Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-09-19


accident. and MI Rowe, VINO seems to
be an intelligent man, and certainly a
good witness. testified that although
he was looking at the train az it
crossed the bridge west Of the accident.
he saw nothing which indicated any
unusual ratc Of speed. These last Two
witnesses were the only ones wh1 saw
the movement of the train at the time
Of the accident.
We cannot, therefore. find by the
evidence that any extraordinary rate of
speed contributed to the accident. All
the evidence tends to show that The
train WAS not running at an exceedingly
high rate Of speed.
This accident occurred on Saturday.
and on the following Monday morning
two Of the commissioners reached the
place OF accident at about ten o'clock
IN The tDrcnonn They found The road
bed from the culvert just east Of Rice
Crossing, for space Of eight hundred
feet toward Watorville, entirely torn
up. The mail car and three Of the
Pullman cars We're still in the ditch
The rails had been twisted ana bent.
the ties had Et"n cut and ground into
almost inconceivablr shapes. The ac-
cdent was undoubtedly caused by the
derailmt ut of som" portion Of the
train.
1t is in evidence that the engine kept
the IRON, and WAS not dcrailcd at all.
The tender and aH the cars but the two
rear cars had n'"n dcrailtd The two
rear ears We're on the crossing. and
had not left the iron.
Because Of thc runner and infurina-
ton which had been volunt, crcf to the
commissioners. their first attention WAS
given to tile condition of tie ties and
the road-b,d Il.
we examined the ruad-bcd west of
the place of ;;ccidcnt, for about one
half mile. We examined as well as
we could. the ties which had been in
the road-bcd, and which hal been torn
up by the accident. and While some
were inferior, we found none that VT.
called rotten.
The rnad-brd and ties east of the
place Of accident We're i'll good cunlf-
ton. one witness described the con
dition Of the ruad-brd ut the place Of
accident as 'rptt"n, with scarcely a
sound tie in it," His testimony. if
believed. woUld lead to the conrl,l!\ on
that although III" track ANA road-Lcd
had been used for many years With
out accident. E,t Oh this particular oc-
casiun it went to pieces like the Ica-
cons notorious zone boss shay Our
observations. however. did not lcal us
to this conclusion. While We did not
find the road-betr in frs class condi-
ton, west of the place of accident, we
found it had been newly lircd and sur
faced that it hal good seventy pound
rails. and under ordinary conditions
was sufficient to hold 4 train running
at rate of fifty miles per hour
Were there any extraordinary condi-
tons which might contribute To the ac-
cdent?
The engine was Of 4 now class. 1t
was heavy engine weighing one hun
dred and five tons. Considerably
heavier than amy other engine on tne
road except on" other of the Same
TYPO, bought ut IN, same time The
engine is also several feet longer than
any other type Of engine used on the
Maine Central.
Whether the extra lcnrth and weight
Of the engine in any way contributed to
the accident we arc Hut able u decide
one Of the C"n'nissin,it thinks ~.
:. 1"th"r commissioner thinks other
wise. Anorl:cr enc Er"l@ unr"rtair
We have examined tho evidence care
fully Each If the commissioners has
real til" testimony. ami Whilc W. have
different theories III "rlltirn t. it. II,
on" of tn" commission - is willing to
advance his theory rs an opinion. for
tn" simple purpose Nj .,.nming % have
formed ore.
Upon one matter Nc agree. TIL
cans went eff the iron on thu inside of
the curve. Th" engine it :rlf dill not
leave the iron at all: both circItm-
stances showing HAT til, l"rnilncnt
was nat caused by tile Spreading Of ;nc
rails
We hay" not hcrn able. and shall rot
be- able To- determine the cause or the
causes Of this accident We should i"
glad if W. could. Others. those VINO
have no responsibility ii thr mattcr.
may be able Ia stat" their cnnvicti"us.
We can not do it. ana must :" report.
Dated 1T Augusta this 10th day Of
Sept. A H. 1907.
JOSEPH T.. PEAKS
BENZ T.. cIIADiDI'RNF,
PARKER SPpFFDRD
Railroad commissioners Of Maine
A true COPY.
Attest:
T.. c. FAERINGTON.