Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-30
FIXING THE BLAME,
Railroad Commissioners Hear
ing on Locke's Mills Wreck.
Crossing Orders Given But Trainmer
Failed to Receive Them.
commissioners Satisfied as to Cause O, Wreck
But Reserve Decision.

bethel, Me, Jan. 29.-The board of
railroad commissioners met here -, !,
O'Clock. this afternoon, to make an in
VeStlgation into the recent wreck on
the Grand frank railroad at Locla.s
Mills. in which three trainmen loe,
tieir hFes. There We're present a large
number of witnesses, including mem
berS Of the crews of the two trains
which met in collision. the chief train
dispatcher and assistant train dis
patcher of this portion of the road,
| from Island Pond, Vt, Richard l..
Flanagan. the operator at Sherburne.
N. H.. and many officials of the rail
road company.
The first witness called was ]. w.
| Sawyer of Island Pond. chief train dis
patcher Of the division He was ex-
amined by Attorney I'll. /. Hight coun-
| sci for the Grand Trunk The witness
gave a detailed account of the manner
| in which trains receive orders from the
dispatcherS office. In answer to a
question by Mr.. Hight. the witness said
he engaged Richard l.. Flanagan. the
operator at Shelburne. n. H.. and af-
Ter Il through aSSlSHeu
him to the Shelburne office. Flanagan
| had told him, he said that he pre-
viously had worked for the Western
Union Telegraph Co. at Jamaica Plain.
Mass, and had had little experience
| in railroad office.
| F. H. Mason, the assistant train dis
patcher. testified that he gave the or
der to the operator at Shelhurne. N H,
for the crossing of freight trains No.
o. east bound. and No IS. west bound,
a. West Bethel. Train No. 81, he said,
had the right of way and was under
orders to cross a special freight train
al Shelburne. After getting the 20. *.
for the crossing of 80 and the special.
Ne asked the operator. Flanagan, II
No. 80 was still there. Flanagan re-
piled: Yes, Mr.. Foley is right here
naw' Witness then gave the order for
81 to cross at West Bethel. He then
repeated the order to Bryant's Pond
for No S. A few minutes later he re-
ceived 20. ks and also the sigma
lures of both conductors that they mad
received the orders.
Having received the signatures of
the conductors, the witness said, he
supposed everything was all right until
Bethel reported that train No. 80 mad
passed there. 1t was then evident that
the conductor must have misunder-
stood his orders, as he had passed the
point where he should have waited for
No. IS. Witness at once called Locke
Mills to hold No. So, but the answer
came back that train No. 50 was then
or its way to West Bethel. 1t was be-
tween these points that the collision
occurred.
T. Richard L. Flanagan, the Shelburne
operator. was the next witness. He
said that when he had 80. X. ed the
order for No 80 to cross the special at
hesitation he took down the red signal
light. A moment later he received the
order for No 80 and No. So to pass at
west Bethel, and the red light again
was displayed. He was a stranger on
the road, he. said, having been at work
about 10 days, and did not know any
of the. trainmen by sight. But as the
order for crossing at West Bethel came
he saw a man standing just outside the
station window. Witness thought this
man was Conductor Foley and raped
on the window for him to come.in. The
man came in. and bending over the
operators shoulder. read the order. af-
ter which he went out and disap-
peared
Witness then went out to get the
conductors signature and found the
train moving slowly. He thought II
would be brought to stop when the
caboose reached point opposite the
depot and that the conductor would get
off and sign the order.
The train did not stop, however, but
in a window at the top of the caboose
he. saw man he supposed to be the
conductor He displayed the order ana
called to the man at the window, ask
ing him if he understood the order ana
if it would be all right for him to SEND
in the signature. The man replied that
it was "all right.
Conductor Tom ~ of train No;
81. testified that When he had signeu
the order to cross the extra freight at
Shelburne he went toward the engine
and got on the forward end OF the
train He did not again see the opera
tor and knew nothing OF the order u
cross train No. SIS at West Bethel. Inc
only person in the caboose when IL
passed the station, witness SAID was
Rear Brakeman Murphy.
Conductor Foley further stated that
having fulfilled train order he was
free to go on even if the red light was
not changed. This was corroborated py
other railroad officials, and apparently
confirmed by the remarks of the com
missioners. He testified further that
the two men supposed to be traInps
who were reported killed in the coins
ion, were young men who SAID thes
worked at South Paris and were steai-
ing a ride. They were on top OF the
eighth car at the collision but were ho'
hurt. He saw and talked with theH'
after the wreck.
w. H. Murphy, a brakeman. tesli-
fed that he was on top of the caooose
when No IS passed the station. opei
tor Flanagan came out with paper
in his hand and shouted. He hearo III
distinctly, but thought the operator