Train Wreck at Belfast, Me.

Train Wreck at Belfast, Me.

Train Wreck at Belfast, Me. 1909 Men looking over damaged overturned engine and rail cars. An article from the Republican Journal describes the incident as follows: AN ENGINE DERAILED. The 9:45 AM train had arrived Tuesday and landed the passengers, and engineer Charles F. Shaw of Belfast and Fireman R. C. Alley of Vassalboro were engaged in the shifting cars when the engine and tender were thrown from the track near the upper end of the Coe- Mortimer Company's land, by washing away of the embankment. A heavy stream of water coming down over the hill had formed quite a pond inside the embankment and having no outlet it loosened and finally washed away the earth under the rails, and when they heavy engine passed over them, headed up the track, they settled, the outer rail giving away first. Mr. Allie saw the danger and calling to Mr. Shaw to jump made his way to the opening between the engine and tender, jumped, and landed on the side of the track. But when Mr. Shaw made the attempt he found the passage closing, and jump to the right. It was nearly high tide and he landed in the water on the moving earth from the embankment which the weight of the falling engine had crushed outward, and to this fact he no doubt owes his life or at least, escape from serious injury. When assistance came he heard them say, "Charles must be dead;" but he came out of the mud and water, in which he was immersed above his waist with only a slight jam of the left hand. His watch, which was carried in the vest pocket, was not wet. Mr. Shaw thinks his engine was not much injured, and a wrecking train was to come yesterday with the Derek to pick up the engine and tender. The accident caused practically no delay of mail service. The 3 o'clock mail out was sent to the upper bridge where it was met by an engine from Burnham, and the passengers and mail on the evening train were brought into the city from there by carriages. A Maine Central crew worked all night in the pouring rain repairing the break in the track and completed it so that the Wednesday morning train was able to leave the station on time, but it was delayed an hour by a washout just above Brooks. A landslide at the band between the upper bridge and city point had covered the track with the earth which the trainmen removed on the run up Wednesday morning. No freight will be received for the Belfast branch until further notice. Mr. Shaw's many friends in this city and along the line, the scene of so many years of faithful service, congratulate him on his lucky escape from an accident that could not have been foreseen or guarded against.