The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-12-01

station at Rangoon. four miles north
of the scene OF the wreck and the first
station north OF Lawyers depot.
Assistant General Superintendent T.
\. Coapman OF the company gave out
the following statement:
Investigation so far made OF the ac-
cident develops the fact that Operator
MattoaX M Rangoon let train No %
into the block and. disregurding the
rules, failed to notify the operator at
Lawyers depot of this fact When the
first section Of train No. 81. the Wash
ington and Southwestern vestibuled
limited, approached Rangoon Operator
.Mattoax asked the operator at Law
yers for the block on No. 81. This
was given by the operator at Lawyers,
who did not know that No. 80 had
gone in upon the block
"No. 80 broke down at the south end
Of curve and as soon rs the train
stopped the flagman ran back to pro
tect his train. AS far as we can learn
the flagman had proceeded about 800
yards when No. 81 was in view on the
curve. Engineer Mckinney saw the
signal and applied the emergency
brake, but he did not have time to
leave his seat before the collision took
place.
An inspection of the telegraph
sheets in each of the block stations
substantiates this belief. The sheet at
Rangoon shows that No. 80 was given
the block by Operator Mattoax, and
the sheet ut Lawyers shows that Mat
toaX had not notified the operator
there that No. 80 was on the block and
entitled to ii.
"A fuller investigation will be made
as speedily ms possible, but we do not
expect TO develop additional facts.
The company has number of men
securing the country in the hope of
locating Operator Mattoax, but up to a
late hour we have been unable to as
certain absolutely anything as to his
whereabouts"
The death of William Walter Pollard,
the negro porter in President Spencer's
private car. and ]. w. Shaw, the negro
fireman, both of whom died in the city
hospital here, has swelled the death list
to seven in all. The latest word from
the hospital regarding the injured In
dictated that all of them are doing nice
ly and probably will recover.
The scene of the wreck is ten miles
south of Lynchburg. The work of
clearing the debris is being carried on,
and some of the wreckage already has
been removed.
The escape of Il. A. Merrill of New
York, private secretary to Mr.. Spencer,
the only survivor in the party on the
private car save for n porter, was
miraculous. The injuries he sustained
are not serious, and he will be able to
leave the city hospital here probably
by the first of the week.
The funeral of President Spencer
will take place ut st. Johns church.
Washington, at . o'clock tomorrow aft
ernoon, Rev. Roland G. Smith, the
rector, officiating. The body will be in
tered at Washington, and the burial
service will be private.
For five minutes during the funeral
hour, beginning promptly at o'clock,
every train and all machinery of the
entire Southern railway system will
be at standstll rs n mark of respect
to the late president.
The active pallbearers will consist
of ten of the Oldest negro porters in
the service of the southern. This list
will not he made public until tomor-
row. The honorary pallbearers will
include the vice presidents and Off
Gals of the road, J, Pierpont Morgan
and other prominent financiers of New
York.