William Linton Duncan, Sr. (1856-1941) and his son Alexander Noel Duncan (1885-1942) were injured on the Grindstone.
Grindstone wreck articles from Bangor Daily News via Connie and Lloyd Duncan
William Duncan and his son Alec were among the injured at the Grindstone, Maine train wreck late at night on July 28, 1911. They were returning from participating with the Presque Isle Band in a B & A railroad excursion to the coast of Maine.
Bangor Daily News, July 31, 1911
WRECK IN THE WILDERNESS.
Scenes of Horror When Trains Crashed Together in Midst of Howling Tempest.
Volumes would be required to contain all the stories told by survivors of the Grindstone disaster. They are all pretty much the same—excited and confused narratives of the terror and the horror that followed the crash of trains at a lonely spot in the deep woods, remote from the aid that was instantly needed and with a howling gale and pouring rain to add to the difficulties and discomforts of the situation.
To recite what was said at the scene and what has been related by passengers and trainmen arriving in Bangor Saturday would be but endless repetition of harrowing details of death and suffering. On Friday night, and until the return of the Bangor special at 8:50 Saturday morning, it was more difficult to get details of the disaster than would have been the case had it occurred on the other side of the world within reach of the usual lines of communication. The single telephone line was serviceable only at intervals, owing to the gale, and even the city telephone service was badly affected. Millinocket knew little or nothing, save that the wreck had occurred and that many were killed and injured. In Bangor and even as far away as Boston, reports of the killed ran as high as 43, and it was not until long after the regular editions of the News had gone to press that the actual facts were established beyond doubt.
The first definite statement came by telephone from the office of a lumbering concern near the scene of the wreck, and was sent out by a commercial traveler—a man of unusual coolness and sagacity, who did the newspapers and the public a good turn by getting a fairly accurate list of the dead and injured. This, with the assistance of Mr. Wingate Cram of the B & A, was afterward revised in the News office, so that this paper had on Saturday morning a list so accurate that subsequent developments have made few changes necessary. This list to date is published herewith.
As good a story as any of the wreck is related by E. M. Fulton of Blaine, a druggist, who was a member of the excursion party. Mr. Fulton says that there were about 170 in the excursion party, and that when the crash occurred he, with the members of the Presque Isle band and a few others were in the passenger compartment in the front end of the combination car that was carried next to the engine. They had had a fine time at Penobscot Park, and were returning home in the best of spirits when the crash came that sent so many of their number into eternity without an instant’s notice.
No one in the train had any apprehension of danger, although it was noted that Conductor Diblee seemed anxious about the time they were making, remarking that the engineer, who had said, confidently, that he could get to Grindstone station in time to cross the regular there, was 10 or 20 seconds behind. This loss of time is probably accounted for by the storm, which at that time (shortly after nine o’clock) was furious.
In consideration of various statements, some of them absurd, Mr. Fulton says that when the trains came together there were three distinct shocks. Before anyone could move, and even before anyone had time to think, the tender of the excursion train’s locomotive came crashing into the forward or passenger end of the combination car, making a complete wreck of it as far as the partition between the passenger and baggage compartments. The car left the rails, and brought up in a tilted position on the roadbed, not going into the ditch as some have said. The other excursion cars remained on the track. The locomotives were considerably damaged, but not beyond repair. The express car of the regular was lifted off its tracks at the forward end, that end being let down upon the roadbed. Beyond that the regular was not affected, further than a heavy shock, as it had not gathered full headway when the collision came and the force of the impact was considerably lessened by the quick application of the emergency brakes.
Among the first to begin the work of rescue and relief were Enoch Higgins of Presque Isle, W. B. Burns of Mars Hill, Robert Rees of Mars Hill, Chad Huntington of Robinson and Mr. Fulton. The latter fortunately had a supply of morphine tablets, which he had obtained from a physician at Searsport for use in the case of a member of the Fort Fairfield baseball team who had been injured in the game that day. There was a little whiskey on board the regular and the bedding was used for bandages, but little else was available for the comfort of the injured.
Dr. Foster of Brewer was a passenger in the regular, and he rendered effective and heroic service but before any other doctors had arrived, the five Aroostook men named above had attended as best they could to many of the injured. Dr. Foster and Mr. Fuller had been at work an hour and a half before the surgeons began to arrive from Millinocket, Sherman and Bangor, the lattering coming, after a fast run of two hours and eight minutes at 3:40. The lack of food was severely felt, little or nothing being available for the hungry passengers and train crew.
Among the injured, Dr. Lowery of Presque Isle behaved with conspicuous heroism. He lay pinned by wreckage against the side of the combination car, with the dead and injured literally piled in heaps upon and about him, while the bell of a heavy bass horn was pressed against his stomach with great force, causing him terrible pain. He lay there for three quarters of an hour while the dead and injured were being removed from about him, and never once complained. Frank Seeley’s body lay across Dr. Lowery’s breast, Harry Clark’s across his legs, and Earl Gibson, one of the injured, rested heavily on one of the Doctor’s arms. Charles Palmer of Presque Isle, leader of the band, was found pinned under the door between the two compartments of the car, one of his legs crushed badly below the knee.
At 3 o’clock all of the dead and injured had been taken from the wreck, all but three having been taken out before 1:30. Passenger cars were used as hospitals and morgues.
THE INVESTIGATION
Chairman Spoffor of the state board of railroad commissioners, with Commissioner Keizer, went to the scene of the wreck Saturday afternoon. Coroner Bragdon of Millinocket had begun preparations for an inquest, but none was held, the railroad commissioners announcing that they would hold an investigation on Wednesday, Aug. 2, beginning at 10 a.m. at Millinocket.
THE DEAD
Dr. Hugh Graham Pipes, dentist, 24 years old, Presque Isle, son of Dr. and Mrs. Wm. R. Pipes. Leaves wife whom he married two months ago. Graduate of University of Pennsylvania Dental college
Frank Seely, Presque Isle, 21 years old, single, only son of Walter M. Seely, cashier of Presque Isle National Bank. A graduate of Presque Isle high school.
Harry Clark, Presque Isle, 37 years old, a member of the firm of Mooney & Clark, blacksmiths and carriage manufacturers. Married and has two children.
Verne Harris, Presque Isle, 21 years old, only son of Melvin L. Harris.
Claude Lumer, Washburn, member of Presque Isle band.
Frank W. Garcelon of Houlton, formerly of Presque Isle, engineer of the excursion train.
H. F. Wentworth, Prospect, fireman of regular train.
L. Gallagher, fireman of excursion train. Home was in the province.
George W. Estabrook, 21 years old, single of Linneus, brakeman of excursion train. Died Sunday morning in Eastern Main General hospital.
THE INJURED
William J. Orr, [age illegible], Cottage street, Bangor, engineer of regular train. Hand mangled, cuts and contusions. In E. M. G. hospital.
Nathaniel Knowles, 36, Getchell street, Brewer, brakeman on regular train. Hurt in side and back.
Earle Gibson, Washburn, member of Presque Isle band. Not serious. In E. M. G. hospital.
Charles Palmer, Presque isle, leader of Presque Isle band. Compound fracture of left leg.
Dr. F. W. Lowery, dentist, Presque Isle, jammed about the body. Not serious.
Ralph Hardy, Presque Isle, son of W. N. Hardy. Ribs bruised, cut on the head.
George R. Billington, 386 Broadway, Bangor, railway mail clerk, regular train, cuts and bruised.
Elden Partridge, Fort Fairfield, contusions.
Walter Maynard, Fort Fairfield, contusions.
Daniel L. Chaplin, 44 East Summer street, Bangor, baggage-master, regular train. Bruises.
George T. Noyes, Presque Isle, bookkeeper for A. M. Smith Hardware Co. Leg injured, cuts and bruises.
Robert J. Welch, Presque Isle, Hurt about the head.
Ted Southard, Presque Isle, son of Mr. and Mrs. Silas Southard. Bruises.
Clyde Johnston, Presque Isle, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benj. Johnston. Contusions.
Harry Case, Presque Isle. Bruises.
Stanley Judd, Presque Isle, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Judd, bruised about the head.
William Duncan, Washburn. Injured in the back, cuts and bruises.
Young son of William Duncan bruised.
Mrs. Victor H. Piston, Bangor, arm bruised and shaken up.
George S. Rosie, Bangor, commercial traveler. Contusions.
Charles Gross, Waterville, commercial traveler. Arm injured.
George Celley, Waterville. Bruises.
WORST IN YEARS
The wreck on the Bangor & Aroostook at Grindstone station was the worst railroad accident which eastern Maine has known since that at Orono on Jan. 29, 1898, when the Provincial express, Boston to St. John, went over an embankment about a thousand yards west of the Orono station, killing and injuring a number of passengers.
The accident at Mt. Desert Ferry on Aug. 6, 1899, was not strictly a railroad wreck. In that case a slip in the wharf broke, precipitating a hundred or more persons, who had just left an excursion train, into the waters of Frenchman’s bay, resulting in the death of more than a dozen persons and the injuring of more than a score.
NOTES OF THE ACCIDENT
Among the Bangor men who were on the regular train were George McLain, David Smith and Jerome Maling. T. P. McAloon of Bangor was at Millinocket when news of the accident came and went to the scene on the special train.
Dr. H. H. Crane and two nurses, Miss Nason and Miss Spofford, went to Presque Isle on the train with the injured, returned to Bangor, Saturday night.
“The Bangor & Aroostook officials did all that they possibly could,” said one of the Bangor physicians. “Every resource at their command was brought into use for the aid of the sufferers—they could not have done more.”
Dr. R. W. Foster of Brewer was on the regular train and comes in for much well deserved praise for his work in caring for the wounded. He seemed to grasp the situation with rare executive ability. He had a hypodermic outfit in his pocket which he used on those in the most pain.
W. J. Avery, better known as “Dud,” of Old Town, the regular fireman on No 8, has reason to be thankful. He was on his vacation and Fireman Wentworth was running for him.
Walter Beck, the newsagent on the regular, was thrown down but not hurt and did heroic work in rescuing the injured.
