Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-12-26

The NoRrHrrELD CALAMrr.-We give
below the testimony of Arthur McKin-
ney, an employe of the Vermont Cen.
trail Railroad; also that OF Marshall
Hopkins, a farmer residing near where
the calamity occurred:
TESTIMONY OF ARTHUR M'IrNNRY,
Arthur Mckinney OF Plattsburgh. N.
Am an employee on the Vt. Gen.
tral X. r.. am now employed in build.
ing the Harlow bridge in Northneld; am
under MIR. Tenney am 81 years OF age !;
Messrs. Tenney, Dewey and Locklin
were present acting together to forward
the work Mr.. Dewey collected the tim
Der; Mr.. Tenney gave the general in
struction as to the mechanical construc-
tion, and Mr.. Locklin had been about
most OF the time; it required the three
to superintend the work Tuesday we
approached the chasm slowly to within
60 feet; Wednesday morning we did the
same; neither Mr.. Locklin, Tenney or
Dewey hurried the hands went up on
the train Wednesday after dinner; took
seat in the middle of the car windows
were down so far as | saw; man
called my attention to the speed of the
train about half way up; should Judge
we were running 25 miles an hour my
nrst warning OF danger was from the
south end OF the car the cry was Jump
OF; the train was going at good speed;
saw could not get out at either door
so broke the glass of the window and
jumped through, landing about ten feet
from the inside edge of the abutment
the.car and tender had gone over before
rallied; saw the tender going down;
as it dropped over the abutment it broke
from the engine; the car tipped over
sidewise, and then rolled endwise, and
the tender came top OF it the men and
the seats were spilled out of the car as
1t ended over, and the tender came top
OF them think the tender killed most
Of the men we are in the habit of run.
ming up to bridges when rebuilding
without the protection of bunters; did
not think it was necessary for bunters
in this place on account Of the heavy
grade; q bunter has been up since the
accident; it occasions some inconven-
ience; L think the engineer neglected
his business, and this was the cause of
the accident; can pass no other judg-
ment; have been in the employ of the
road as bridge man for about seven
years.
ME-. HOPKINS TESTIMONY.
Marshall Hopkins Of Northfeld /
stood between my barn and hog house
when the train passed up which went
into the chasm when It came round the
curve on Gold7s farm | saw it, about 100
rods distant from the bridge; the train
was running express train speed | have
seen a thousand trains pass over there
and seldom see one go smarter; I was
sure the train would go into the chasm
when shout 80 rods from the abutment
l saw q slight Stacking Of speed, but
when it went off into the chasm it was
going SO fast should have hesitated
about jumping of had | been on the
train; the forward end Of the passenger
car struck and had the appearance OF
ending over the tender followed; | saw
them jumping from the forward end of
the Car and from nowhere else; l had
seen the contraction trains come up
they came up to the bridge slow; this
time the train came the fastest OF any
train had seen; | live east of the Har-
low Bridge, about 80 rods from and in
full view of it; am farmer and have
no interest in railroads. the express,and
mail trains approach the chasm of the
Harlow bridge carefully; did not go
on to the ground after the disaster, but
stopped in the school house and helped
to take care of the wounded.