The Portland daily press., 1895-05-25
Railroad Go mmissiOners Report On
Brewer Accident.
FIRE FIGHTERS DAY All THE
GARDINER CARNIVAL.
A Burglar at Franklin Checked in His
Evil Career-Teachers Institute at
ford.
Especial to the PRESS. }

Especial to the PRESS.)
Augusta, May 24.-The railroad COM
missioners have made special report on
the accident at South Brewer, May 8, in
which a fireman was killed The report
is as follows:
About 7.30 p M, on the goth day of
April, A. D., 1895, a serious accident
occurred on the Bucksport branch of the
Maine Central railroad near the station
at South Brewer, to a passenger train, in
which John Arthur, fireman of Bucks
port, was fatally injured. The accident
was caused, as appears, by a misplace
ment or tampering with a switch at that
point by some person or persons I'M
known, by reason of which the locomo-
tive and tender of the train were derailed !;
the locomotive though thrown over upon
| its side was not materially injured.
| From the report of the evidence taken
on an investigation held by the board at
South Brewer, on the third day of May,
A. D., 1895, it appears that the train to
which the accident occurred is scheduled
as No 105, running from Bangor to
| Bucksport, and was made up on that day
as follows: Locomotive, baggage car,
smoking car and passenger car; that the
switch where the accident occurred is
known as the Pulp Mill switch, and is
erly of the station at South Brewer; that
the train at the time of the accident was
not running fastrr than at a rate of twenty
miles an hour.
| Mr.. Hardy, the engineer, testified that
when approaching the switch he dis
covered nothing to indicate that anything
was wrong. He said: "The switches
showed perfectly clear and 1 saw both
lights. There was nothing unusual,
nothing appeared unusual about it. y 1t
appeared that about nine o'clock on the
forenoon of that day, some shifting of
cars was done in and up the Pulp Mill
track and the other siding at or near that
point to and from the main line; that,
after that time the switches mentioned
were not again lawfully thrown or
changed during the day. Mr.. Segee, the
brakeman, who had occasion to throw the
switches at the time, mentioned on that
morning, testified that before leaving he
set the switch for the main line and
| locked it; and said 81 know that switch
throws quite hard, and / kicked the
handle down with my foot-always have
to with most Of them-then 1 put the
| lock in on top and locked it. - Station
agents, brakemen and section foremen,
| only, have keys to switches. He also
testified that after he locked the switch,
as above sta ted, the shifting locomotive
passed over the main line by the switch
| otu ltebSU SlA ulIlcS U0lOIc IedfluS UlldU
| locality. 1t also appeared that the passen-
ger train No 104 from Bucksport to Ban
gor passed that point in the afternoon.
| Mr.. Buckley, the station agent at South
| Brewer, testified that he went to put the
lights at these switches about s. 25 o'clock
that evening, and at that time noticed
nothing unusual-they were set all right
and apparently locked-had to stand on
! the lock to hang the light. He noticed
that the bar was down in under the
| lock. 7" All the other evidence taken tends
to show that the Pulp Mill switch, where
the accident occurred, was in good con-
dition and properly set for the main line
that the paddock used was in place, and
so far as appeared, was locked.
CAUSE OF ACCIDENT.
| Mr. Goodall, the messenger of the
American Express company, who was on
duty on the train at the time of the acci-
dent, testified that very soon after the
accident he went to the siding switch and
found it set for the siding and locked
that he then crossed under the cars to
the Pulp Mill switch and found that
switch unlocked, the handle was up very
near level, the lock was in the staple
that by feeling in the dark / should say
the switch was open about one inch. -
Several other witnesses testified to find
ing the switch open and unlocked as de-
scribed by Mr.. Goodall soon after the
accident That the derailment and acci-
dent was caused by reason of the Pulp
Mill switch being unlocked and open, or
partially open, at the time, there can be
but little doubt. 1t being split SWITCH,
if open at the point of the rail to the ex-
tent described by Mr.. Goodall, the space
would admit the 1ange of the wheels,
| III, 4.,I1 +1,ft
tendency would be to derail the locomo-
tive, the rail on the oposite side not be-
| ing sufficiently over or closed so as to
guide the wheels on the siding OF spur
track. From the dents made on the ties
| by the wheels of the locomotive and other
signs on the track which indicate the
cause taken by it, we are fully satisfied
| described and by reason of the switch
aforesaid being unlocked, opened and
partially set over in the manner de-
scribed. 1t is possible that Mr.. Segee the
brakeman, who opened the switch in the
morning, may have failed, after throw
ing it back, to lock it again; but, even if
So it would have remained in position
had it not been tampered with by some
one, between 5. .25 and 7.30 O'Clock that
evening. 1t is possible that some idle
person, passing along there, may have
found the switch unlocked and merely
from curiosity may have lifted the bar of
the switch and swung it to one side, and,
not knowing how to put it back may
have left it in that position, fearing to
let it be known that he had meddled with
it. This, however, is hardly probable.
Taking into consideration all the facts
and circumstances connected with the
accident, we are inclined to believe that
some evil disposed person, having key,
unlockedgthe switch, and partially opened
1t and left it in that condition with in
tention to derail the train.
CONCLUSION.
AS we have stated, the evidence taken
at the investigation conclusively shows
that the derailment of the train was
caused by the displacement of the PulI
Mill switch, so called; that the switch
andstrack at that point were in good con
dition and that the accident was not
caused by any defect in track, switch OF
rolling stock And though we are, from
the evidence, unable to determine whether
or not the switch was set in the mannel
described, with the intention of derailins
train No. 105, yet, from all the evidence
we are Inclined to believe that the dee6