The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-07-08
TROLLEY CARS IN
WRECK CARRIED
NO LIGHTS
Hearing on Recent Rear-End
Collision at WiIIiamstOwn
OFFICIALS AS WITNESSES
Cars Have Been Run in Violation OF
Regulations Relative to Head and
Tail Lights,

Boston, July San investigation
was held yesterday morning at the
Office of the Railroad Commission. in
to the causes of the collision on the
Berkshire Street Railway at Williams
town on the evening of June 20. The
examination was conducted by Chair
man Walter Perley Hall and his as
sociates, Clinton White and George
W. Bishop, were present President
Storrs of the Berkshire Street Rail-
way was present but did not testify
Attorney Bentley w. Warren was
present as counsel for the company.
Five witnesses were heard. Ernest
Wright, motorman of the forward car
William II. Chaplin, conductor of the
rear car, Thomas Mcdonald. de-
spatcher at PittsGeld, Division Super
intendent w. r, Nary and General
Manager l.. Wheeler.
The investigation brought out the
fact that there was no head light on
the rear car and that although Motor
man James Lee had made application
fCr. one, il had not been sent to him
because rhese was none to send. Both
cars We're running>vfissacgt tail lights.
also, and the fact was brought out
that neither car 80 nor car 81 had
ever been provided, with marker
hangers, or places for carrying tail
! lights.
Motorman Z. l.. Wright testified
that he had had to telephone before
he got headlight, but finally found
it at the telephone box in North Ad-
ans. He also was having trouble
with his trolley as one wheel was
gone. He telephoned for a new one,
but none came.
! A the time of the accident, the troll
ley came off and the conductor went
aloft to fix the rope which had brok-
en-. The witness went back TO throw
up the end of the rope, saw the other
car coming and shouted to Motorman
Lee, but he did not think Lee heard
him.
Cross examined by Attorney War
rem, he said that he knew the com
pany's rule thaR In case Of car be.
ing out Of service. the motorman and
conductor should go in opposite d.
rections at least the distance of ten
poles.
William II. Chaplin, cnductor on
the rear car said his car had neither
head light nor tail light and he had
made no request for tail lights for
there was no place on his car to put
them The witness at the close of his
examination asked permission Ia
make a statement and said that No
torman Lee had telephoned at dusk
for head light and the dispatcher
at Pittsheld told him that there were
none
Thomas Mcdonald, dispatcher al
Pittsfield. said he received the re
quests of Motormen Wright and Lee
for headlights and telephoned to the
barn foreman at Zylonite who said he
would send them to North Adams
Later Lee called again and said that
lonly one had arrived at North Ad
lams and the witness told him thai
probably there was only one at the
barn as he had ordered two.
Division Superintendent Nary sale
that cars 80 and " had been in ust
about year and had never had any
provision for tail lights. He had APP
piled to General Manager Wheeler foI
them and had been told they would b,
sent as soon as possible.
He gave good recommendation L
both motormenf
General Manager Wheeler said tina
the division superintendent had called
his attention last October to the fac
that two cars were without marke
hangers and he had ordered then
and they were received at Pittsheld
but after the summer cars had beer
put out of commission.
He admitted he knew that for
time last fall, the rule that cars shall
not be operated without tail light
was being violated, but he did no
know of the time of the accident tina
cars SO and 81 were without them
Since that time, he had personally in
spected every car on the Berkshir
system and found that they all hav
marker hangers
Superintendent Nary, recalled, stat
ed that he knew of the violation O
the tail light rule.
General Manager Wheeler, recalle
said that he had never seen the orde
of the Board dated February 16, 1907
requiring all cars to carry tail light
not operated by an electric curren
The hearing then closed.