The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-11-20

the window, striking my head on a
rail and was knockec unconscious
remaining in that condition until
found
Martinson can hardly walk owing
to injuries received and his head is
badly cut and bruised.
Engineer Manwarring said that he
had slowed down, expecting to stop,
but when he was given the highball
he commenced working steam when
headlight showed upon the switch I
saw that 1t was open. | set my
brakes and reversed my engine at
once, remaining on the engine un-
til we were about six feet apart, and
then dropped out of the cab window.
We we going perhaps or 8 miles an
hour at that time. coulu not see
who was at the switch, but think that
had the switch light been burning
there would have been no accident.
In my opinion it was caused by the
man at the switch giving the high
ball" and the switch being open. The
man giving the "highball' was east
OF the switch and must have opened it,
know it was the porter on No. A,
because | heard his conductor ask
him why he opened it and he answer
ed Il never touched the switch"
Parie o. Collier, an engineer, who
was enroute east, had walked up the
track when the east bound train
stopped on the siding, and was on the
engine just before the wreck. He
said: Il was talking to Engineer
Bodey and Fireman Goodrich, when
| heard No. 3. l next saw that she
was heading in on the side track and
| jumped just before the two engines
came together. When | got up |
found Fireman Martinson and took
him back to the coach
| was the first to find Fireman
Goodrich. He was alive, lying face
down on the water tank, with his
right arm caught between l.le tank
and engine cab. At first | could not
see him owing to escaping steam, but
located Goodrich by hearing him
groan and feeling around. 1t must
have been 20 minutes before we
could release him during which time
he was alive, moaning and rolling his
head. Had the switch light been
burning there would possibly been no
wreck as the crew on No. would
have noticed the mistake and there
was ample time to correct 1t.
The inquest was resumed Sunday,
when the testimony of Conductor
Strain, of No. 4, Charles Hart, en-
engineer of first No. 8, and j. H.
Moore, the porter who gave the nigh
ball to second No. 3, was taken.
Moore, the porter, strenuously de-
MED that he had touched the switch.
He had gone on past the switch with
out noticing whether it was open or
closed, the light being out. He gave
the high ball to second No. 3, as in
structed, and the train came IN and
ran in on the switch instead of re-
naming on the main line.
Charles Hart, the engineer of first
No. 3. testified that the switch was
all right and the light was
burning when he passed over
it at ten O'Clock. There had been
no train pass over the switch between
that hour and the time when the col
lisiOn occurred.
The jury returned a verdict to the
effect that the said Fred Goodrich
came to his death at Bolton, on the
18th day of November, 1900, by means
Of a railroad collision, said collision
being caused by an open switch upon
which there was no light.
There are but two solutions of the
problem presented by the open
switch. Either the porter, Moore,
opened it in a fit or absent-minded-
ness, or it was opened between the
hours of 10 o'clock and 1880 O'Clock
with the deliberate intention of
wrecking the train.