Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-10-06

tpon,ibIe.
The board of railroad commissioners have
| rlado their report in tue matter of the head
collision OF Passenger and freight train
on the Central Vermont railroad, near
! Richmond, August 30, in which James
! Crossslt and George Brown, jr., Of Mont.
penor, were killed and IS other persons
were injured.
The investigation WINS mado by 'he full
board. Judson Z. Cushnau, States At
torney for Chttenden county, appeared for
| the State aud tile Central Vermont Rail-
road company was represented therest by
! f.. G. Smith president; James M. Noss, as
sistAut TO tho president; L. W. Baldwin,
general superinteudonr, and Is. i. Fiheld,
counsel, and c. ". Wittere, attorney.
Twenty-Five Witnesses wore examined.
From the testimony and examination the
following facts ara found:
Train No 80 extra, being section No. .
Of No. 81, regular, with 10 passenger cars,
wes made up at Burlington for Montpelier
and Barre, August 80 to carry passengers
homo from the political rally at Burlington
On that day.
Tho engineer OF this extra, c. ". Hur-
ley. and the conductor, T. Holland received
an order at Essex junction to nieeC No 3
Grain ct Niui5ton, No. II train at bach
uond, and train "-d' at JonesviIe; and
J that train No. 80, regular, which prec aided
them from Essex Junction, bound south,
would carry flag fer them.
Train NJ. SO, the one TO carry the flag,
Wa % regular passenger train, bound south;
No 5 and No ii vera both freight trains,
bound north; and M was regular
through freight, Giro bound north.
Train M was made up OF 2G freight
cars, u of them being heavily loaded. I'd,
win c. York, engineer, and T. 7. Stewart,
conductor, OF this train both received an or
der at Bolton from the train dispatcher at
st. Alhans TO moot No 30 train al Jones'
Vile, No. IS train Mt WAIiston, and to run
regardless of engine 22O.
pursuaut to this order train "M'' pro-
coded to Jonas villo, where it met No. %,
rosu ar, after waiting there upon the side
track for it about o. quarter OF an hour or
Longer auG ct which station It was from
three to four hours late. 1t proceeded
thence, and at L Richmond passed train No.
i, which WAS waiting there on The side
truck.
The trainmen OF No. II had seen, rs tue
testimony tended to show, a red las GU No.
3D., regular, and, taking notice of it, had
taken She side track horo TO meet the extra
foilc wing.
Train 'A' raseed forward, and, on
reaching Il point upon the long tangent
about two mi.es north OF Richmond station,
running at speed OF about IS miles por
hour, Engineer ! ork discovered the sp-
. pyoach OF train No. 50, extra, as it rounded
. the curvo less than 100 rods from him, run
ming q a speed Of about so miles an hour.
Zach engineer sighted the othor train at
very nearly the same instant, and each
made all possible effort to stop his train
The passenger train, with It's automatic
| ia DpgTI,y u 81 ~ lafnra no
engines met but train "M'', having only
hand brakes, had slowed up but little. Tie
collision came with destructive and fatal
effect
There was abundant proof that the rcd
fa- in question was put IN tts place by the
Oh, .ueel before leaving Essox function
stnuou, and that it remained there until the
train reached Montriioc Junction. The flag
WAS produced and identified at the hearing,
and WAS proper one, being Mother torn,
nor old nor faded.
1t wus recognized by Conductor Frazier
and Eugreu- Lynch OF train No. Ii, et
Richmond. Conductor and engineer Of train
No. s, also testified with pcsuveness that
the flag was displayed in rs socket Mt the
head Of the engine train No. 81, regular,
ru..et them ut NuliSt9u. Meats tue for
ward hrademan o. tram N, - testified
positively to seeing it, though lie mi5lOcetee
the point Of meeting with train No 80, reg
B ular.
q On the other hand, Conductor Stewart
, md Engineer Norl, Of train M beth tes-
I t.fy that ,rain No. o. regular, had no red
tlos displayed whom It me, and passed them
q. Jcnesv.Ue. NItner fireman Heyno.a'
; nor brakeman hanTohan OF train "Ai'' nor
Brakeman Casey Of no. II train saw the
1 lag, tut say that they dill not look for IT,,
and were not IN a position where thoy could
see :.
Head brakeman Meer3 testified that he
, saw the red heg q train No. 80, regular,
aud he,itated about opening the switoh for
; train "AI'' to proceed but Engineer York
- said 70 him that it was ell right, as he had
! orders, and hs thereupoa sey the switch
k over and t.aiu "I' proceeded.
/ 10 was C.slmet by Engineer York and
. Conductor Stewart that It was dusky and
v so nearly DARK that the proper signal
S to be looked for upon the engine Was 9
~. lantern and not rct flag;