Maine Genealogy
Source: Reports of the Railroad Commissioners of the State of Maine for the Year 1884 (Augusta, Me.: Sprague & Son, printers, 1884).
[p. 35]Accidents in Maine, Year Ending June 30, 1884.August 10, 1883. Yarmouth, G. E. James, brakeman, coupling, fingers crushed.
ATLANTIC & ST. LAWRENCE.
September 10. Portland, J. S. Tennant, coupler, coupling, fingers crushed.
October 14. Yarmouth, Pearson, engine driver, explosion, cut about the face.
December 18. Portland, H. Bennett, brakeman, coupling, hand crushed.
December 22 Falmouth, J. McArdle, conductor, stepping off train, injured spine.
January 11, 1884. West Paris, S. Buck, brakeman, coupling, badly crushed.
January 15. Lewiston Junction, N. Coy, conductor, van broke from train, slightly injured.
January 26. West Bethel, H. Wright, struck by train on crossing, slightly injured.
April 22. West Bethel, G. Vallis, telegraph repairer, stakes on car broke, hand injured.
May 20. Mechanic Falls, Mrs. J. Decoster, factory hand, on track, killed.
May 20. Mechanic Falls, Bessie Morrill, child, on track, slightly injured.
May 24. Portland, C. Shannon, laborer, fell under car, killed.
June 7. Lewiston Junction, W. P. Hatch, brakeman, jumping off engine, ankle sprained.
June 10. Portland, J. R. Lowell, coupler, foot caught in guardrail, killed.
June 13. New Gloucester, W. Findley, conductor, stakes broke, slightly injured.[p. 36]BOSTON & MAINE RAILROAD.October 20, 1883. James Hudson, a passenger, jumped from a passenger train between Kennebunk and Biddeford, and was instantly killed.
February 4, 1884. P. W. Neal, employe, was struck by engine at Portland, and injured.
April 30. W. H. Googins, employe, caught his coat on a band car crank and was thrown off from car and killed.
June 23. G. H. Dcelle [sic], employe, attemped to get on an engine, at Portland, but fell under the wheels and had his ankle crushed.
August 12. George Earl was found dead on the track near Portland station.
August 19. Paolis Tooli, a passenger, jumped from a train, as it was approaching Old Orchard, fell, and had his foot crushed by the car wheels.
August 18. A boy named Miller, a passenger, jumped from a train near Arundel, and broke his arm.
August 21. An old lady named Brown, in getting off a train at Camp Ground, Old Orchard, fell, and broke one of her ribs.
September 20. Charles Hill attemped to get on a freight train, at Wells, but fell under the train and was killed.KNOX & LINCOLN.Mr. L. E. Shaw, a brakeman on freight train, slipped from a car in Rockland yard, and his leg was broken. No blame is attached to the company.MAINE CENTRAL.October 13, 1883. Moses Wells, an aged and deaf man, while walking on track at Augusta, was struck and run over by car. He lived 30 minutes. Coroner deemed an inquest unnecessary.
October 22. Charles Geary, 22 years of age, residing on Mountfort street, Portland, was run over by Train No. 12, at Woodford's, and instantly killed. He crawled under the train before it started. Coroner decided that it was a case of suicide and did not hold inquest.
March 6, 1884. Train No. 101 left the track at South Orrington. Baggage and combination cars rolled down the bank and were wrecked. Three trainmen slightly injured and three passengers[p. 37]considerably shaken up, but not seriously hurt. Accident caused by track spreading.
March 22. Charles Packard, aged 17, while trying to get on to Train No. 35, at Skowhegan, fell under the car and was injured so that his leg had to be amputated.
March 28. A. N. Dudley of Boston, a travelling salesman, attempted to get on to Train No. 1, at Main street, Richmond, while it was in motion, fell under rear car and wheels ran over his leg below the knee; leg had to amputated.
April 7. Collision between Train No. 11 and special freight, at Farmingdale. Three passengers slightly injured. Collision caused by brake on saloon car of special giving out.
April 20. Body of unknown colored man found on or near track at Oakland. Supposed to have been run over and killed by Train No. 35; was probably stealing a ride and fell off. Coroner's jury said was killed "by mischance or accident."
April 25. Thomas Murray of Gorham, Maine, employed as shifter in Portland yard, caught his foot in a guard rail and was run over by cars, taking off left leg below the knee and left arm above the elbow. He died same day.
May 18. William Foster, laborer on working train, while attempting to couple two passengers cars, at Oldtown, was caught between the cars and crushed to death.
May 31. G. Meserve of Richmond, age 14, fell or jumped from baggage car of Train No. 1, at White's Siding, and was quite badly injured.
June 3. O. B. Strout of Durham attempted to walk across track in front of Train 55, at Lisbon Falls, was struck by engine and killed.
June 3. E. I. Russell, brakeman on Train 89, while attempting to get from tender to a flat car while train was in motion, one mile south of Thorndike, fell between them and was killed.
June 17. Henry Benner of Hallowell, while crossing track in team at Milliken's Crossing, was struck by Train No. 11 and instantly killed.
July 29. Mrs. Allen of Yarmouth was found near track at Danville with broken hip; it is supposed that she tried to get on some train. She was taken to Maine General Hospital, where she died next day.[p. 38]August 7. An unknown colored man, who was lying on track near South Winn, was run over by Train No. 71 and killed. He probably fell asleep on the track.
September 5. A boy named Shea, had foot cut off while attempting to get on to Train 102, at Penobscot Switch, after it had started.
September 11. John Patten of Hermon, an insane person who had escaped from asylum at Augusta, laid his head on track at Farmingdale, as Train 102 was approaching, and was instantly killed.
September 10. J. M. Crathy, brakeman on Train 21, was struck by overhead bridge near Waterville, and seriously hurt.PORTLAND & ROCHESTER RAILROAD.October 5, 1883. Frank Potter, section man, while shackling cars to be moved by hand on marginal-way bridge, had thumb broken
and hand injured.
December 14. Charles A. Hayes, Lebanon, while crossing the track at East Lebanon, was struck by the engine and killed.PORTLAND & OGDENSBURG RAILROAD.January 22, 1884. Miss Pearl, of Portland, while walking on the track near South Windham, was struck by a freight train and thrown
down the embankment, slightly injuring her about the back.
September 19. Thomas Reddy of Portland was killed while walking on the track near the Portland station, by a passenger train which was backing into the station.
