The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-07-21
Anonymous To the Paper Mad Because P
BERKSHIRE CO. SCORED
Severely Arraigned by Commission for
Willamstown Accident

WlllIdHlotOWn HCCluCHI
State House, Boston, July 1S-In
its decision on the accident on the
Berkshire Street Railway at Williams
town June 20, the Board of Railroad
Commissioners finds an lnexcusable
disregard of the safety of the public
and Of employees on the part OF oific-
ials of the company and states that
TO characterize It's conduct as care
less is to give 1t too light designa.
toll The decision, in full is as fol-
lows
"The circumstances of the Berk-
shire collision, OH June 20, 1908 were
as follows
Gear No 80 left North Adams west
bound for Williamstown at 10:42 p.
m, being about ~ minutes late, and
was followed by car No. 81. running
extra. The motorman and conductor
OF No 80 had noticed that No. 81 was
to follow. About one-half mile east
of Williamstown depot the trolley of
Nc. 80 came off and the trolley rope
broke thus Sailing the car and ex-
tinguishlng the electric lights.s The
conductor went to the top of the car
10 adjust the trolley rope and reques-
ted the motorman to throw the rope,
one end of which was still attached
to the trolley catcher, up to him.
When about to engage in this work,
and standing at the time near the rear
of car No. SO, the mOtorman observed
car No. 81 approaching. The cars
Immediately came together. 1t ap-
pears that car No. 80 was equipped
with an arc headlight which had been
working unsatisfactory during the
day and that one of the trolley poles
on this car was not equipped with
trolley wheel. There was no arc
headlight on car No. 81. Neither car
was equipped with markers or tail
lights and no provision had been made
for equipping either of them by the
installation Of marker hangers or
otherwise.
Both of these cars had been run
without markers or hangers during
the late season of 1907 Some time
in October of that year the division
superintendent notified the general
manager Of the company of the alb
sence Of hangers. 1t further appear
ed that the general manager at or
about this date, directed an employee
Of the company at Pittsfeld TO order
marker hangers but the same were
not delivered at North Adams. where
cars Nos 90 and 81 were to be equip
ped, until the day after tine accident
The rules aud regulations for the
guidance Of conductors and motormen
are before us The following extracts
therefrom are pertinent to our in
Qui:y:
IF the car is derailed or otherwise
stalled so there is chance Tor coils
ion with an approaching car, conduc-
tor and motorman will 90 in opposite
directions, If necessary. at least ten
poles Zone thcusqnd feet aud signal
approaching cars to stop,
Conductors will be held strictly re-
sponsible for marker lights and must
see at dark that they are properly
placed and burning brightly
1T is obvious that II the conductor
and motorman OF car No 80 had per
formed their duty under the first OF
these rules there would probably have
been no collision, But this is not the
whole story. Ii is equally obvious
that If the company had performed its
duty under the second rule the coils
ion would probably not have occurred
while the immediate responsibility
with the platform crew yet the COM
for the movement of the car rested
pany is equally culpable in failing to
provide its employees with the neces.
sary mechanisms for the installation
of markers. The board is at a loss
TO understand upon what theory of
management the operation OF this
road is conducted, when the officials
primarily responsible for the enforce
ment of existing rules themselves fail
10 provide the instrumentalities nee
essary to make the rules effective. The
rules requiring markers have been in
effect since January |. 1907: and yet
during a portion OF two seasons since
that date cars have been operated
upon this division with the knowledge
and consent OF the officials without
markers or marker hangers. This
condition of affairs has been permitted
not only in violation of rule of the
company itself but of an order of the
board under date of February 6, 1907
in which IL was said: In our opinion
lights not maintained by the electric
current should be carried at the rear
end of all interurban cars.
To characterize this conduct as care
less is to give it too light a designa-
ton. The safety of the travelling pub
tic requires that such failure in duty
receive the fullest measure of condem-
nation.
THE board finds an inexcusable dis
regard of the safety of the public and
Of employees on the part OF officials,
and recommends immediate and thor
ough action by the management, that
all cars operated by it may be proper.
ly equipped and that 1t provide the
requisite supplies to keep the equip
ment up to the standard that Massa-
chusetts demands.
For the board,
"(Signed- Charles Il. Mann,