Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-12-08
IMPORTANT HEARINGS
Blame for Orleans Wreck Placed. Tele.
phone Rates Discussed. Additional
Train Service Asked,

The public service commission, con-
sisting of j. w. Redmond of New
port, chairman, E. H. Porter of Will
mington and S. H. Jackson of Barre,
r. w. Spear of Newport clerk, hel
hearing at Newport last week ON sew.
eral important local matters.
The first. matter considered was that
of additional train service between
Lyndonville and Newport. A large
petition was presented to the COM
mission to have the evening train
now coming as far north as Lyndon
vile continued to Newport as on the
summer schedule. This would give
an additional train both north and
south and would, of course. he great
convenience to the people of New.
port, Orleans, Barton and all other
places north of Lypdonville. The
question was whether the train
would pay or not. Young & Young
of Newport appeared for the Boston
& Maine and F. E. Miles of Newport
for the people. No order has been
handed down by the commission.
Dispatcher Liberveau shouldered
all the blame in connection with the
wreck at Orleans a few weeks ago in
which Fireman Noakes lost his life
Upon taking the stand, Chairman
Redmond explained to Mr.. Liberveau
that it was his privilege to refrain
from giving any evidence that would
in any way incriminate himself and
that whatever evidence he gave might
be used in prosecution against him.
To this Mr.. Liberveau stated that al
though he had lot of things to be
sorry for, he had nothing to cover up.
He then told the whole story of his
mistake. According to his testimony
he sent an order to the helper at the
Summit siding to meet train at Or
leans and when the order was repeat
ed, it read Newport, but be over
looked the mistake, probably because
of something calling his attention at
the moment. There is no written or
der as he claims to have sent it, so
that the blame seems to have rested
on him. He does not deny being to
blame for the affair and showed great
courage in telling everything as it
actually happened.
The third matter discussed at this
hearing was regarding the raise In
rates of the Passumpsic Telephone
and Telegraph Company, operating in
Orleans and Caledonia counties. w.
| . y
for Orleans county, asked the com
mission to order the telephone com.
panies to produce all books and papers
relating to the raise in rates and alse
all correspondence as to the formation
'of the Passumpsic Telephone Company
by the New England company. Thi:
request was granted and an order will
be issued to that effect. This hear
ing was continued until January 18
to allow District Attorney Alexande
Dunnett, who has court cases in Cal
edonia county court, to complete hi
business there. This case will prob
ably attract large amount of atten
tion as it is the first case of this ma
ture to come before the commission
for hearing,
1t is understood also that petitio
has been circulated, asking to have tn
air line north stop at Wells River
which petition will also come befor
the commission in the near future.
On December IA, at Newport, in th
: forenoon, there will be a hearing O
the petition of the Canadian Pacifi
Railway to abolish the Kendall cross
ing, situated about two miles fror
Newport. The method of adoptio
: asked an overpass a short distanc
north of the present crossing.
The commission is issuing notice
to all the public service corporation
to file complete list of tariffs on o
before January 1st, 1910,. This or
der is issued in pursuance of Section
18 and 19 of No. 116 Acts of 1908.