The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-05-24
PROBABLE CAUSE
OF DERAILMENT
OF Barre and Montpelier Traction
company's Car Last Winter
at Emsle's Greenhouse Re-
ported by P. S. C.

The Vermont public service commission
reports that it is unable to determine
the cause Of the derailment Of the
large car on the Barre q Montpelier
Traction companys limo near Emslie's
greenhouse on February 27, last, a
hearing on which accident was recently
held in Montpelier. However, it Is the
opinion of the board that the derail-
ment was caused by ice on the curve
The report OF the commission is as
follows:
In the matter of the derailment of
Barre & Montpelier Traction & Power
company car at Barre. February 27,
1911, the commission finds that about
$3.50 D M, on its trip from Mont
pelier to Barre with about eighteen pas.
sengers, at point Just within the edge
of the City of Barre, and while NOV
ing at speed Of about five
miles an hour, the front trucks left
the track and about two-thirds OF the
ear went down the embankment and at
right angles thereto, and toward the
track OF the Barre railroad. No one
was injured and the car was damaged
but little
"The commission is unable to fix
upon the real cause of the derailment
The car had just passed the long curve
and was about TO take piece of
straight track, the rear wheels just
leaving the curve The curve was suit
ably provided with guard rails through
its whole length, and the track had no
defect at the point of derailment 50 far
as YVES dscernabe The commission
is inclined to think that the derailment
was caused by an accumulation OF ice
In contoct with the rail, so hard and
packed that the iange OF the wheel
was thereby caused to climb the track
Embarrassed by conflicting testimony
between the engineer and the brakeman
on the train which killed NJ ]. Lynch.
assistant roadmaster for the Central
Vermont, at West Hartford on December
Is. 1910. the commission is unable to
place the blame, although reporting
that neither Mr. Lynch nor the con-
ductor Of the train was responsible for
the moving Of the train which caused
fatal injuries to Mr. Lynch as he was
working under the eaboose In relation
to the conflicting testimony Of the en-
gineer and the brakeman, the commits
sion reports that zone of them lies, we
are well satisfied Of that, but we do
not feel that confidence about that mat
ter that warrants us in finding which
is the liar"
That Daniel Fitzgibbon, lineman for
the Rutland Railway, Light and Power
company, came to his death at Fair
Haven on January 20, 1911, BY his own
in coming in contact with
q feeder wire while seraping a live wire
is the opinion Of the commission
A collision on the Delaware s. Hudson
railroad near Fair Haven on December
rs. 1910. when Z WI Skeels and
Michael Malone were killed, was caused
BIZ the .segligence Of the crew on one
engine in running their locomotive,
tender first, and also the failure of the
engineer on the standing freight to-
place proper lookiut. The commits
sion suggests that the Delaware &
Hudson ought to have passing track
at Fair Haven
The commission has ordered the
aholishment of the following grade
Two crossings on the Grand
Trunk near East Brighton station, one
crossing on the Central Vermont at
the west end Of the railroad bridge
spanning the AIissisquoi river at Shell
Ion Junction, one crossing on the Gem
trail Vermont at Sharon by building an
lnderpass from the station TO the
highway bridge spanning the river, one
IN the Rutland railroad at the first
north Of the station in Char
otte The cost Of the above changes
IS apportioned as usual, ten per cent
to the towns. twenty-five per cent to
.he state and the remainder to the rail- |
-oad companies.