The Portland daily press., 1871-08-22
The Hampden Road Bridge Disaster ON
the Maine Central Railroad.
REPORT OF THE RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS.

REPORT OF THE RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS.
By the Revised Statutes, Ch. 81, Section 78,
it is made the duty of the Railroad Commits
sioners, when serious accident occurs on
railroad, and any person is thereby injured, to
Immediately proceed to the place, examine into
the cause thereof, make full statement of the
cause and results of the accident in their an
Dual report, and in any other manner they
may think the public good requires;" and in
this case we think the severity of the accident
renders it proper in us to make a statement of
the cause of the accident SO far as we can now
Judge, in anticipation of our annual report
when fuller narrative of the case NAV be
made.
The accident happened on the 9th inst, at
L3O T. NJ, upon the incoming train from the
West. The engineer testifies that 'we were
running from % to 25 miles an hour; being
down grade. l shut off steam about one
and a half miles beyond the bridge, little fur
tner pack than usual, as we were little be-
the river, and looking on, think the train was
running faster than 25 miles an honr. The
train was heavy, with Pullman car in che
rear. The brakeman had begun to set the
brakes at the bridge" In this condition of
things the train, upon down grade, and at a
speed of 20 miles an hours, struck the bridge
and one truss fell, pracipiLatine fvc cars of the
train Off of the bridge and embankment, caus-
ing the death OF two persons and serious inju-
rleS to others. Had the train been running at
II miles an hour over the bridge, the rate ct
speed fixed by order of Assistant Superintepd-
ent Lincoln of the 14th inst, since the acci-
dent, it probably would have gone over safely,
as the freie hit train did Just ahead of IL the
same afternoon. But the bridge ought to be
strong enough to easily bear a speed of 25
miles an hour, or, as Mr.. NOyes said before the
inquest, "of 25; yes, 35," or, as we think, it
ought to have been strong enough to sustain
the train in passing over it safely at the great
est capacity of any engine in nse upon the
road, even to 60 miles an hour. For the lives
OF passengers should not be liable to be jeOpar.
died by any speed that the desire to make up
time, or other cause, might necessitate.
The bridge was over public highway: the
chords were 67 feet 6 inches in length; the
width of bridge seats feet inches; the length
OF bridge between bearings, So feet inches.
The chords were composed of three strands;
the strands of the lower chords were: centre
one, z by IL inches; outside ones, by Ii; top
chords, centre strand, z 1-2 by 9; outside ones
by 9. The truss was feet high, braces by
7, and counter braces by 6; iron truss rods
1 IA, 1 1-8 and 1-2 in diameter, The bridge
was deck, Howe truss, about IA feet above
the travelled road.
The easterly truss broke at centre of panel
a little past the middle of the bridge, leaving
the western truss standing The falling truss
dppCdIo W nave bIlutu over aB II receiving a
lateral blow. The timbers, as broken, disclose
at the fracture internal dry rot, principally in
the centre strand. The outside of the chord
timbers give no indication of the concealed rot
that we can discover. But the chords as now
broken and exposed to the eye disclose the
utter unfitness OF the bridge for the service re-
qulred OF it. 1t may be true that the bridge
was subjected to extraordinary strain-the
brakes may have been improperly set up and
thus dragged the train; or wheel may have
nr 60 g
suggested by Mr.. Gibson, the Company's
bridge-man, or other as yet unknown cause
may have been primary or cOntributive to the
disaster, but still the fact remains that the
bridge was not, as now disclosed, in fit con-
dition for the passage Of such train at such
speed, whether other causes originated or con-
tributed to the casualty or not
And the fault for such deficiency was upon
the road For it is the duty of the corporation
that the road, when trains are run upon it. be
at all places and at any cost in a condition of
absolute safety. And neither its duty nor its
liability is in any way lessened or its RESPONSE
bility avoided because others failed to discover
a a, defect-tbat had no business to be there.
whole duty and it could not divide it with
others, if it would. The fault in fact. as in
law, was upon the company from the beginning
and always, and though the vis'torial power OF
the State, established for this and divers other
purposes may have failed to accomplish one OF
the objects of its creation it nevertheless leaves
the burden and the duty where It was before
and all liability for neglect. The accident then.
was occasioned by defect in the road and the
iaa,t dnt a. ana pane are upon the company, whose
And it is for this purpose, that no defect
shall exist, that the company have a corns of
officers assigned to the special duty of keeping
tne road In perfect condition. In the present |
management of the road it appears that the
superintendent, Mr.. Noyes, has the entire
charge OF the repairs upon the road and of new
works, and Is relieved of the charge of the
trains, now assigned to Assistant Superinten.
dent Mr.. Lincoln that he, Mr.. Moves NAV
give his undivided attention to the repairs and
Keeping up of the road.-He is therefore mi
marIly responsible for its always being in |
condition OF safety for such trains as Mr. Lin
coin may see tit to pass over it. And he no |
more than the corporation, can shift his duty
upon others or divide its responsibilities. Ana
for this purpose too, it is that he has'under him
men In whom he says he has confidence-road |
masters to see that the track is in order, and |
bridge masters to see that the bridges are al |
ways safe.
In November, 1870, when the gauge was mar /
owed, two of his men examined this Hampden /
oad bridge and reported it one of the stiffest |
IN the road" and in April last Mr. Gibson ex-
mined it and reported it safe and all right.
de has examined it three or four times, he
estines, this year and discovered no defect. |
oea ocammon, an expert in bridges and of
ong experience, has recently examin ed il. as |
co lcSIineS ana ne TOO reported it safe, |
Ana Mr. Noyes says in his testimony that he |
,e!eves both bridge masters have fully done
heir duty. And Mr.. Noyes himself. in NAV of
his year, was under the bridge when a heavy
relght train passed over it aud could see no |
election, and afterwards he came over with a |
7-ton engine to test the bridges upon the road.
his among the others, and running the engine
ack and forth over it, it betrayed be saws. no
gns of weakness Now this would seem to
the ordinary and usual way of testing
rldges-the mode adopted by Scammon and
ibson and Mr.. Noyes, SO far as he went, and |
ON other testimony of experts in bridge
akiDg taken before US, it would seem to be
le only proper way when such tests indicate
0 weakness. Mr.. L. A. Gordon, who built
le bridges upon the Grand Trunk and who
as s, mad twenty-one years experience in bridge
,adk,ng nda and recently in railroad making, says
n1er ,r oath that
,eys and a1nxdamining bridges we always look at the
icaton as assG;iking blocks to see there is no in
md by runni, MS giving, or of Joints spreading,
md forwards ann an engine over, back wards
title no lateral s nStan S5Sse appears permanent
iectIon m IN running the engine merely slight de,
an rlght; but if these things over, we regard
therwIse, then we examine fnrtbaaan any OF them
ng ana boring, and 60 to work to aty Sy pound t
Q DV arches treatlas Th;. w strengthen | n