Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-24

tender. Not single car was thrown
from the track, or broken In any way.
| One of the commissioners examined
the wreck, and FOUND the rear engine
had been reversed and was in bach
gear. The lever of the forward engine
| did not show that it had been revers.
ed, but the gear showed that it had
| heen. The lever was broken and push
ed forward by the force of the engine
behind it. -. l.,Ax
Frank Il. French, fireman Of the rear
locomotive. jumped from his engine
near Summer Street crossing. and was
injured so that he did not recover con-
sciousness, and died in about one hour
after the accident.
The commissioners held an investiga-
ton on the 18th day of November, at
FoxcrOft, to ascertain the cause, Ii
possible. of the singular accident.
We found the testimony somewhat
conflicting. Henry s. Russell the con-
ductor, testifies that when the train be-
gan to slow down near the corn factory.
he thinks it was running 12 or Ii miles
per hour. He says when the engines
were at the spool factory, which is
beard the signal for brakes. and that
he set the buggy brake hard. He says
that as the train ran thrugh the yard
1t was not going faster than six miles
per hour. He says that after the acci-
dent he examined the air couplings and
found them all right. He admitted.
however, that his examination was con-
fined to the cars, because the head en-
gine was so badly broken up he could
not examine that.
Charles w. Bradley, engineer of the
rear engine, says the train was under
fuli control at the spool factory. which
is ABOUT 1900 feet from the round house
about One-third Of a mile
He says the train continued to slow
down gradually all the way through
the yard. SO that at the time the en-
gines went into the round house they
We're not going faster than four miles
per hour. He says he watched tha
brakes on the drivers all the way
through the yard and observed distinct
~ that the brakes We're taking all right.
On the contrary, Harry Rich, the en-
gineer OF the forward engine. who had
charge OF the air brakes. and who was
responsible for the speed of the train.
says that he applied the brakes near
the corn factory. He says that when
he got to the spool factory he was run
ming at least 10 miles per hour. and
that he then realized that the train was
pushing him. and that he had lost con-
trol OF 1t. He SAYS ne then called for
brakes. and used his emergency H..
says he got n" favorable effect from
any of the brakes, and he called for
switch at the station to keep him on
the main line. and to avoid collision.
He says M thought there was 10 per
ceptible change in the rate Of speed
through the yard. until he jumped off
AT Spring street; and substantially.
that the train went into The ro,lnd
house at speed of 10 miles per hour.
Harry w. Warren. fireman on Rich's
engine. corroborates his testimony. and
says Rich told him at Mechanic street
Fear the spool factory. that he had lost
control OF the train. Warren says the !
tram was then running at least 10 !
miles per hour. and SO continued to run |
until he jumped off about four rods |
aast OF North street. He says hc saw |
10 difference in speed after the engi- !
neer called for brakes
Pomeroy. the rear brakeman. who |
vas on top Of the cars. says the train !
VAS running IL or Il miles per hour |
when he heard the signals for brakes. !
He says ne saw no effect upon the ;
seed of the train by the setting IN of !
he brakes. He says: Il do not think
ne Stacked up much from the time We
eft the spool factory
We are satisfied that one of two /
'auSes is responsible for the accident. |!
Either the train was running at a very
,!gh rate Of speed, or there was not .
sufficient pressure of air to hold the /
IeaVy train. We think both causes |
to produce it. When train
ner differ 50 materially about the rate
If speed. we feel justified in believing
hat the train was running at a much
higher rate of speed than Is miles per
your. The train had been running on
down grade for nearly a mile west
If the corn factory. A half mile west
II the bridge across the PiScataQuis
iver "A heavy down grade commences,
INNING east: and after crossing the
ridge there is another down grade of
,early one-half mile. west of the corn
actory. All the train men testify that
10 brakes Were used down these
,rades.
A rtain with two engines and ~
eavily loaded freight cars. running a
nile on this down grade. with no
rakes to hold it. undoubtedly attained
speed of more than 80 miles per hour.
rhc ma ximum rate of speed for freight
rains is "a miles per hour. The mo-
(Continuad on DageE 81