Portland, ME Train Accident, Nov 1870

Thursday afternoon as the five o'clock train on the Portland & Rochester road was making up at the depot in Portland, Walter Mace, a lad eight years old, and son of Mr. John Mace, baggage master, on the Portland & Kennebec railroad, attempted to get on a baggage car, when he slipped and fell upon the track, and the engine and tender ran over the hip, and also cutting off an arm. He was taken up and conveyed to his home on Lincoln street, and a physician called who amputated both legs and the arm. He lingered till nine o'clock when he died in intense agony.

Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, Bangor, ME 28 Nov 1870

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On the same day, November 25th, a boy eight years of age was killed upon the Portland and Rochester Railroad. The boy's name was Walter, a son of Mr. John Mace, baggage-master upon the Portland and Kennebec road. The inward bound train had discharged its passengers in the Portland depot, and was backing out of the depot, the lad got upon it, but was put off by the brakeman. When the baggage car came along he attempted to get upon that, between it and the tender, but fell on the track, and the tender and engine ran over both legs, cutting them off between the knee and the hip, and severing an arm. The boy died about nine o'clock the same evening. The coroner's jury acquitted the employes[sic] upon the train of any fault in the matter.

Annual Report of the Railroad Commissioners of the State of Maine By Maine for the Year 1870, page 21

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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!