Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-03-31
THOMAS McveIeH MISSING.
Nloht Engineer at easIleht compsnys
West Dummerston Plant Probably

NIoht Engineer at casIlsht compsny's
West DummerstOn Plant Probably
Drowned
Thomas McVeigh night engineer at the
prattieboro Gas Light companys power
house on West river, about seven miles
from Brattleboro, has disappeared, ana
n Is feared that he fell into the river ana
tyas drowned When Joseph Lamoth, the
A., engineer. went on at $50 this morn
inc the machinery was running as usual
and MIR. McVeigh's dinner pail, pipe ana
tobacco Law on a table near the sWltch
hoard Everything was In order, put
there was no trace of McVeigh. Mr..
Iamoth suspected that something was
wrong and went TO Mr.. McVeigh's mouse
near by, but Mrs. McVeigh had seen noun
ing Of her husband since ne went 10 woIN.
The electric light station In this village
then was called up, but the employees there
had heard nothing from him since ii
o'clock last night
Several acres Of ice in the river above
the dam broke up just before O'Clock
last evening and Mr.. McVeigh telephoned
to the electric light station that he would
have to shut down until the ice went out,
which he did. the power being transferred
to the electric light station. Electricians
Hopkins and Schooling started soon after
wards for the West river power house
but when they reached there nearly all
of the ice had gone out. II was 10 O'Clock
when they started home, and at that time
Mr. Mcveigh was all right. About an
hour later Mr. McVeigh called up the
electric light station and said the river
was rising slowly and that the West river
station could carry the entire load,
so the power was again transferred. After
that nothing was heard from the West
river station until Mr.. Iamoth telephoned
the news of Mr.. McVeigh's disappearance.
About o'clock this morning the lights
began to grow dim, due doubtless to the
accumulation Of ice and rubbish at the
head Of the penstock. At I o'clock A. o.
johnson. night engineer at the electric
light station, tried to cali the West river
station by telephone, but could get no
response. Mr.. johnson made another
effort to call the West river station at
$50, but without success.
When Mrs. McVeigh learned of her
husbands disappearance she called up c.
f. Thompson's house by telephone, but
both c. F. Thompson and c. II. Thompson
were out of town on business. Henry F.
Brown, electrician at the local station.
left for the West river plant about 3
o'clock, but found nothing to indicate
what had become of Mr.. McVelgh. The
supposition is that Mr.. McVeigh went out
to note the condition Of the river, or per-
haps to remove the rubbish from the head
of the penstock, lost his footing and fell
into the water.
MIR. McVeigh formerly was day engineer
He began work as night engineer last
August, the heavier load at night requir-
ing a man Of experience for engineer.
When Mr.. Hopkins and Mr.. Schorling saw
him last night he had on a dark red
sweater, a pair of dark trousers and n
black coat. He is about 81 years old and
has a wife and three children. All the
employees Of the company say he never
would leave the machinery running alone
more than few minutes at a time.