The Republican journal., 1871-08-24
The Verdict in the Bangor Disaster


| The jury OF inquest upon the bodies
: .L- I.;ll,l H., .L, lr,aI;,or of t,o
| ~ ''i'''' N''i' - IN . W. ''i'
| llalnpden Road Bridge, have rendered
a = n ,i4
til' i''lo" III NSi"i'.-
An inqui-ition held at Bangor. within the
County of Penobscot. on the TENTH eleventh
and sixteenth days of August, A. d. 1874, be-
fore John II. Wilson, one OF the Coroners of
| said County upOn view of the body of Thomas
| Gallagher there living dead upon the oaths of
| Joab W Palmer, George w. Ladd. Samuel d.
| phurSton, H. H. Fogg, Joseph $. Wheeright
! and 1hn l.. Crosby, good and lawful men,
| who being charged and sworn to inquire for
| the state When how and by what means the
| said Thomas Gallagher came to his death on
the ninth day of August, A. d. 1871, between
the hours of eight and nine o'clock in the af-
ternoon, and said death was caused by reason
OF the crushing down of the bridge OF the Maine
Central Railroad, at the crossing Of the Hamp-
| den road in said Bangor
And We find, from Al examination of the
| bridge, that the timhers were very rotten and
must have been 80 Tor long time.
! We find that an examination was made of
| the bridge 10y the Railroad commissioners IN
| the year 1870.
! We ind that another examination was made
| by them, III connection with the Superlntend-
| ent of Bridges, employed by the road, June 3,
/ 1871. both of which failed to discover the de-
/ ltrt>
/
| thorough examination would have dc terted
! The rottenness of the timbers.
! We ind that when the bridge was examined
on the Sth OF June, and discovered to need
strengthening py tlle auti ION OF afches, hollce
| OF the same was mol gwen 10 The managers OF
We Ind that when tbe notice was left -, the
office OF Assistant superintendent Lincoln, "a
ent until July a4th, showing carelessnes~ in
the management !il Oh t'le once uneApitineu.
creased very much. a larger number of trains
beng run WIN mneh neavier car ana engines
responding increase OF LABOR or NOR frequent
! evidence being presented to us that such brls-
eS as me one my IN question was 10 DE examined
| We find from the evidence before us that no
proper or ah1roagh eAanlna n ;t o. tile coi,
Railroad Commissioners or by the employees of
the road, and it appears to us that life and
| limb would have been safer on this road with
! out Railroad Commissioners; because, without
| them no division of responsibility could posi-
! bly be alleged.
| In testimony whereof, the said Coroner and
/ jurors of this Inquest herewith set their
| hands ana seals. the day and wear above
| aid
l. " Il.
! j w. PALMER. Foreman.
| GEORGE w. LAbp.
( ~ H. TaI-RSJox.
! IouH l.. Cpuspv
/ = WuprI up,,tlr
/ n n F,Gl;
| subsequently to the above verdict the
| Statn pailroad Commissioners Nassrs
|
| tofsef, NlldeS anu Blake, IN the dis
| CHARGE OF the duty renujred of Them Inv
/ - -
| law, examined the scene OF the disaster
and made innnirv into its cansa rba;r
|
| report rlsSentS from the assertion OF the
| minors. ,b.t any, mort of tho ,.as,,nns;h;l;tr
| ''''' '''' ''"' P'''' WV ''''7'''i''S
| for the accident attaches to them The
| ,,o,4 t.., l.,,c- f,, AM. A. l,,,,,,, h,,+ 4o
iePoi' - WV ''''E5 w - '''' ''ie
| following extract will give an idea of the
| TO-. L. A. :;.,,
| posilh''h tahen pH inc OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
| The easterly truss broke at centre of a panel,
| "A little past the middle of the bridge, leaving
| the western truss standing The falling truss
| appears to have sided over as if receiving a
| lateral blow The tmbers as broken disclose
| at the fracture internal dry rot, principally in
the centre strand. The outside of the chord
tinbers gave no indication of the concealed rot,
| that we can discover But the chords as now