The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-09-14
ACTIONS OF R. R.
CO. CONDEMNED
BY CITIZENS
Big Throng Of People at Indig-
nation Meeting
RESOLUTIONS ARE ADOPTED
condemnine the Rutland Railroad and
Officials and Demanding Appeal to
Public Service Commission

The public meeting at the court
house Friday evening was attended
by all who could crowd into the
building, while as many more turned
away when they found the place was
packed.
Without doubt a thousand people
would have been present had the
building been large enough to accom-
modate them. 1t was one of the larg-
est and most emphatic public gather
ing ever held in Bennington.
While the general theme OF the
meeting was to express the feeling OF
the people of the town toward the
railroad company for the slackness
of its arrangements which permitted
the accident of Sept. Z, and the uni
form attitude of the company to re-
fuse to give reasonable service TO
this town, the meeting also branched
off into a few side lines looking tow
ard town Improvement
The meeting was called to order by
w. H. Nichols, chairman of the COM
mittee appointed by the board OF
trade. Mr.. Nichols explained the OBJ
ject of the meeting and presented the
president of the board OF trade, Frank
e. Howe, who acted as chairman or
the meeting.
The room was darkened and Wills
T. White, assisted by o. w. HARDWOOD
showed some striking pictures of the
wreck with a stereoptican lantern.
The slides were prepared by Mr..
White and were exceedingly clear
and effective.
Two sets of resolutions were pre-
scented, one by Rev. Philip Schuyler
and one by Rev. G.. s. Mills. AS the
two sets of resolutions did not con-
fiict to any serious degree and each
expressed some points not contained
in the other, both were unanimously
and emphatically adopted.
The resolutions presented by Mr..
Schuyler are as follows;
Resolved. That the disaster at Ben
nington, on Sept. It'll, 1912 has con-
WINGED the people of Bennington OF
the imperative necessity of certain
reforms in the management of the
Rutland Railway.
Resolved, That we, the people OF
Bennington, earnestly deprecate that
system of petty economy which dis
regards the comfort and safety of the
travelling public, and which has been
made by the Rutland Railway, a
prime consideration in the conduct
OF this portion of the road.
Resolved, That the people of Ben
nington regard the disaster of Sept.
9TH as one that would not have oc-
Cured save through the criminal ne
glect on the part of the Rutland Rail
way, of the lives of the passengers
entrusted TO their care, and we con-
slider the officers and directors of the
Rutland Railway responsible for the
same.
Resolved, That the constant pres
ence is required of some competent
official at the Bennington depot TO
direct the movements of trains in
and out of this village.
Resolved, That the Bennington
depot should De kept open and made
comfortable until after the actual ar
rival of the midnight trains.
Resolved That all grade crossings
should be protected by gate and
an employee to guard the same.
In conclusion We recommend to the
Legislature of the State the enact
ment of a law abolishing all grade
crossings in or near all centers of
population throughout the state.
We, the people of Bennington de
sire that the above resolutions be
laid before the Public Service Com
and considered by them in
connection with their investigation of
the deplorable disaster that has
prompted them.
The resolutions presented by Mr..
Mills are as follows:
Whereas. through what is alleged
to have been inefficient and negligent
of the Rutland Railroad
a head on collision occurred at Ben
nington on the evening of September
Z. 1912. attended with loss of life and
injuries to some.
And whereas the attention of the
officers of said Railroad
had been called to the danger to life |
in running trains at night on the Ben !
nington Branch without a night oper- |
ator located at Bennington, by the
officials of the Town of Bennington, |
Of the Village Of Bennington and by |
Citizens petition, now therefore.
Be IL Resolved by the Citizens of |
Bennington In mass meeting as
sembled pursuant to a call Of The |
Bennington Board Of Trade That |
the people OF Bennington hereby de- |
mand that the States Attorney of !
Bennington County make a full in I
Testigation Of said accident with a
view Of determining whether criminal
liability can be fixed on the managing |
officers Of the Rutland Railroad or
others and be urged. II this can be |
lone 10 institute criminal nrnceed-