Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-09-27
Commissioners Report.

The Railroad Commissioners of the
State met at Pownal, August Both, to in
vestigate the railway crossing accident
which occurred recently and resulted in
the loss of four lives Their report has
Just been issued and is as follows:
State of Vermont,
In Board of Railroad Commissioners,
PowNAL, Vt, Aug. Both, 1895.
Pursuant to seasOnable notice to all
parties in interest, the Board met at
Pownal on the Both day of August 1895
to investigate the causes of the fatal ac-
cident to Edward Chaput, Oliver Daude
lin, Jerry Trudeau and Edward Rogue,
which occurred at the Fitchburg railroad,
one and a half miles south of POwnal
station, on the 2lst day of July 1895.
The State of Vermont was represented
at said hearing by E. L. Bates, States
attorney for the County of Bennington,
and TIE Fitchburg Railroad Company
appeared by its attorney. James X.
Batcheder; A. n. Gelineau appeared
for the relatives or Edward sChaput,
Oliver Daudelin, Jerry Trudeau and Ed
ward Rogue.
The evidence introduced by the State
was fully heard and the Commissioners
visited the premises where the accident
occurred. No testimony was introduced
by the other parties in interest. 1t APP
peared that on Sunday afternoon, July
21st, the said Edward Chaput, Oliver
Daudelin, Jerry Trudeau and Edward
Rogue were driving from North Adams,
Mass. to POwnal, Vermont. Just be-
fore reaching the State Line House, so
called situated some two miles south of
Pownal, they took into the carriage with
them Clarence H. Prindle. At the State
Line House they found Edward White,
and there they stopped some ten or tif-
te en- minutes and each one of the party
drank two glasses of lager beer. They
then proceeded on their way to POwnal
and stopped for short time at the EX-
change Hotel where, with one exception
they all drank one glass of lager
beer and then started on their return to
North Adams, accompanied by Prindle
and White. They drove the distance be-
Pownal and the place where the acci.
dent occurred in reasonably careful
manner. In the immediate vicinity of
the accident the highway crosses the
tracks of the Fitchburg railroad in two
points. distant from each other about
one thousand feet. The party made the
first or westerly crossing, just ahead of
a freight train, regularly scheduled to
pass over the line from Rotterdam juno
tion, n. Y. to North Adams, Mass, on
thai day. After passing this crossing
the highway runs parallel with the rail
road, and about three hundred feet
therefrom, until it again crosses the
tracks where the accident occurred.
Soon after passing over the first crossing
White alighted from the carriage with
the expressed intention of boarding the
moving freight train; the other members
of the party proceeded along their way
TO the second crossing, over which, as
they approached. the freight train was
passing. Immediately upon the clearing
of this freight train, Chaput, who was
driving, started his horses over the
crossing just in time to be struck by
west bound and regularly scheduled
passenger train on the other track.
Prindle jumped from the carriage un-
hurt. Chaput, Daudelin, Trudeau and
Rogue were instantly killed.
The testimony developed the fact that
the passenger train was regular train
from Boston, Mass, to Troy. n. Y, due
at this point at about the time of day
the accident occurred, and that as it ap-
preached the crossing the engineer blew
the regular crossing whistle; the bell
was also rung in accordance with the
usual custom. The engineer of the
freight train knew of the approach of
the passenger train and by way of warn
ing to the party in the carriage blew
several short blasts of the whistle and
waved his hand to them; but the noise
of the moving freight train prevented
the approach of the passenger train be-
ing heard and rank growth of small
trees, together with the long freight
train, obstructed any view of the track
toward the east. AS the team ap-
preached the second crossing, and just
before he jumped from the carriage,
Prindle, whJ had been a railroad en-
ployee and understood the warning sig
mails given by the engineer of the freight
tram, warned Chaput that there was
danger ahead, but to this warning Cha
mt maid no attention,