Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-15
Some Instantly Killed, Others
SCalded and Burned.
Immense Heap Of Wreckage
Burns FIremen Called Out.
Over tapping OF Orders for Trains
on Single Track.

White River Junction. Vt. May IA. -
Speeding i'm opposite directions On a
single line of track. operated jointly
by the Boston. & Maine and Central
Vermont Railroads. two freight trains
came together on the bank of the
Connecticut river two miles south of
here in heavy fog this morning,
killing four trainnen and seriously
injuring three others. The wreckage
caught fire and several Of the bodies
were badly burned before they could
be removed
The trains in collision were a Central
Vermont southb3und local freight
bound from White River Junction foi'
Springfield, Mass. and northbound
Boston tS Maine freight with consign-
ments for distribution at White River
Junction. The four dead are:
X. l. Weber. Ware, Mass. % years.
fireman of the Boston & Maine north
bound freight.
Ealph Fl. FairmGn. "a Years, Yer
non. Vt, head brakeman on the Bos-
: ton Il Maine train.
james NJ. Livingstone. 40 years,
ETecnfield. Mass. q brakeman on the
bpS1oH " Atitie lIOm, ana
Ros Kendall. Brattleboro, Vt.
brakeman on the Central Verniant
southbouno freight.
The most seriously injured, all Of
whom arc expected live, are:
William T. Pellissief or Northamp-
ton. Masss engineer # the Boston
d; Maine locomotive, who sustained
three castles on che had, and whase
back and arms are sedousIy injured;
F.. Mcdonald St. Albais, the Central
Vermont engineer. wlo was badly
burnedi and W. G.. Veniech. New
London. Conn, fireman IN the Central
Vermont engine, who vas badly in
jured and cut about he face and
body.
Others OF the .rainnen also re-
celved Injuries. which dill hot prevent
them resulting work and rescu,ng the
bodies OF their more unfortunate fel.
lowsAa In fighting the lanes which
attacked the sreckage.
Overlapping of orders. by which both
trains are said to have received official
word to continue In sposiex directions
over the single track. is uAierstood to
have CAUSED the collision. Both engi-
neers say they did not see the others
headlights and that their first knowledge
that there was another TRAN ON the
track came with the collision
That there was some prior Wlrning. al
though of only moments notce, appar
- ally was Indicated by the position of the
body of Head Brakeman Farnan, who
was assisting the fireman in the cab
of the Boston & Maine locomotive. His
head was thrown almost into the fire.
box, one hand was still clutcling his
shovel and the other hand vas out
stretched seeking the emergency brake
at his size. Apparently he had sought
to bring the train to stop.
The Central Vermont train, running
down grade from White River toward
the station of Everts to the souh, at a
rate of about IS miles an hour, crashed
into the northbound Boston & Maine
train toilng up the grade at about %
miles an hour. at Devil curve, the worst
on the line. There have been three
wrecks at this point in 10 years.
A Scotch mist hung over everything.
and after the locomotives came together
and the following freight cars piled up
over and beyond them in a tangled mass,
1t was impossible for those not killed or
injured to appreciate the situation
But the dense pail was soon nartly
pierced in a fearful manner. Tongues of
flames from the pulp and hay which had
been emptied from the wrecked cars over
the locomotives and which had become
ignited by the engine fires. burned their
way through the mantle of fog which en-
veloped the wreck. To quench the flames
the White River Junction fire depart
ment was called upon. An engine re-
sponded and with water pumped from
svshe Colleeticut river maintained a steady
drenching of the flames. 1t was not I'M
til noon. however, that the debris had
cooled sufficiently to allow a search for
the bodies
Whether Roy Kendall. brakeman on the
central Vermont, was killed outright by
the collision itself or was burned To
death while helpless, is uncertain his
body was found wedged between the
Do