Maine Railroad Accident Reports, 1881

Source: Reports of the Railroad Commissioners of the State of Maine for the Year 1881 (Augusta, Me.: Sprague & Son, printers, 1882).

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ACCIDENTS.
Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad.

B. F. Tewksbury, Portland, draw-bridge tender, fell to deck of vessel, injured.

J. Breman, Portland. watchman, foot caught in rail, back injured.

I. Pairier, Mechanic Falls, laborer, fell off train, killed.

A. McKennon, Portland, laborer, skid broke, back injured.

I. Corridon, Portland, laborer, caught between car hunters, back injured.

I. Dolan, Portland, coupler, finger crushed coupling cars.

G. M. Bryant, Bryant's Pond, section foreman, arm broken by hand car.

I. Ford, Bryant's Pond, brakeman, slightly injured by hand car.

J. P. Hart, message boy, Portland, killed jumping off train.

F. H. Sinclair, Yarmouth, brakeman, arm jammed coupling cars.

I. F. Audley, Bryant's Pond, brakeman, struck bridge and killed.

F. Dyer, Yarmouth Junction, brakeman, fell from train, arm cut off.

D. Knight, South Paris, trackman, struck by car, head injured.

Capt. E. Wentworth, Portland, walking on track, struck by engine and killed.

Bangor and Piscataquis Railroad.

June 9, 1881, Jonathan Shaw of Dover, attempting to get upon the down passenger train, while passing the village of Guilford, was so injured that he died June 15th.

Boston and Maine Railroad.

Oct. 4th, 1880, Frank J. Lynde, attempting to get on a moving train, was run over and killed.

Dec. 9, 1880, Delphos Dugues, a small boy, was crushed between freight cars at Biddeford, and killed.

June 1881, James Hayes, found dead beside track at Biddeford.

Aug. 16, 1881, Ralph Littlefield, 9 years old, jumped from a moving train at camp ground station Old Orchard, and was seriously injured.

Sept. 23, 1881, Robert Douglass, while playing on the track near Ligonia was struck by a train and somewhat injured.

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European and North American Railroad.

Oct. 27, 1880, William Henry Tozier, section man, while pushing a car into Oldtown bridge, fell through on to the rocks and was killed.

Nov. 29, 1880, Wyatt of Veazie in attempting to step on to a moving train, at Bangor, fell under the wheels, and was so injured that he died.

Aug. 28, 1880, Rory McLeod found upon or near the track, and supposed by the corone's jury to have been crushed by the train.

Knox and Lincoln Railroad.

Nov. 13, 1881, E. T. Hodge of Edgecomb, caught between the cars and badly jammed.

Maine Central Railroad.

June 12, 1881, Marcenus A. L. Crummett, brakeman, jumped from freight train in motion, and died from the effects of the fall.

July 3, 1881, Daniel Sweeney, struck by an overhead bridge and killed.

Aug. 25, 1881, William Brackett, brakeman, fell from freight car and killed.

Portland Horse Railroad.

Passenger ran in front of a car passing another on a turn out, knocked down by the horses, the car ran over him and he died from his injuries.

A policeman attempting to get on a car in motion, his foot slipped and he fell under the car and broke his leg.

Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad.

March 2, 1881, saloon car attached to freight train No. 5 was thrown from track by spreading of the rails near South Windham station. The car was dragged some distance and finally turned over upon its side. Conductor Edwin Dow, the only occupant of the car at the time of the accident, was severely bruised by being thrown partly through the side window.

March 11, 1881, George Kane, brakeman of freight train No. 6, had an arm badly crushed and lacerated between bunters, while making up train in Portland.

April 13, 1881, W. M. Smith, brakeman, fell from a box car between Bartlett and Livermore stations, and was severely bruised.

April 26, Charles Nute, section man, was struck on the head by a falling plank while unloading a car at Glen statlon, and died in a few hours from the effects of the injury.

May 26, 1881, as passenger train No. 1 was crossing the Saco River bridge, above Glen Station, it overtook a man named Daniel Grant, who

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was walking across the bridge carrying a bag of potatoes. He did not drop the bag nor take any measures to escape, until too late. He was struck and instantly killed by the engine.

September 17, 1881, Fred Wescott, freight brakeman, while coupling cars at Fabyans', was caught astride the draw bar and badly jammed.

September 20, 1881, George S. Kane, yardman in Portland yard, in attempting to get on an engine, slipped and fell under the wheels, losing one leg and part of the foot on the other leg. He was carried to the Maine General Hospital, where he died Sept. 22, 1881.

No accident has happened to any passenger train, and no passenger has been injured during the past year.

St. Croix and Penobscot Railroad.

Jan. 29, 1881, James McFarland, trackman, fell from snow plow and died from the injuries then received Feb. 18th.