The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-05-01

Collision on the Vermont Central.
On Friday afternoon last, a collision
occurred between the passenger train
coming North and No. ) freight train
going South, about one mile North of
Bethel Station. Our understanding of
the matter is as follows:
All special orders for the movement of
trains by telegraph, are given from the
Headquarters of the road at st. Adams,
and it is the especial duty of Assistant
Superintendent LOcklin to give them.
If all trains are running on schedule"
time, a copy Of which each Conductor
and Engineman is furnished with, no
special" orders are given. But when
trains are running out of time, their
/ special orders are given, ifthe same will
help any train. The special rules for the
running of trains give passenger trains
the right of road over freight trains; and
/ freight trains have the right of road over
| wood, gravel trains, &c, which are
termed wild trains" which are subor-
dinatet TO all regular and properly tagged
| trains.
When any meeting place is appointed
| by special orders for trains, then each
train has equal right to proceed to said
appointed place of meeting, whether the
trains are passenger trains or otherwise.
| Hence, where there are as many trains
as are now run on the road, the necessi-
ty of using all time as judiciously as pos
sible, is apparent.
On the day of the accident, il was
found that No. IA passenger train was to
be late leaving White River Junction,
and it was seen what points freights
could make if they could use the lost
time of No. II, provided they themselves
made time. Therefore special orders
were given No. II passenger train, to
meet No. 3 at South Royalton, No. ) at
Bethel, and No. at Randolph, and
asked the Conductor and Engineman to
whom all special orders are addressed, to
answer that they understood it. They
replied in this case, as i'm all cases when
receiving orders, that they understood
they were to meet each of the three
freight trains as above mentioned. But
No. 3 being detained with work at
Braintree, orders were given for the train
to proceed only to Bethel and meet the
passenger train there. Likewise when
the passenger train arrived at South
Royalton, theirappointed place Ofmeet-
ing, orders were given to proceed to
Bethel to meet No. 3. After the passen-
ger train had replied that it so under
stood it, the train proceeded to Bethel
where No. 3 had already arrived. and
where No. ) would have arrived in a very
few minutes. 1t will be remembered
that Conductor Root and Engineman.
Capt. Patterson with the passenger train,
had answered from White River June
ton that they understood they were to
meet No. ) at Bethel Without special
orders to advance, and without making
any enquiries, they left Bethel Station
before No. ) had arrived and the collision
occurred within three minutes after
wards.
The blame rests upon Mr.. r. r.
Root, Conductor; and Capt. :. G. Pat
terson, Engineman of the passenger
train, in moving out from Bethel sta
ton without orders Both men were
old in the service Of the company, hav- |
ing been in its employ about Is years in
running trains, and neither of them. so |
far as we can learn, had ever before |
made a mistake in the running of their |
trains. They are men of irreproacha-
bic character, fine companionable men,
in private Intercourse, always pleasant |
and agreeable, and they must have, re- |
CARELESS of their mistake. the heartfelt |
sympathy Of their late employers. They |
will also receive the sympathy of large |
travelling public whom they have so
long and safely conducted over the road. |
But it seems that the accident was to |
be, and our greatest wonder is that i did !
not result in a greater loss of life. The |
trains approached each other at full |
speed around sharp and rocky curve,
and neither engineer discovered his an
tagOnist til within two or three telegraph |
poles of each other. Both whistles
sounded for brakes, no time was afford
ed to reverse machines, and the Loco
motives met with full force Capt. Pat
terson and his friends jumped in safety.
Frederick Webster, the engineer of the
freight train, was on the curve, and it is
supposed did not perceive his danger in
time to leap from his engine and he be-
came fastened against the boiler i'm the
wreck. The pipe TO the steam gauge
was broke and he was terribly scalded
in the face, from which, and other inju-
ries received, he fingered until Sunday
afternoon when he died. His fireman
left the engine in season TO save his life.
r. w. Hazard, the baggage master.
was instantly killed in jumping from
the train by his head striking against a
sharp rock. Mr.. Hazard resided at
Ferrisburg, VT, and leaves wife and
one child. We understand there was
an insurance on his life of $1,000. 9th
ers were more or less injured, but none
seriously.
Engineer Webster resided at North
field where he was buried. His funeral
was largely attended on Tuesday last.
and the service of the brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers" was recited at
the grave. A large number of his BROTH
er engineers were there, and this last SER
vice of theirs, it is said, was very sol
emn and impressive.
This is the first collision of trains that
has occurred on the Vermont Central
since January, 1866, when the new tele-
graph system went into effect, and this
from no fault of the telegraph.
The lMPEACHMENT.-M Boutwell,
was followed by Mr.. Nelson, of Tonnes
see, one of the Presidents counsel who
spoke part of Thursday and the whole
of Friday. His speech was extempora-
neous, and much after the Presidents
own style of 'oratory" A written ar
gument was filed by Manager Logan
On Saturday Mr.. Groesbeck made an