Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-31

| ~ III Iit vast Ill one ffpl2Ht
train follow another in less than ten
minutes. Conductors and engineers wiz
| be held responsible TO see that this
is carried out at stations where no
agent or operator is only duty"
No. - waited ten minutes after the
! departure of first II and left Elliott
| and proceeded eastWardlN at 3.05 max
| ing no other stop until il crashed into
| the rear of first "A at a point L.
miles east of Elliott and l Il miles
west of 0nawa station. destroying the
| rear van attached to first "A and kill
| ing the engineer on No. - and the
| company's physician, who was riding
| in the rear caboose of first "A. From
| Bodtish east is a one per cent. grade
descending and the point of accident
was on a tangent Immediately east
| of four degree curve about 1900 feet
| i'm length
There is some conflict in testimony
as to the exact time of the accident.
The brakemen on No. ~ testified thai
they believed that the time as regis
tered by them was between 81 and
3.23la o'clock. The whole evidence in
the case, however, satisfies the com
lnissioners that the accident occurred
at about 3.15, and this conclusion IS
strengthened from the further fact
that Dr. Hayes watch was stopped at
SIG o'clock
From this brief statement of facts,
it is plain that the cause of the ac-
cident is not difficult to determine.
First "a left Bodfish at $40 and
those in charge of the movements OF
No. - knew that. under the rules
that train could not pass Bodfish be.
fore so Bodfsh is nom telegraph
station and it was the imperative duty
of Conductor Dolley and EnSineel
Crandall to see to it that their tfain
was spaced at least ten minutes from
first y when No. - left Bodtish sta
ton But Conductor Dolley and his
brakeman all admit that they did MOI
take the time at that station ana thal
they do not know whether or not az
that point they We're eneroaehlnS upon
the time of first "A. Mr.. Dolley says
thatlhe was busy at the time in max
ing out reports and thes head brake
man. kelley, was back in the scupola
of the caboose in conversfIepn with
Rear Brakeman Marsh. They do not
know 1.-The time which theirsswatehes
registered at Bodhsh, and no9 Thought
whatever was given TO hesforwlrd
train upon which they were so RAPID
ilv advancing. The evidence shows
WA No. - covered the ~ miles be-
| tween elliot and the place of acci-
| gent IN tAQut ten minutes, or at and
| average sReea, of forty-tive miles an
| Aour flfsN "A was proceeding at tho
rpte Of aboN eighteen miles an hour
| at the tme OF he accident. All the
leridenc& tends S6 show that instead
of n1aintAining the ten minutes space
in the deNrture of 10. - from Bod
fish, the a&ident actually occurred
i've minutesSefore that tain was per-
mitted underline rules To pass Bod |
fish station, ME neglect af duty on
the part Yof EAlneman Cra,dau and
Conductor DolleA of train No. - AMI |
their violation ofthe requirements of |
the rules, we're tht direct and lame
diate cause f" s~na,ident The con-
duct of Rrahrh rsh and xel,av
| is also cehsueb> \ , ~ ", co,not y
held blanieless VI - If being all
the head Of the Yin 80 duf,,
called him, KelleUNqs ( t,,o ', aahoose
with Brakeman Mars. dAtno rho nm
from Elliott to the pla O %ff9 oaaident
and neither of them aplqA - ,oy4.
observed the rapid moNairh If No
rain OR the time of departa. fro,al
Rodfish station, or had any MasFt.
Whatever of first "A. Had Kelley I'm
; alert at the time in the dieharee Sar
his duties and had been on TN loobSe
ont on the opposite side of the.
Dino from Engineman Crndall whS'>
they reached the curve tpote "a
red to, we believe he Wequ ~ co.
| ne curve I'll