Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-02-28

the engineer and conductor were
equally responsible for obedience TO
said rule. The engineer and conduc-
tor of the extra" train, when they left
Bethel at 2;16 knew that IL was n
physical impossibility to run to South
Royalton and comply with the require
mcnts of said rule. Nevertheless, they
deliberately violated the requirements
Of that rule,-a rule framed and pro-
mulgated for the safety Of the en-
ployees of the road and the travelling
public.
The passenger train, mo. s." left South
Royalton at 2:30 and north of the switch
which controlled the side track which
said extra" would have to take. the two
trains collided The passenger train was
running at n speed OF about IL miles an
hour. It is uncertain on the evidence, as
to what was the exact speed of the Tex
ira at the time Of the collision II is
clear that the engineer on the passenger
train did not see the freight train until a
few seconds previous to the accident The
engineer OF the extra" saw the passen-
ger train when they were about 20 rods
apart. He had already reduced the speed
of his train prepa ratory to entering the
yard at South Royalton, and when he saw
the approaching passenger train, he made
the emergency application Of his air
brake, reversed his engine. and thereupon.
he the conductor the fireman, the head
brakeman, and an apprentice fireman
jumped from tho engine; so, that. we
think that when the trains collded, the
freight train was probably going at a
speed not to exceed eight miles an hour
No one on tho extra" was injured No
one on the passenger train was seriously
injured except the engineer, John IIoi-
land. who with his fireman, l.. Larsen
Jumped from their engine, and ". a.
Arlington, the mail clerk. Mr.. Holland
suffered severe cut on the head, had mis-
collar bone broken. several ribs crushed.
and is in n critical condition. He was
not able to appear and testify before the
hoard. but was Visited by member
thereof. Mr.. Larsen suffered disloca-
ton of his right shoulder Mr.. Aiming
ton had his arm broken. f. O. Hobart
the baggagemaster on mo. s." g. f.
! Bore. passenger and an unknown pa
songer from Burlington were slightly in
jured Both the locomotives we're much
damaged. The mail car and baggage car
/ on mo. a. were destroyed, as were also
! WV VI AHi'' IIttgul cars on the extra. Wy
| twenty-five of the cattle on the extra -
were either killed outright or so injured
that they had to he slaughtered
! 1t Is significant that the head bra ke-
man on the extra" had Just before the
collision. climbed ont on the pilot of
fl6' ready TO flag NO. g." and his teeti-
mony shows that the crew on the extra
We're aware that they were running on
the time of NO. s." and feared Just what
actually happened.
We are well satisfied and frd that tn. <
collision, which might have resulted in
great loss Of life wac caused by the
criminal negligence of Conductor Prentiss
and Engineer Bronson of the extra"
| freight train. We urge the attorney-gen
eral, ard the States attorney Of Windsor
! county, to take this matter into serious
consideration, and IT, upon investigation.
they find the facts 10 be as We have re-
ported. that they institute a criminal
prosecution against said conductor and
engineer.
This board has determined to urge the
criminal prosecution Of any employee Of
a railroad corporation. through whose
negligence any person is killed or in
iured.
The evidence tended tn show that tho
injured cattle confined IN the wreck. were
allowed to suffer about an hour before
they were relieved. This Justly excited