The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-06-22
80 PERSONS HURT|NTERR|BLET TROLLEY
ACCIDENT NEAR WILLIAMSBURG
LATE SUNDAY EVENING
Two Heavily Loaded Cars From Nosh Adams to wamstown
in CoIison-Front Car Stopped and Rear Car Said to
be Running Without Headlight Crashed lntoIt-
Motorman Lee Worst Injured

could not be ascertained at first as the
less seriously hurt were 80 excited
that at first they paid no attention TO
their own injuries and II is likely that
all Of them will never be known. VIII
Jamestown presented peculiar scene
after the accident. Various homes
had members Of the family suffering
from injuries, which were at first deem
ed slight but which before the night
passed required the services of a ply
stefan. There were, too. large num-
Der OF calls at each OF the physicians
offices and those who remained in town
had busy night.
The blame for the accident is DIFF
ficult to place. II has been common
occurrence to run two cars, one follow
ing the other, because OF the heavy
traffic at this time Of the year. A rule
of the company requires that all cars
which are followed by another car
shall carry markers, which are red
flags by day and red lights by night,
conspicuously placed on the rear OF
the car. Motorman Lee claims that
there was nothing on the head car to
let him know of its presence and that
he had no warning until he saw II a
few feet ahead of him In the darkness
of the night. Conductor Roberts oil
the first car says that there was red
light on the car, but admitted that II
had given him more or less trouble
during the night by going out frequent
ly. He said that after leaving North
Adams he discovered that the light
was not burning, and that In Brayton
vile. about three miles distant from
the point where the accident occurred
he lighted ii. He did not notice II AZ
ter that time, he said. and he could
no say whether or not II was burning
when the car came to a stop.
Bystanders claimed that the second
car carried no electric headlight and
THAT this was partly responsible fol
the failure OF its motorman to check
its speed before IT crashed into the
car ahead. Motorman Lee made M
statement relative to the headlight
before being taken to the hospital, ant
his conductor said that he did moi
know whether or not the car had
headlight, though he believed that 4
had. The passengers in neither ca
had any warning, with one exception
Walter Ransehousen, who Vas on thu
first car heard the Soar OF the ap
preaching car and jumped, but IN
landed In barb-wire fence and dit
not escape injury. He sustained bat
bruises and one leg was considerable.
hurt. :
Conductor Chaplin. who climbed Il
the top OF the car TO repair the trolley
was there an instant before the crasl
came. In fact he said that he mus
have jumped at almost the same time
He escaped injury. He did not SCI
|, the other car. and 1t was for this rea
: son 1t would seem that there wa
: doubt of its not having a headlight
, The traffic on the line was blocked 10
some time. but cars were run on eithe
side, and the passengers trapsferre
, ] at the wreck. Notwithstanding tn
| lonely spot where the wreck occurred
and its distance from the town,
, crowd collected In remarkably shor
; time, and remained until the injure
} were taken away.
It is reported today that Motorma
Lee had asked for new headligh
and that he was told there were no e,
, ira ones and to go ahead with the oil
r one. This story is denied at the ca
+ barn.
2 Motorman Lee, whose home Is 4
: Williamstown, was married only tw
2 weeks ago, his bride being Miss Len
9 Brock of Williamstown.