St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-01-17
The HdriOaC Bridge Disaster.

iOio"iiS CoiiiiluHlCdtlOll, WHICH we lllu
in the Burlington Times, gives resume
OF this testimony, and will be of interest
to most of our readers. As we under
stand there is to be legal investigation,
perhaps the censure of the writer is pre-
mature:
Having been present at the inquest
holden on the 'Iiarlow Bridge" disaster
of the 18th ult., and having taken some
pains to investigate the causes which led
to it, have come to the following con-
clnsions
The Harlow bridge, 3OS feet long, and
about G3 feet high, was burned Sunday
morning, December, Sth ult. Maj. Ten
ney, the master bridge builder was en-
gagged in erecting trestlc work at the
: time of the disaster, and had in his en-
ploy about 100 men, who took their
meals at the Mortified House, about
two miles from their work. A locomo-
tive, tender and passenger car was en-
plOved to carry the men to and from their
, work. T. b. Abbott, an engineer, was
detailed to run this train, and had run it
on Monday, Tuesday and the forenoon
of Wednesday, aud was perfectly famil-
lar with the route and distances. The
Elbow Bridge" so called, is about half
way from the Depot in Mortified to the
Harlow Bridge. From the Elbow
Bridge to the Harlow Bridge, is an up
grade of about so feet to the mile, and
the track is nearly straight for about 60
yards before coming 10 the chasm ut the
Harlow Bridge before coming to the
chasIn is 4 rock cut of ten or fifteen rods
in length, and extending to within eight
or ten rods of the bridge. MAJ. Tenney
had erected :, slianty OF the west side of
the track, and about 100 feet north of
the chaSm, for the convenience of the
men while at work in erecting the tres
tie.
There was no conductor or brakeman
detailed for this train. and there was no
bell rope connecting the bell on the en-
CINE with the car, and no buntcr was
erected to prevent the train from backing
off into the chasln.
After dinner on Wednesday, Mr. Ten
ney took n scat Oh the engine and direct
ed the engineer, Abbott. to blow the whis-
tie and ring the bell to hurry the men up;
and when the train was under way, there
WAS six men in all on the engine and
about eighty in all on the train. Mr..
lockln, the Assistant Superintendent of
the road was on the step of the forward
end of the ear. Abbott was directed to
run up with that lot OF men to their
work, and then come back and get the
rest of the men and carry them up.
Mr.. Abbott IS quiet, temperate man,
OF 4 sluggish temperament physically, !
and not very quick in his perceptions,
but i a man o! good character morally. |
He WAS running this train from % TO SO
miles per hour after he passed the Elbow
Bridge to within 30 10 60 rods OF the |
chasm. y: this point brakeman ON
the fore end ot the train by the name of |
Fox, applied the brakes at the forward
end ot the passenLlr car ~ hard as lie
was able, being alarmed at the speed OF
the train, and the close proximity to the
cha,m. He leaprd from tbs tram when |
within about 100 feet OF the chnsm. But
lor this act on the part of Fox, the ell
-ine would have zone over. which if it |
had. few if any. would have escaped with |
their lives.
Mr.. Tenney testified that he had
,,,,,.o,,,;,r,,, tI,,t ...om.tbi,r torr;IJ, |
would happen to them. after passing the
Elbow Bridge, they were running at such |
-, ..,..c.
.,,o -'i', '-olN-;" 80 81 SI"
my WY sT:"S ~ -.'s'' '''! ii'.uo
So WIN ms ''l'H 5,0p wv ''''A'
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9"u' VA scum ny" "'o'' '"sii'y -h'c
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aoO'. d, ne IT''''' II Is ''',o'e p'"'', ~
9'o ''','' ''A' Us SUI vi anu ie'e' sou r's
'o''''1 soG''e' anu i i, me VI '>G7 oTei
!" Soo,' oI',ei anu N'Ii Pu' up, 'n0 us
~ wv 'i ~ "o' l','SI Ppe"eu
'','' ''' w. ' - N| -Ao otT
Ind op4neJ tine door of fine CIR and ,,;ven
the alarm whom ba made tho ..s;r,oI 70
sion '.-;t there had ba.n -, hell roma tn
the train If thew LoI hecn Iro,y;ng in
.to,I ~, iooI.;n,, H., t,,;,, r. I,ara III
been a bunter nut M to sion the train
,r # tbo.o h,J bao,, ,,o ,,,,n ~, .l,o ~
CINE but the engineer and fireman, it is
more than probable the disaster
would not have occurred
This casualty is unparalleled in the his
tory of rairoading Every man on the