Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-03-28
BLAME LOCATED.
Commiss 'one"s' Decision on
the Grand Trunk Collision,
Operator Flanagan at Fa 1T But With
Mitigating Circumstances.
Conductor Foley Should Haze Walled for
Train Order No. 1871.

The board of railroad commissioners
have arrived at and made public it's de-
cision in regard to the terrible disaster
which occurred on the Grand Trunk
Road in January, as follows:
a serious accident occurred on the
Grand Trunk Railway between the sta
tons of Bethel and Lockc's Mills on
the night of January IL and is. A. d..
1901, by headon collision of two
freight trains, by which three employ
ccs were killed, four engines dcmolsh-
ed, and several freight cars with their
contents destroyed
The trains involved in the accident
were known as 4th section No. 81, and
No. IS.
Fourth section No. %. eastward
bound had Thomas Foley. Jr.. conduc-
tor. and was hauled by two locomo-
tives, the forward one being No. 403,
with Herbert w. Barker engineer and
Harry +. Nashaw fireman. The rear
one was No. $50 with Henry Hill engi-
neer and Ralph w. Peasley fireman.
The train had two brakemen, j. c.
Parks and W. H. Murphy
The west bound train known as No.
s. had Daniel G. Damon conductor. and
WAS hauled by two locomotives. The
forward one No. 299, had Irving r.
Roberts engineer and Gilman Coundry
as fireman. The rear one. No. Sl1. had
Peter Thompson engineer Okill"d),
Clarence Il. Tibbetts fireman tkilled),
Rear Brakeman a. F. Damon, and For
ward Brakeman w. c. Oliver (killeO.
For the purpose of making the evil
dcnce plain we will state that the first
station west Of the State line is Shell
burne in New Hampshire.
The first station east Of the State line
is Gilead. the next West Bethel. the
next Bethel, the next Loc;e's Mills.
and the next Bryants Pond. The facts
brought out by the evidence ana brief
ly stated are us follows:
When 5th. No. 90 reached Shelburnc,
y. H.. going east, it was stopped by a
signal for train order Conductor
Foley went to the station and found or
der No. 129 for which he reCcipted to
the station operator, Flanagan, which
was for the crossing OF 18th, NJ. % and
a west bound freight at Shelburnc sta
ton.
''li'lb' l'I I'itN I4i'iful''A' Nt'i'''' 90
Shelburne until the west bound freight
arrived. when the signal light was taken
in. Then as Foley understood the rules
he had a right to proceed eastward;
but during the time his train was at
the station and after order No 10
had been executed. Operator Elan
nigan of Shelburnp, was called by
Train Dispatcher Mason at Island
Pond. and asked if Foley's train was
still at Shelburne. Flanagan replied
that Foley was still there. and upon
receiving signal 81, which siSnified
another train order. he again put out
his red light and took train order No.
l3l. which was for fourth section No.
% to cross No. s. coming from the
easD at West Bethel.
Flanagan. the operator at Shell
burne. testifies that when he received
the signal for order No. 131 and bad
replied +. -. (red displayed he saw
a man supposed to he Foley the con
ductor of fourth section No 90. stand
ing on the platform Immediately out
side his window. That he raped on
the window and motioned for him to
come into the station: that the man
while he was taking the dispatch and
read a portion of it, at least. aloud
which was No. 131 for the crossing
of Foley's train with No. 50 at West
Bethel That the man he supposed
was Foley thereupon went out, and
when he, Flanagan. had got the
comics of the order ready he went
out upon the platform to deliver them
to Foley. and noticed that Foleys
train had started.
Flanagan said he supposed the train
was only to haul down to the station
and stop. where Foley would sign
the receipt for the orders. but that
when he got out on the platform the
"a hoose was just going by. ana ne
saw a man he supposed to be Foley
in the caboose window. He shouted
to the man he supposed to be Foley,
and said to him: You haven't signed
your order Shall I sign it for YOU
and he understood Foley to say: All
right" He thereupon signed Fo!ey's
name to order 1S1 and reported to
Mason. train dispatcher at Island
Pond. that the order had been re-
Ceived and signed by Foley. The train
at Island Pond then con-
sidered the order complete, as he had
given the same order to No. 50, at
T;ryant's Pond, and had received reply
that No 81 had received the order. 1t
aupears. however. that the man whom
Flanagan supposed was Foley was
rot Foley at all, but was Henry =.
Nashaw, the fireman on the leading
engine. 400. on Foley's train. and
Vashaw admits that he went into
the station and read portion of
the order No. ISL, when it was
being taken, as stated by Flan-
niean. and who also says he afterwards
to Foley that there was another
order being taken, but he did not think
If had ANYTHING to do with his train.
Folev's train. ith section No. %. then
proceeded. as before stated, without any
crossing orders for No. 30 at West Bethel.
No. s coming from the east had orders
"a cross at West Bethel 50 that ith sec
ton No. % having no orders whatever.
40, mast West Bethel and Bethel. ana
To-. ~ Eo Is about two miles east of Bethel,
III M roth trains were going a full speed,
~ hoth trains on down grade.
Thav met at the bottom of the grade,
- ,Le collision was terrific and diSas-
.rnns All four engines were practically
continued on page 3D.