Running at the rate of fifty miles an hour, train number 24, through express from Farmington to Boston, under the charge of Conductor Edward Lowe of Portland, and due to stop in Lewiston at 4.20 ran into an open switch just below the State Fair Grounds, towards Lewiston, and piled up a mass of ruins.

Engineer William Kimball of Portland and Fireman William M. Chapman of Rockland were killed and several quite seriously injured. The terrible accident occurred a few minutes after four o’clock and was witnessed by at least a hundred people who were standing about the entrance to the Fair Grounds waiting for the down town cars.

It was a sight that will never be forgotten by those who saw it.

50 Years Ago, 1954

Carpenters and other workmen were busily engaged at chores at Lewiston Memorial Armory as they built booths and set up exhibits in preparation for the opening of the 1954 annual Pageant of Progress.

Sponsored by the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce and directed by James B. O’Kane of Lewiston and Rumford, this year’s show will have approximately 50 exhibits advertising and demonstrating the wares and products of manufacturers, merchants, public utilities and other establishments.

25 Years Ago, 1979

Auburn Police Chief Peter Mador will prepare a system of penalties to be assessed against habitual offenders who transmit false alarm systems in their homes or businesses. This was the result of a meeting at the Auburn police station, called by Mador to seek a solution to problems created by excessive false alarms in homes and businesses.

Mador said that in 1977 his department received 741 home and business alarms but only 14 of them were true alarms. Businessman Norman Cummings proposed at the meeting that a $25 fine be assessed for every false alarm, whether it be a business or residential alarm, if the alarm is found to be the fault of the property owner.