Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-06

Watcrville, Me, July 5.-(SpcciaD.-
The state Board of Railroad Com
missi,ncrs held Il hearing Friday alter
noon in the superior court room i'll
tho CIV building, to investigate the
cause. of the wreck of train NO ~ az
Ei,.c's crossing, between Watcrvllle
and Oakland on the afternoon of Sat
urlay, June ~.
The hearing, which opend shortly
after 10 4. NJ. continued until 3.lo /. NJ.
with the execution of an hours recess
At noon, and a lot of testimony was
taken regarding the cause OF the acci-
ii, Mt.
While the exact cause will probably
,.cvcr l.. accurately determined. yet
o,.,.r,, ,binos were established Ey the
testimony. with more or less certainly y
If wos pretty well established. Tor
instance, that the first car-Whcci
marks. made by the flanGc OF Il car
wheel as it left the iron, was 1"uH"
about 10 feet west of the crossing. Inc
r,ilroal officials assumed that TINS
was the ruint at which the tender lett
Inc track. dragging the mail car, hag-
gage car. and other cars Of the tram
behind it.
This evidence was differently inter
3rct"d hy others. however. bE me a'-
ter it is believed that the tender lett
the track ut Il point Il number of feet
east of the crossing, and that the
marks found by the experts were caus-
"a Ly one Of the rear cars OF the tram
as it was thrown off the iron after the
other cars had been dCraIl"d.
Amnr. the pieces of cvidcnc" Whlcn
vcrr presented for the examination of
the commissioners WAS 4 piece "l an
alleged dcraycd railroad tic, taken
from beneath one of the wrecked cars
by Fred L; Muurc the Main street sta
TONER.
MIR. Moore lid not willingly com" in
to tho case; but the attorneys learned
that Lc WAS in possession of the inter-
rs;iag souvenir. and wanted ali the
evidence possible.
4 witness who was very much want
ed by the commissioners was one IL
liam BarStow, who stated to news
pancr correspondent that he Witnessed
tho wreck while seated in his wagon
at the crossing. where he had stopped
waiting for the trlin to pass. No trac"
of Mr.. BarstowS whereabouts could
be obtained.
The State railroad commissioners
are Joseph r. Peaks of Dover. char
man, Benjamin +. Chadbournc of Bid
dcford, and Parker Spofford of Bucks
port.
The following witnesses gave tcStl-
mony at the hearing: Conductor Jcd
Hathaway. SupCrnt cEd"nt +. +. san
born, Engineer \. IL. Horcys"ck. Mas
ter Mechanic Philip NJ. iiamm"t of
Portland. Fireman Fred Il. Grant,
RoadmaStcr William \. Tarr of Lewis
ton. Section Foreman Alvin III. SWEET,
Luke NJ. Morrill, of Eicr'S crossing. an
cyc-witncS.; Of the accident: Civil En-
cinCcr Charles Il. NoSc. who examined
The locality after the wreck; Minot E
Rowe, Of Ricc'S crossing, an cyc-wIt-
ness of the accident: j. Howard Wcich
of WatcrNillc, who had examined the
railroad tics; +. T.. Moore of Water
vile, who had examined the ties and
taken specimens: Master Mechanic III
A. Toward of WatcrvilC and w. p
Steele of New York, an expert employ
ed by the American Locomotive Co.
The Maine Central Railroad was
represented by Hon. Seth NJ. Carter OF
Lewiston. Owing to the fact that the
county attorney was unable to be
present, the State was represented b!
Fred w. Clair, Esq. of Waterville.
Conductor Hathaway said that he
was conductor of train No. y on Junt
% Due to leave Portland at 11.0o
should have reached Watcrvillc at La
T. NJ Reached Oakland without Incl
dent Leaving Oakland had II cars. The
first intimation of accident witness hat
was the setting of the emergency
brake. Witness was in the smoker
Ali but the two rear cars derailed.
Mail car was overturned. Made III
examination of the track. Time was
all taken up looking after passengers
Cross-examined, witness said thu
train was % minutes late out of Port
land and had made up Is minutes a
the time of the accident. The trail
was travelling at the ordinary speed.
Questioned by Chairman Peaks wit
ness said the train left Lewiston a