Maine Genealogy
Source: Reports of the Railroad Commissioners of the State of Maine for the Year 1879 (Augusta, Me.: E. F. Pilsbury & Co., printers, 1879).
[p. 59]ACCIDENTS.July 9, C. N. Knight, Bethel, fireman, struck by overhead bridge, killed.
Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad.
Oct. 11, Charles Figot, Portland, laborer, foot injured by bar of iron.
Oct. 28, H. Brockman, Portland, porter, end of thumb taken off.
Nov. 22, Mrs. M. C. Dennison, Bryant's Pond, passenger, slipped while getting on cars, bruised.
Dec. 14, W. Seaton, Portland, coupler, both legs run over while shunting, killed.
Feb. 14, J. Miles, North Yarmouth, brakeman, leg injured, while between cars.
Feb. 17, D. Skillings, Portland, coupler, leg injured, slipped off ladder.
Feb. 19, F. Kimball, Portland, coupler, hurt about stomach while coupling.
Feb. 25, A. Brock, Bethel, trespasser, slightly injured walking on track.
Feb. 27, M. Sweeney, Portland, laborer, leg injured, fell over a truck.
March 11, A. Bray, Mechanic Falls, not an employé, hand crushed attempting to couple.[p. 60]March 15, J. Thomas, Portland, laborer, rail fell on foot.
March 25, A. Rack, Bethel, not employé, struck by step of car, slightly injured.
April 9, W. Stowell, Mechanic Falls, brakeman, fell from car, shoulder out of joint.
April 23, J. King, Yarmouth, brakeman, legs cut off, accidental death.
May 6, H. Welch, Portland, coupler, hand injured coupling cars.
May 23, P. O'Brien, Portland, switchman, fell from ladder, collar and breast bones broken.
June 27, G. Lee, Portland, coupler, hand injured switching.European and North American.On October 8th, 1878, Mr. Albion Barrows purchased a ticket at Great Works, for Orono, and came to the latter point by express train. Instead of landing there he kept his seat, expecting, as he says, to step off at Basin Mills, where express trains do not stop. Upon learning that no stop was to be made, he jumped from the car, and fell under the moving train, and one of his legs was so badly crushed as to render amputation necessary.
On July 4th, 1879, a laborer on the Orono section, Mr. Timothy Madden, was assisting in turning a crank hand car, when one of the cranks caught in his vest and threw him forward upon the rail. One of the car wheels ran on to his head and neck, and killed him almost instantly.Maine Central.May 19, 1879, near Lewiston lower station, Patrick Groggin was run over by a switching engine and killed. He was an old man about 80 years old, quite deaf, and blind of one eye. He was walking on the track. The coroner's jury rendered a verdict exonerating the company and its employés from blame.
Aug. 4, 1879, in Lisbon, three persons, Piere Boudrien, Rose Martin and Salina Maynard, were run over by a train at Bubier's crossing, and killed. The coroner's jury found that the employés of the train fully complied with the requirements of the law as laid down in the revised statutes, regulating the running of engines and trains crossing public highways, and that said accident was caused by the party having charge of the team, in not using or exercising ordinary care in crossing railroad tracks, where danger is supposed to exist.[p. 61]Sept. 20, 1879, near Pishon's Ferry, Kennery Rowe, an insane man, walking on track, was struck by the train and injured so that he died on the 23d of September following. He had recently been discharged from insane asylum, and paid no attention to the bell and whistle. The engineer did everything in his power to prevent the accident, but the deceased remained on the track, regardless of the danger.Boston and Maine.Mrs. Phœbe G. Bowen, walking on track near Maryland Ridge, was struck by freight train and badly injured.Rumford Falls and Buckfield.O. Spaulding, conductor, had finger cut off while coupling cars at Mechanic Falls.Portland (Horse) Railroad.Sleigh car collided with a sleigh; damage slight, no one hurt.Houlton Branch.Last winter a man fell off the freight platform where teams load, and claims he was badly hurt.
