The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1909-09-17
REPORT ON RECENT
YARD COLLISIONS
Blame for Accidents Not Placed
by P. S. Commission.
THEIR FINDINGS NON N-coMMITTAL
Think Misplaced Switch Due to Care
lessness but Admit Evidence Does
Not Warrant Such Finding
Must be Protected at Each End.

The public service commissioners have
reported the result of their investigation of
the collisions in the local railroad yard
Aug l6 and 81. The findings are nom
committal. the commissioners expressing
the opinion that the misplaced switch was
due to employees carelessnesS and yet ad-
mtting there was no evidence to warrant
such a finding The blame for the coils
ions is not placed despite the fact that a
Searching examination" is claimed to have
been made by the commission. No refer
ence is made to the conduct of General
Manager G.. c. Jones throughout the hear
ing of Sept. 3, his overbearing attitude to-
ward the various witnesses apparently
awakening no suspicion in the minds of the
commissioners that something was being
concealed. A portion of the report fol-
lows:
These two accidents, occurring so near
together, due to substantially the same
cause, and each failing by so narrow mar
gin in resulting in an appalling disaster,
naturally excited great public interest and
solicitude. and provoked searching exam
ination both on our part and by the rail
road management. We are loath to believe
that there has been any malicious meddling
with the switch in question, though we can
not find the contrary. We are inclined to
believe that the displacement was due to
carelessness on the part of the employees IN
setting the switch, though the evidence
does not warrant us in making that tindlng.
'The evidence revealed a practice and
understanding of the requirement of the
rules on the part of trainmen that we think
wrong and which is manifestly fraught
with great danger to public safety. 1t ap-
pears that it is the understanding of train
men that when their train takes siding
that communicates at each end of the main
line, their only responsibility as to switch
es is to see to it that the switch used to
enter the siding is properly closed: that
they are not called upon by the rules, or
the exercise of due care, to pay any atten-
ton to the switch at the other end OF the
siding. This is wholly wrong. 1t is sim
ply inviting disaster for a train to take a.
siding without the trainmen knowing that
their train is protected front and rear. 1t
| is admitted that if for any reason the train
Is stopped on the main line the Train must
at once be protected at each end by flag
men. And yet it is claimed that such train
may properly stop on a siding that, CON-
municates with the main line at each er1d'
without any knowledge on the part of the
lIdll Crew dS w NhCIhoi ViiSii tioiii
not virtually on the main line, where it
substantially is. if the switch ahead is set
to communicate with the main line. We
ask the railroad management at once, by
adequate rule, or otherwise, so to change
this practice and understanding on the part
of trainmen, that they shall distinctly un-
derstand that. when their train halts on
two-end siding it is their duty to see to it
that the switch at each end is properly set:
that such practice is but an exhibition of
the general requirement that when a train
is stopped for any reason. both of its ends
should be at once protected
Moreover it appeared that previous to
these accidents there was no lock on the
switch in question. though it has been
equipped Herewith since. 1t Is our well
settled conviction that, at least in all yards
not in charge of regular switching crew.
every switch leading from the main line
should be equipped with a lock whereby the
switch shall be fastened at all times, ex--
cept while being operated. If that had
been done in this case, these accidents
would have been averted, if the switch was
misplaced by a meddler.
Finally. though Engineer Littletield was
off duty. it is little surprising to see that
lack of the natural instincts of a good rail
road employe which is revealed by his fail
ure at least to inform the engineer of No.
1924 of what he had just discovered as to
the condition of the switch in question.