Barre evening enterprise. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-1898, 1898-04-18

| and lantern, the Waterman WenG OUT y
flag the train over. As he reached tn
platform he saw dimly through the fo
a headlight coming on the bridge 20
wards away. Raising his white light t.
"hag the train across, y Anderson wa
looking at the approaching train whel
suddenly the headlight gave grea
lurch, he saw the CLEAN of two greel
lamps, and then all disappeared. Al
instant later he heard a frightful crasl
of broken timbers, the hiss of escaping
steam and cries drowned out by borri
BILE gurgling sounds and the rushing o
waters 200 feet below the bridge. Tel
minutes later be had aroused the sec
tien gang, and they all went to tn
bridge together.
Climbing down the framework of tn
bridge to the creek no signs of disturb
ance or disaster could be found. Their
was nothing unusual about the llttl
creek. The shallow bottom was plainl!
| visible when the men swung their Ian
terms down to peer into its clear waters
nor was there bolt or rivet displaced
about the great new steel structure.
When Superintendent Belford of tn
southern division came to his office TIT
next morning, there was the usual stacl
of correspondence awaiting him. His
clerk had it all opened and nicely sort
ed, as was his custom. There were
three Geographic reports that claimed
the great mans attention at once. AL
three bore on the same subject, and al
exasperating subject it was. The frs
message was from the dispatcher's Office
and was to the effect that the operator
at Muldrow's Mountain had reported
train coming south at $40 a. m, wher
the train sheet showed that there wa:
no train on the road within miles Of
him, No. 10 having been annulled ano
no extras running. The report further
stated that the operator had insisted
that an engine and caboose had disro
garded his red signal and passed south
at 1913 a. nl., and that no amount Of
arguing would make the man change
his statement
Attached to this was second tele
graphic report over the chief train dis,
patcher's initials, stating that No. 20
had been held at Cordelia Junction to
await the wild engine reported as "by
Muldrow's Mountain at 3:13;" that %
was delayed hour and 35 minutes
thereby. This account ended with the
following "Litchfeld operator has seen
nothing of the wild engine, and Leroy S
gravel train ran from Cordelia Junction
to Litchfield and reports mo train or
engine between these points.
The second report was Vom the con.
ductor of the fast freight, No. 20, and
briefly stated that they were delayed
hour and So minutes at Cordelia juno
ton waiting for all extra, light engine
and caboose, which passed the Junction
south at 4 40 without whistling sig
nails.
The report of the station agent at
Cordelia Junction said: extra engine
and caboose south by 4 40. Disregarded
station signal and failed to whistle rail.
road crossing"
The superintendent read these twice
over carefully. Then he read the morn
ing report from the transportation de.
partment, and he noted that there were
'"no extra trains? and that Grains No.
Is and lG We're annulled.
This, then, was the question that surg.
ed through the superintendent brain
and threatened to overwhelm him:
"What was the light engine? Whence
came it and whittier had it gomez
Turning to his clerk, Bedford said,
"Have the crew Of No. 20 come to my
office as soon as they get in. " Then he
wrote out several kilograms that were
to set the machinery in motion for an
Immediate investigation. For trains tc
run over his division without orders
and disregarding signals was serious
matter-an alarming matter, in fact.
A full statement from the night oper
ators at Muldrow's Mountain and Cor.
della junction and a talk with the crew
OF % would probably clear it up.
The transportation department knew
nothing more than the report by wire
had shown. The sole representative of
the motive power department. who could
throw any light on the case was the en-.
gineer of No. %.
None Of 22's crew was too we'll pleas.
ed at the peremptory summons to APP
pear ION the carpet. They were
tired, sleepy and worn out, and it is not
pleasant thing to be called up before
the high tribunal of railroad life with
out knowing what charges are pending.
An hour later found the train crew,
Master of Transportatio Rainsford and
Superintendent Of Motive Power Small
assembled III the superintendent's office.
The two latter We're at desks provided
for them, and the investigation mad be.
gun.
The evidence Of the fireman and
brakeman was of no value, as they were
inside when the wild engine passed and
saw nothing of it. Conductor Blair.
statement was commonplace enough.
tie was held for orders at Cordelia
junction and got a "hold order" for
an extra south, number of engine not
given. The extra had delayed them and
passed at 4:45. They were on the "Y"
waiting, and the switch was set for the
nam line. This closed his statement,
and he was aoout to leave when the su-
perintendent said: "Wait a minute,
Blair; one more question. Was there
any number On the caboose or anything
you could idontify it by?'
There wasn't any number I could
zee, but, come to think of it, there
wasn't any cupola on it. The side lights
we're burning bright I didn't see the
headlight of the engine''
The engineers story was practically
The same. They were too far down tho
WI 4