The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-08-26
"Wh0 Is Responsible"


asking in relation to the terrible acct
dent at Brattleboro on the Narrow
Gauge, and an answer ought TO be
forced from somebody that will place
the responsibility where it properly
belongs. Nothing should be hid away
Or excused. We are glad to learn that
the sclcctmen of Brattlcboro, under a
provision of the statute, have ordered
a Justice of the Peace, Col. X. Has
kins. to makea thorough investigation
or the whole matter, and that he has
entered upon this work with full de-
termination to get at the whole truth if
that is possible. The whole people will
watch his proceedings and look for
ward to his report with eager interest,
meanwhile suspcnding their final judge
ment until the end of the investigation.
But there are some very significant
facts that are generally known which
may be given now.
From dispatches to the Springfield
Republican, we learn that the bridge
that went down was what is known as
a combination bridgc-part iron and
part woodland that it was built from
plans furnished by A. p. Boiler, a no.
ted bridge engineer in New York city,
and was built by G. E. Danforth q
Co.., experienced bridge builders, also
of New York, under the careful super
vision of the chief engineer of the road
and his assistants, who inspected the
materials and directed the work day by
day during its progress. 1t is also
stated that the bridge was designed
and built to carry engines weighing
eighteen tons and freight cars with ca
pacity for eight tons of freight. Now
it is notorious fact all along the line
that shippers by the car load have been
permitted to put ten, twelve and fifteen
tons, and in some instances even more,
on these cars. Instead of putting a
stop to this practice, the management
have allowed it to go on, simply charg-
ing shippers for the excess over ten
tons, they having fixed ten tons as the
regular car load, instead of eight,
which the bridge was made to carry.
If the load had been vigorously limited
to ten tons it would not have been so
bad, but no such limit was insisted on,
only extra pay was eXactcd for the cX-
cess over ten tons. We are informed,
on good authority, that on this very
train that went down there was one
car loaded with fourteen thousand feet
of hcmlock timber sawed green this
season, which lumbermen say probably
did not weigh less than II or IS tons,
and possibly more and there was also
car load of granite that was estimated
to be nearly equally us heavy. Now
we do not intend to render final Judge
ment on any bnt sworn evidences, but
if the investigation should show the a
bovc statements to be substantially true
and in addition that there has been no
proper inspection and repairs of decay
ing timberS that have been exposed
now for seven years to the weather
unprotected, there will be no difficulty
in fixing the responsibility just where
it ought to rest. The report to the Re-
publican says that when the Central
Vermont management took possession
of the road their expert bridge men
made Il careful examination of this
bridge, and after adding some moro
floor beams, or sleepers, to prevent
falling through if off the track, pro.
nouncedit good and safe, as of course
they must; otherwise they would be
criminally reckless in carrying tens OF
thousands of passengers over a bridge
they did not consider safe for six years
past. This is SO terrible a thing that NJ
man is justified in premature opinions
or denunciations, but when the respon
sibility is clearly fixed, the public gooC
requires that there should be no shield
ing of the guilty parties, whoever the
may be, and no let up in the severes
punishments than can be inflicted.
Since writing the above the Brattleboro paper
have come to hand containing full accounts of Il
| accident, with the testimony taken up to that da
by Col Haskins, all tending strongly to sustain Il
/, theory that the have been greatly oyerloade
Even Superintendent, L. F. Brooks, admitted tn
: sometimes shippers, contrary 10 his orders, "h
loaded with Il, II, Is and 6 tons Of freig
each, but this had not often happened !. X. \
len testified that sometimes they shipped 1000 tc
N Of spruce car. "IIad carried a few oceasi0
Il II tons on ear" This overlooking has been go
q on for years, and the company, instead Of perem
torily stopping it, have cxaeted pay for the exec
over ten tons and allowed il TO go Ii is but &
&C TO say that all the expert bridge and railroad N
# who testified, including \. II. Wright Of the Coz
River road, said they had felt full confidence
the strength and safety of the bridge, and that
IS material and workmanship Of il were good. At
4, time the Eratfeborn paperS were published. and