Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-02-19

Ter building, where he is slowly recovering
from his fractured hip, and questioned him
briefly. Nassar knew nothing whatever
about the wreck. The last thing he knew
on the train was that he was shOveing
coal. The next thing he was in the pallor
car, the doctors were around him, and
he asked WctmOre what had happened.
Wctmore told him they had run into the
freight.
The commissioners left at G:25 for White
River Junction and LyndOnville. At the
latter place they were to begin on Wedncs-
day an important hearing in regard to a
serious accident on the Passumpsc road.
what the Testimony shows.
4 careful reading of the foregoing sum
mary of the evidence will show that the
principal question to be settled is as to what
the freight train was doing from the time
when it left Vernon station until the col
lisiOn occurred The record of the Vernon
station agent shows that the train left that
place at G:2j. The collision occurred at
6:jj, a mile and a third below there, or
after a lapse of 30 minutes. The evidence
of the men of both trains establishes this
general fact, showing that there was
30 to % minutes to be accounted for, and
that this length of time was occupied in
covering the space of about mile and a
third. 1t is question, evidently, whether
or not it was the duty of the freight con-
ductor to have dropped off a ilagman in
view of the slow progress he was making.
II is also a question whether he had any
knowledge that the belatel Montreal and
New York express was likely to follow
him as a special train. Conductor Rouse
said he had no such knowledge, while Mr..
Brooks testified that he told him that that
train was not in, and to find out at the tel
egraph office how late it was likely to be.
1t appears, also. that a careful examination
of the register would have shown whether
the whole train had gone out
At another point the evidence is directly
contradictory. Engineer Hadley stated
positively that lac stopped at Vernon sta
ton, for about - minutes, as he estimated,
to get up steam, and the two brakemen of
the train also testified that the train stop
ped at the station. On the contrary, the
Vernon station agent says positively that
the freight train left that station at G:21,
without stopping at the station, and went
on down out of sight, AS he thought. In
any case the train did not stop at the sta
ton, and had it been in sight down the
track after he had arranged his switches he
must probably have noticed it.
On the part of the passenger conductor
and engineer, the question to be decided is
whether they ought to have been on the
lookout for the freight on the track in front
of them, and whether under all the cir
cumstances, they were running without OBJ
serving proper caution, As a wild train.
1t is now left for the railroad commits
siuncrs to sift and weigh the evidence and
make up their finding, which will be await
ed with interest.
The Existence Of the Railroad Commits
siontrs Justified.
This hearing emphasizes one important
point about the work of the railroad com
mission. 1t lisa point which The Phoenix
steadily urged when the original hill for the
establishment of a railroad commission was
under consideration, but which has been
too often lost sight of. by means of the
board as a committee of investigation all
attainable facts in regard to any railroad
accident are brought out and placed before
the public, and the commission is in this
way made a means of communication with
the people who are directly interested and
who have a right to the information. II
no commission is in existence a railroad
company may make an investigation OF an
accident or not, Just as il pleascS, and in
any case it is under no obligation to give
the facts to the public With a full and
open investigation like that held on Tues
day all the facts are brought uut, and the
public may form its own opinion As to
where the blame lies, ami whether it j.
some employe, or the general system Of
management. that is at fault. Most i'm
portant of all, the occurrence, whatever il
is, is relieved of any suspicion that there Is
something hidden or covered up.
1t is the fashion in many quarters to be
little the work OF the Vermont board o
railroad commissioners, hut in the one par
ticular here pointed ont it abunddntly jus
titles its existence and the comparttiyel!
small expense which it entails upon tn
state treasury.