Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-09-03

ton as to whether the engineer of the
White Mountain train, August B. Mill
er. was making too much speed I'M
der the weather conditions, is under
investigation
Under the banjo" system, as soon
las train passes a signal, it sets red
and automatically opens the signal in
the previous block, allowing train
following to enter.
Under the new semphore system,
which the railroad officials said they
were in the process of installing. the
signal in the previous block would be
set at caution" instead of OPEN.
Ran by the Banjo"
/ Both more than an hour late, the
| two trains passed Walingford, three
| miles north of the scene of the acct
dent eight minutes apart, shortly be-
fore : o'clock. Eight minutes ahead
of them was the first section of the
Bar Harbor Express, and a local train,
due to stop at North Haven, three
miles south of the wreck, led them
all
Under the rules of the road ac-
cording to the officials, an engineer
may pass a banjo" signal set at red
after he has brought his train to Il
stop. This, according to the railroad
officials, the engineer of the Bar Har-
Dor Express did, and then came 10
another stop about 100 feet on the
other side of the signal, a mile north
of North Haven.
This opened the signal In the pre-
Vlous block. mile away, and down a
stretch of track. straight as an ar.
row, plunging through the thick fog,
came the White Mountain Express,
with the impetus of seven cars, bag
gage, day coach and five sleepers be-
hind the engine
Meantime Flagman Murray of the
Bar Harbor train had gone back with
the torpedoes a distance, it was said.
of 400 feet. The torpedoes went off,
according to the officials of the road,
and some of the train crew. Then
came the crash.
According to Vice President VIVA
ley of the New Haven, it would moi
| have been possible at the speed tho
| train was making, for Engineer Miller
to have stopped his train within 1900
feet after he saw the signal. The en-
gineer did not see it, he says, until
| lie was almost upon IL, or scarcely
more than 100 feet from the rear oc
the Bar Harbor Express, and at the
same moment heard the torpedoes.
| Had the semaphore system been in
operation, Mr.. Whaley said, tonight.
Miller would have got a caution sig
| in, l.,
away, and the wreck would have been
avoided.
Il do not wish to place any blame
on the engineer" said Mr.. Whaley,
| but in view of the foggy conditions
a question to be determined is wheth-
| er he was running too fast under the
| circumstances, There is no rule Of
the road which would require him to
| make up time and take a risk while
running in a fog, and as far as /
know. he received no Instructions ito
make up time"
Chief Engineer Ellwell said, tonight,
| that the New Haven had been twice
| advised by the Public Utilities Com
| mission to abolish the banjo" sys-
tenn. once last December and again in
March, following minor wrecks. IN
| both of which the blame was laid at
the door of the banjo" system.
Passengers in both trains were
asleep when the collision occurred
| The White Mountain engine, No 1887
| twin of the new Pacific surerheateJ
! locomotive that figured in the SIAM
| ford wreck of last June, ploughed
through the two parlor cars of the
Bar Harbor, as if they had been so
much paper machinery. In the for
ward cars of the Bar Harbor, which
consisted of IL sleepers, there was
panic among the passengers but the
White Mountain came to a stop so
| gradually, comparatively speaking,
that many Of its passengers scarcely
realized that anything serious had
happened.
For several minutes After the frSt