Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-12-06
An Earlier Railroad Ac-
cident Recalled
In Which Man at Fault Was
Arrested for MansIaughter.
Library Books Called inmate. =.
Departments.


clslon of the board of railroad conn,i,
sloners, in their Investigation of tho
railroad accident at Lewiston Sent %
nave stated that it was the fret oa.n
Wnefe anyone had been arrested in tho
S."te Tor manslaughter where death
nad been due to a railroad accident
II mas peen found, however, in look
ing over the reports at the Office of tho
faiiroad commissioners, that the board
We're called upon to investigate a SINH
iar accident, in 1891. in which one man
was killed. and several injured. and in
winch case, like the one referred to
above, their decision was followed by
an arrest for manslaughter.
The accident occurred at the Scar
boro Beach station, on the Ros-
ton and Maine railroad. Thurs
day. Jan. -, 1851. and was Of
OF the nature of a rear end collision. A
locomotive running wild between Port
land and Bid6eford, in charge OF Engi-
neer X. B. Bonney and Conductor F.
futile, ran into train 154, which was a
kennebunk local train, leaving Union
station at Portland, at 1915 4. NJ, as
II stood in the station at Scarboro
Beach. The train was made up of two
cars. Il passenger and combination
smoking and baggage car the latter
car being at the rear of the train.
The locomotive crashed into the
rear of the combination ear as far as
the forward drivers, but as few if any
passengers We're i'll the ear at the time,
the loss of life was nothing TO what it
would nave been. had the car been
filled.
Bonney WAS one of the oldest and
most reliable engineers on the road.
At the time of the accident he had
been - years IN the employ of the
Grand Trunk and IA years in the EN-
ploy of the Boston and Maine. He
had been in the habit of running a
local passenger tram from kennebunk
to Portland every morning, then going
back to BiddefOrd where he did the
work of shifting during the day, after
which he ran the train back to kenne-
bunk, at night.
On the morning of the accident,
trains We're delayed on account of an
ice storm, and Bonney was obliged to
await with his locomotive, on side
track, the passage of train 134, which
was made up of the same cars which
he had hauled into Portland. He had
orders to work wild, that day. between
Portland and Biddeford. and about six
minutes after train 1874 passed him, he
followed, running it was said, about %
miles an hour. At SCarbOro junction
a blue flag was displayed. which indi-
Gated that a train had passed that
place within five minuets, going the
same way, but which BOnney claimed
that he did not see, owing to the rain
and sleet beating against the cab
window, and into his face when he
| looked out.
After leaving the junction, they pro-
| ceedcd at more rapid rate Of speed.
and when within about 900 feet OF
ScarDoro Beach station, they saw tram
| 1874 standing there. That was the
testimony of Mir. Tuttle, but Mr.. Bon
ney said that they We're within 200 feet
| of the train when his attention was
| called to it. and that though he inn
| rnediately reversed the engine, ana
applied the brakes, it was too late.
The rails were so slippery that the
breaks were of no use. Mr.. Bonney also
claimed that the packing in the cylin-
der was not good. and that the steam
1
| the condition of track and engine, the
| speed was but little slackeheu WIEN
the condition occurred.
| In their decision, the commissioners >
| who were at that time d. N. Mortlanu'
| A. w. Wildes and Roscoe L. Bowers
| although they attributed the direct
cause of the accident to the careless
ness of the men, also criticised the
rules under which the company oper-
ated their trains, the text OF the ii'lu
| ing being as follows:
.rh,,,pb we find that the direct
cause of the accident was the careless
ness of these men, we cannot ou.
lieve that the rules for running trains
adopted by the company, ana III.
manner in which they are en1orceu'
contributed remotely, if not directis'
| to the result. o,
1t il understood that Mr. boi'ii-
was arrested on the charge OF ma
slaughter. but was not brought 10 'ia'
Much sympathy was felt for MIN a. a.
tho time. he having been so lohs ~
service. and had always been one "
the most reliable engineers on tne ronu
The only explanation that cou'u ne
offered as to the cause OF the az
dent. was that Mr.. Bonney ioi 81
what train was ahead of him. ana ,lo''
force Of habit. thought he was 1oi'o"
ing train 20. which left Portiahu a.
NJ. as was his custom.
II looking over one Of the BOOKS a.
ct.ta library. recently. it was as-