Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-22

court.
Bail was furnished in the sum of $500
for the appearance of Thomas Poulin
from term to term until the receipt Of
a mandate from the law court. Thomas
Poulin was given sentence by Judge
Hall OF 500 and costs or 60 days in
Jail at hard labor.
Something of sensation was created
in the court room when it became known
that the grand jury had returned an in
dictment for manslaughter against E. Il.
Dunbar Of Waterville, conductor. and II.
<. Thayer. engineer, on the Maine Cen
trail Railroad. These men are charged
with causing the death of Frank E. Be
LANCER. q brakeman. near Benton Sta
ton Oct. S last. Belanger was u brake
man on freight train No. IS. He was
instantly killed and several other men
were seriously injured in railway ac-
cident.
This is the first instance in the his
tory Of the State wherein a railroad en-
ploye has been indicted for manslaughter
in causing the death Of anyone on ac-
count of alleged carelessness or negli-
gence.
The trains involved in the accident were
regular freight trains No. 2s. running
west. and extra No. col. running east.
Freight train No. 2S. Archie f. Butler
conductor, should have left Bangor at
$50 A. NJ. but did leave Bangor at $50
A. NJ, one hour and 10 minutes late.
| At the hearing before the board Of rail-
road commissioners Conductor Butler tes-
titled that the reason that the train was
hot ha ho6 lore
to meet engine No ZIG at Bangor. and
engine No. 116 was delayed. Train No. Is
proceeded west and, according to the
train sheet produced by the train dis
patcher, arrived at Clinton at LOG p. NJ.
and departed at c.2 p. NJ; arrived at
West Benton at pa P. NJ. two hours and
eight minutes late. At 2.40 p. NJ. while
No. IS was at West Benton unreported
less than three miles from Waterville,
Train Dispatcher William Porter gave
the following order:
Engine No. sol, Dunbar conductor. will
run extra, Watervillc to Newport juno
ton Will meet engine No. 372. Huston
conductor, and engine No. 1865, Frost con-
lductor, at Clinton
This order was completed at 2.4o P. NJ.
and was receipted for by Dunbar. conduc-
tor, and Thayer. engineer
III their report of the accident the
board of railroad commissioners said:
What were the rights and duties OF
the conductor and engineer of No. 3Ol
under that order?
we find that E. B. Dunbar. conductor
and Herbert E. Thayer. engineer. were
, directly responsible for this accident. be-
cause it was their duty to have known
where IS was before they started east
with their train: and because it was
their duty regardless of what the train
:, dispatcher might have said to them, to
see that their written order issued, was
, obeycd fully and to the letter. But if
conductors and engineers are to be held
strictly responsible for the carrying ouu
Of train orders, they must be left anso-
lutely unfettered by verbal orders or adj
vice from anyone.
Rule No. 6. among other things. pro-
vides as follows: After the reception OF
. an order it must be obeyed fully and to
the letter. Conductors and engnemen
never must take verbal orders for the
movement of trains or engines They
, must make sure that they are meeting
the trains and engines specified in Their
train orders at meeting and passing
!. points.
If this is to apply to enginemen and
conductors, it should with equal force
apply to train dispatchers. and it is nc
part of the train dispatcher's duty in de
livering orders to conductors and engine
men to have any conversation with then
whatever that will in any way distract
their attention from the performance o.
their duty.
1.-THE care required in running q tran
extra under the peculiar rule In forc'
lon all railroads need not be stated. 1t Il
ienough to say that four of the worst rail-
road accidents in Maine have occurre'
within the past year on account OF error
or MISUNDERSTANDING In the running
extra trains This should not be So l
lit he that the rules require any REVISION
or the manner OF transmitting orders L
ltrainmen needs any change. or some ad
1ditional rule be necessary to compel NOR
PROMPT execution OF orders by trainmer
IL Is orite important that 1t should b
attended to at once
..Rule 10 Of the Maine Central time ia
. BILE No. g.. then in force, provides anon
other things that extra trains. with OF
% der to run extra or work extra. kee
y c,ear of ali regular or signalled trains