot, at Portland, to-day—the case to be investigated by a coroner's inquest. The circumstances and the result of the inquest, we must defer to a special report or to the report of another year.

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Portland, Saco and Portsmouth.

November 20. Charles Welch, brakeman, jammed while coupling cars at Kennebunk.

March 21. Thomas Flaherty of Portland, killed while trying to get off the platform in Portland depot after train had started. He fell under the car, which severed one leg at the hip.

July 4. John Morrison, fatally injured at Cape Elizabeth while sitting down upon the track.

There have been other accidents upon several of the roads, but of which we had no notice until reported to us in the annual Returns required on Dec. 1—and hence the reason for the amendment to sec. 78, chap. 51 of the Revised Statutes which we have elsewhere recommended—that we may have an opportunity to investigate them on the spot and at the time, and report them definitely.