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

piece of track down past Vernon station
before entering the cut and curve. From
where you pass out of the cut to the point
where the collision occurred is all of 200
yards. He described the damage done by
the collision, and told what he did to care
for his passengers, etc. Saw Rouse, who
said, 81 did not know you were coming
Found Nassar, the fireman of the passen-
ger engine, lying on the road-bed about
two and one-half cars length back from
his engine. Could see where he Jump
ed off and slid along Thought his train
was run ming about Is miles an hour
at the time of the accident. His train left
Brattleboro at CAB, and had therefore been
II minutes running little over six miles
He gave some testimony as to the space in
which a train can be stopped by the air
brakes, saying that the brakes do not al
ways take hold alike, and that a long,
heavy train can be stopped much quicker
than a short, light one. He considered the
rate of speed he was running all right un-
der the instructions given him. WetmOre,
the engineer was careful man, of correct
habits, and with good record.
MIR. WhIthed's Evidence.
Addison Withheld of Vernon was next
called and sworn Mr.. Withheld said that
on the night of the accident he was looking
out of the side or rear window of his store
up the track, watching the freight as
it came down. 1t often had a hard pull
to get over that place and many times it
seemed as if ii would come to a stop. That
night it came very slowly, and he said to
his boy that he thought it would get stuck.
He then went to the stove and sat down.
The boy soon said that the train was quick
ening speed. 1t went on past his place,
and very soon came the sound of the cOllis-
ion. Mr. Withheld then gave some meas
urements at that locality. 1t is about a
mile and one-third from the Vernon sta
ton to the place of the collision. The
track is straight from above the depot,
south, until you get to the cut and curve.
Should think it was about 30 or 10 rods
from where YOU enter on the curve, where
the red lights would disappear, until you
get down to where the accident took place,
Engineer WetmOre's Evidence.
George Wctmore, the engineer of the
passenger train, on being sworn, testified
as to the makeup of the wild train and the
orders received. The train had three cars
and left Brattleboro at CAB. He kept a
good lookout, as he always does. Made
up going past Vernon station. Was not
running over 20 miles an hour when he
went into the cut and curve. Saw no train
or lights ahead when going over the straight
stretch past Vernon station. The curve is
a sharp one and on some portions of ii
could not see over trains length ahead.
| The first he knew.of the freight train was
a red light carried by some man, who was
a very short distance behind the freight ca
| boose The man did not get as far back as
the dry bridge There were the regular
| red lights on the caboose. He had no knowl-
edge about the freight train, except a gen
eral knowledge that it was on the road
! He received no special instructions in re
| gard to it. 1t was no more unsafe to enter
this cut at that speed than it would be tC
enter any other cut in the same way. II
! you were to slow up for this cut you might
slow up for every cut If the freight traiI
was stalled he should expect it to send bach
a signal. He could not tell whether til,
freight train was moving when he struck
it. He had no reason to expect to find tn,
freight train there. The thought had no
| entered his head that he should find i
there The only care he expected to TAXI
in regard to the freight train was in ap
preaching South Vernon, when it Otter
took the freight train some time to get in
and one had to approach the place will
caution.
Wetmorc described what he did when IN
discovered the train ahead of him-shuttin,
off steam putting on the air brakes will
their full force, and reversing his engine
He could not tell just what the fireman
was doing when he shouted to him, Blu
thought he was putting a shovelful of Goa
into the furnace. The door was open. II
could not tell whether the fireman iumpe.
off He only knew that he disappeared
Being questioned more closely as to hi
own personal acts Wetmore said he did no
know what his fireman was doing becaus
he (Wetmore) was leaning with his hea
and shoulders out of the cab, lookin
ahead. He stuck by his engine, and kicke
to the door of the furnace. Gov. Pingre
asked him why he closed the door, and h
said it was because the fire came back i
his face-to which Gov. Pingree said in a
aside that he was a cool man, and the kin
of a man that one liked to ride with.
Il. q. Lees Evidence.
T.. Oscar Lee of Vernon was drivn
along the highway at the moment of tn
accident and was called to testify about tn
speed of the trains and their distance apal
when the passenger train came in sigl
around the curve. He said that he wa
; just driving up from Whithed's when til
} freight train came in sight. He drove Il
: and stopped near the overhead bridg,
where the highway goes under the railroad
waiting there for the freight train to pas
| 1t came very slowly, and it seemed to hil
/ that it took several minutes for it to get b,
but he was cold and in a hurry, and TIL
r time probably seemed longer than it reall
t was. He thought the train was moving {
r about good fast walk. AS soon as ii
S freight train passed over the bridge
e drove along under the bridge and had ju
e got beyond it and turned around to IL
S left when he saw the headlight of the pa
e senger train come into sight, and then |
: knew there must be an accident I'll
crash followed Immediately. He saw IT
/ lights on the caboose and saw men vii
= lights signalling. He could not see vel
. definitely, because he had to look first
S one side and then to the other, while ia
l. ing care of his horse at the same time.
d At the conclusion of Mr.. Lees eviden
i an adjournment was taken to l 80 for di
S ner.
d Il. =. BrOOks's Evidence.
" On reassemblng after dinner E.
! Brooks, station agent at Brattleboro al
d superintendent OF the BrattlebOrO al
Whitehall division, told what he knew
the events under investigation. The Vi
ley train was late that day, and the steaI
y boat train for New London was sent o
: on its usual time. He talked with Rou
u about the trains when the latter came in
u the office about o'clock. Told him tn
Al