Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-30
The Rutland Railroad Accident.

The Rutland Railroad Accident
MANY extravagant rumors ana ihco1-
rect statements have found their way into
the public press in reference 10 .ne seriou'
disoatar that occurred at Summit Station
IN Mount Holly on the Sth of June. A
fou laws since the Railroad Commissioner
If our State and w. B. Gilbert, an expert
enoe civil engineer, made thorough and
searching examination into the causes of
the accident and the present condition of
the road, and have made statement to
its president, which we take pleasure in
laying before our readers, and also, the
plain statement of Professor Middleton
Goldsmith, M. d., a gentleman well known
in his profession as entitled to high consid.
GRAFTON in reference to the care and condi.
ton of the injured, at the Summit Sta
ton. There can be no question that
everything that could be done by the
people of Mount Holly, was promptly
performed. These state ments will re-
move much of the harsh and undeserved
criticisms that have appea red in the pub
lie prints. The gentlei nan who have
made the examination hive endeavored
as we believe, to cover the whole ground,
and without recapitulat ion at this time,
we commend these state ments to careful
perusal. The reports of neglect charged
upon the road are unfouI lded. There was
large amount of btsef used for the
injured and made pala table food. The
Injuries saved from the wreck, that were
destined for wedding party at Burling-
ton were freely used, Els well as barrel
of fresh halibut and a cask of concentrate
ed beef. The bills of the road indicate
the payment for large amount of beef,
chickens, etc, used for the sick, fully put
ting the blush to the many false state
ments put forth as to the manner in which
the parties injured were treated by the
railway officials. The statement we pub
ish is one of interest and fully corrects
many wrong impressions afoat.
STATEMENT OF r. F. PARKER, RAIL
ROAD COMMISSIONER, AND w. e.
GILBERT, CIVIL ENGINEER.
Rutland, June 25, 1870.
Hon. John b. Page, President RastZa7ad
Railroad Company: Having been re-
quested by you to make an examination
of the condition of the track, structures,
and particularly that locality of the road,
where the recent disaster occurred on the
9Th of June.
To place the matter clearly before you
and the public, it is important, that we
should state that in the early part of Oc-
tober, 1869, the road bed received some
injury at the two points hereinafter re-
ferred to, viz; On section s, about two
miles above the village of Ludlow, on the
east side of the mountain, and on section
2, ON the west side off the mountain, about
six miles from the former place.
AT the former place during the October
freshet, the arch culvert of seven feet
span, was partially undermined, so as to
oause the embankment on the lower side
to slide and settle away from near the
ends of the ties, bup not sufficient to
loosen the earth under the track At this
point three sticks of timber, 81 feet long,
by - inches, was placed under the ends
of the ties to prevent any irregular set
Element of the ties, the track at this point
appeared to be firmly and we'll secured for
the passage of trains.
The statement published in the Hort
ford Post of the 18th inst, and copied in
the Rutland Courier of the gath inst.
Speaks of the disaster that occurred at
this point June 9Th, as follows:-
About IS minutes before midnight,
having passed Ludlow, in Vermont, and
being about two miles this side of Sum-
nit Station, the first disaster of the trip
was experienced. At this place there is q
deep culvert, perhaps twenty-five (25) feet
wide, the track running along high en-
bankment. This had on previous occa-
sion been washed out, and repaired after a
fashion with props of timber driven into
the mud, and the rains on Tuesday and
Tuesday night had washed the filling,
weakening the track to such degree that
when the engine passed over it it sagged
down much below the level at the ends,
and the engine was thrown from the
track, turning over and coming to a stand
still part way down the embankment."
The foregoing statement we do no find
corroborated upon full examination.
The facts are, the culvert above alluded
to is only seven feet span (or wide), not
"25 feet" Second, the culvert has not
been washed out, both ends of the culvert
about 80 feet in length, each remain per-
feet, as when built; the earth has been
washed out under the foundation, in the
middle section of the culvert SO as to
cause some settling of the embankment,
not exceed two feet for length of twelve
feet At this point three timbers, thirty
four ga feet long, six by twelve inches,
were used as previously stated, and not
Insecure four inch scantling," as has been
stated.
Such security had been given to the
track by the use of longitudinal timbers,
"a feet long, to cover slight depression
in the embankment of only two feet. for
about twelve feet in length, as any road
master would use under similar circum-
stances, until the culvert could be proper
ly repaired. .. ...
The section of the road more particular
ly injured by the late storm of June 7th
and Sth, was confined to the Summit Sec
ton of the road of only few miles in
extent or each side of Mount Holly.
After the interruption that took place
on section 8, about midnight, messenger
was sent to the Summit, distance OF
about five miles, where freight engine
was procured to take the disabled train
north this freight engine had but recent
" arrived from Rutland, having passed