Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-14

Operator failed to deliver meeting or
der
Conductor and engineer. who had been
ON their triL only fifteen minutes over
looked me. ting order.
Engineer and fireman of pmptv encin,
overlooked meeting order
Ensineman and fireman of empty en-
: CINE overlooked meeting order
Conductor and enginclnan lexprrenced
gers slight
, MAN Track while switching WAS being
done on side tracks; engineer OF freie mt
, in service only two weeks
MISTAKE 81 dcSpatcher; sent conflicting
orctrs when he could and should hay
used the duplicate form" sending til"
orders 10 the two trains in the same
, words.
Easthound tldir had orders to run .
hours ~ minutes late; ran hours ) min
uteS late
operator experienced reported that Il
ram nad net passed. when in fact il had.
lhcrehE leading to the delivery to another
,iaih 81 an oEGer WniCh caused collision.
Engineer ,who was killed. started from
station. at beginning OF trip. without or
ger from CONDUCTOR ana without going t"
desratchcr'S office for ort;crS as re-
tMirFd by rule. Conductor being in the
"fi fiat at The Time was lett behind,
BLOCK %iSHalman admitted wcstLound
t'iii l" DOCK section ocCtplt'i bN an
oaStbOund train
trrish', waiting on a side track. or
G"ftn I" MT tine" trains. Was started
cut after two trains had passed; con
duci"r. enGineman and ttasman. whit"
waiting had SEPT. ami or watkins. IS
s'iined that thrc- tl.tin' had passed.
conductor and -n2incm"n OF 1rClSnt
oEt riooNtd meeting lUint.
make nearn dropped and damaged AZ
pipe ar brakes became inuperatiN". ana
train IAN away on steep grade Men IL
charge had not complied with the rtIr ~
HuLllhR them to stop and inspect cars
i'"1oIe descending grade, and also neg
lcctrd to use hand brakes. IN lieu 81 re-
tanning valves. to rartly control speed.
ar breaks on O'!r car. unknown 70
tiainmen. remained applied and heated
Il wheel. CaU%iliA it To break.
Ef;.k,n wheel tang
!'tit CITY" Eil.dic in switch, allowing
SWl;f n To IConrn-- UnlaSttncl
Broken wheel
ThIty-foUr ears derailed, of which
tWtntN-tlr,c were wrecked. Believed
duo ~ drawlar pulled out; speed q; train,
fottH-'.Vc miles an hour.
Engineer twho was killed.. overlooked
order to leduce speed on entering side
track at small station where main track
was obstructed Engineer of thirty years
experience. on duty four hours.
Occurred IL p NJ: washout at iron-pipc
culvert caused by unusually severe local
storm.
Derailment caused bv broken wheel
fiange. occurred on bridge: derailed cars
knocked two spans of bridge.
Some persons derive great comfort in
the face of the appalling figures of rail
road accidents from the law of averages.
1t is true that frequent as our railroad
accidents are. the statistics show that
three million passengers could travel one
mile, or its equivalent, for each injured:
this would be for an average traveller. 10
airline journeys around the globe The
train mile avera ge" for each passenger
killed is nearly twenty times as great
But any such comparison really befogs
the issue, since it is the total of dangers
that bcset us that make up the risk OF
life. The average liability of dying from
the most fatal diseases is very small
and vet that may with propriety be made
subject of public alarm. 1t is the total
of dangers like the total of taxes that
counts. Furthermore it is little comfort
to the family whose loved ones have been
killed in a railroad accident to cite StatiS-
tics of average risk. The actual risk is
what concerns them.