The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-09-17
COUNTY TAKES
UP WRECK
Full Investigation Of Canaan
Disaster
---
TO PLACE RESPONSIBILITY
Action Is Also Taken by the Railroad
company--Good Progress Is Made
in Identifying the
Victims:
TO PLACE RESPONSIBILITY


Canaan, N. III, Sept 17.-An investi-
cation of the terrible disaster Of sun
day by which more than score Of peo-
pie lost their lives and greater nam-
Der received injuries BY collision 81 d
freight and express train on the Boston
& Main railroad began here Yesterday
under the direction Of H. d. Cobleigh Of
Lebanon, the county solicitor Until
hts inquiry and the railroad company's
own investigation is completed, the
actual responsibility for the accident
win remain in doubt. According to n
statement issued BY the railroad Off
cials, biunder In handling train orders
was clearly the cause, but the identity
Of the employee responsible for the error
remains to be determined. County So.
licitor Cobleigh said yesterday that he
would take Immediately such action as
was required OF him az an official under
the laws Of New Hampshire.
Meanwhile the bodies of the victims
will be turned over TO relatives who
claim them. AT the rooms Of the under.
taking firm In Concord where most Of
the dead were removed immediately
after the accident, twenty-five bodies
were laid out in long rows early yester
day. OF these fourteen were considered
as positively identified by relatives,
while the identity Of several Others was
believed to be sufficiently known. OF
the injured who were removed TO the
Mary Hitchcock hospital in Hanover,
one died during the night and another,
an unidentified girl, .was believed To be
fatally hurt. The others injured are
expected TO recover, aecordingto a report
received from the hospital yesaterday. .
Canaan people We're early astir yester-
day aud the place Of the wreck was
viewed By hundreds Of visitors "a thick
mist just such a one a. prevailed Sun.
day morning when the two trains rushed
to their headon collision, hung over the
valley OF the little Indian river and
added gloom 10 the scene. The tangled
masses Of metal and wood which border
ed the track were visible evidences II
the disaster.
The wrecking crew, having cleared
the track late Sunday afternoon, after
tit had been blocked for about twelve
hours, abandoned further work wnen
darkness set in. When work was re.
spmed yesterday morning Il was not
thought probable that any bodies could
remain, 50 thorough was Yesterdays
9verhaHling of the wreekage. On one
side Of the enibankuient lay two big
engines. head to head, in an almost de-
nolished condition. II seemed strange
thing that in such terrific impact no
explosion had occurred and no fire start
ed As many Of the wrecked cars had
been filed with grain and paper stock,
the fire. if one had started. would have
cut of all attempts to rescue the in.
iared
Station Agent Greeley of Canaan
,tation, through whose hands passed the
tatal orders for the freight train to
( proceed OH the passenger trains time,
was not at bis post a. usual this morn,
ing, the officials having asked bim to
testify at the investigation. Greeley
was known 10 almost everyone in town,
anu was regarded highly here as ca.
pable agent and operator, positions
which he had held with the railroad
company for a period covering more
than twenty years.
Yesterdays crowd at Canaan was a
big one, and coming so unexpectedly,
it completely overwhelmed the hotel ac.
Communications Of tie town. AZ the two
public houses here at six O'Clock last
might Il was declared that not a bit TO
eat was obtainable, although neighbors
had been called in and done extra cook,
! ing. During the night not a few people
could be met on the roads leading from
the wreck with big rolls Of glazed white
paper on their shoulders, which they
found among the wrecked freight cars.
Other persons also helped themselves 10
portions Of the tons of grain, mostly
corn which was strewn about the
] tracks. No effort was made to guard
the wreckage through the night.