The Portland daily press., 1898-11-04
DEATH OF CONDUCTOR LEHAyE
Report of the Railroad Commissioners on
the Leeds Junction Wreck.

In the case of the death of Conductor
Junction, the railroad commissioners
have rendered the following decision:
"a serious accident occurred to a freight
train at Leeds junction on the Maine
Central railroad at about one O'Clock in
the afternoon of the 23d day of July, A.
train Thelesthare j. Lehaye. otherwise
known as James Tucker of Waterville,
was killed by his being thrown under the
train and the wheels or wheel of said
cars running over mis- head.
"From the testimony it appears that
the train was coming into Leeds junction
from the east, having more or less shift
ing to be done at said station. The nine
cars next to the engine were equipped
with the air brake, the air being coupled
and in use by the engineer in handling
his train. The train was made up of
twenty-ssven freight cars and blu 4gy or
conductors van. The 10Th car from the
engine was a Bangor Sc Aroostook box
Car, the goth was Boston and Maine flat,
the 21st was Maine Central fiat, the two
latter being loaded with stone Grated, the
22d being an Eastman Heater car. The
two cars loaded with stone were damaged
the MOST of any in the train. the Maine
Central having its forward end broken
down, every sill being broken of some
five OF six feet from the forward end.
The stones with which the fat cars were
loaded were considerably changed In
position from that in which they were
originally loaded. Two of the pieces OF
stone were thrown from the car to the
ground and two others thrown from the
Maine Central to the Boston and Maine
flats. These facts and the fact that one of
the truck frames OF the fifth or sixth car
ahead of the stone cars was driven back
from its proper place to nearly the middle
of tie car, show that the train broke
apart and subsequently collided. In the
vertical plane coupling of the Bangor and
Aroostook car, it being next forward of
the stone cars, 1t was found after the stop
that the knuckle was gone. A kunokle
was soon found by section man about q
the summit of the grade that runs down
ward to the station. This knuckle was
found to tit the aforesaid coupling per-
fectly, was placed in position and used in
hauling the car. Some witnesses standing
some distance from the scene of the acct
dent say positively that the train was
broken apart. All the testimony points
to collision of considerable force, and
we believe that the train parted near the
place where the knuokle was found. and
the air being applied to the nine cars
equipped with air in the ordinary course
of handling trains at that station, the
rear portion oollided with the forward
portion causing the accident to the train,
cat or very near the time of the
collision Mr.. Lahaye was seen to come
down over the Eastman Heater car and
to step on the nsxt car, 1t being the fiat
loaded with stone. This was the last seen
of him alive. After the collision his body
was found under the car next to the
buggy lying crosswise between the rails
with the top and back of his head cut off.
He had always been considered very
I careful, faithful and efficient employee.
We find that Thelesthare j. Lahaye
came to his death by having been thrown,
or falling accidentally, under the wheels
of freight train on the Maine Central
railroad at Leeds Junction on the 23d day
of July, A. D.. 1889, said wheels running
over the aforesaid Lahaye's head.
"That no blame attaches to the con-
ductor, engineer or any other employe of
the aforesaid Maine Central railroad eom-
pany on said train. "