The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-12-18
RESPONSIBILITY
PUTOH NAN WHO
WAS KILLED
Public Service Commission &c.
part on lugway Accident
BRAKES IN WORKING ORDER
In the Absence Of His Instructor
Green MotoFman Lest His
Head.

The public service commission has
made its report on the accident at
what is known as the dugway switch
on the Bennington and North Adams
Street Railway company's line and
which happened On the evening Of
December 10, 1913. The hearing was
held here FEBRUARY 3. 1914. The re.
port places the responsibility for the
accident upon Ne-i Gingras. the
motorman who YES fatally injured
when The two cars came together.
Tho report IS as follows:
ca. no. 80 ia charge OF n. Hamil
rs conductor ard Neri Ging,2o as
mo;o-mar Let bennington fo- North
Adams at s.45 >. N. This car was 6
double truck car equipped with air
brakes. Ger No. 100 Of similar con
st uction and equipment in charge
Of con1Gc.cr Levi Love and Motor
man Z. Amidon lett North Adams al
3.45 p. IN. on The same evening
These cars were due TO meet al No.
cwltch in pownal about 915 p. m.
This switch IS about one hundred
yards long and has q telephone box
located about e.ghty feet from The
south and Of the switch from which
telephone both cars were supposed
10 report to the disFaiche at North
Adams.
Cer No. 9S reached the switch first
and az the tine said car was opposite
the telephone hex, Car No. 100 was
Just slowing down and taking the
south cad Of the switch Car No. IS
ran by the telephone box without
stopping and coilidcd headon With
car No. 100 ct q roint very near TIE
south cad Of said switch. These two
cars wc-o supposed TO pass each 9th
or at this switch Both cars wore
supposed TO stop and report TO the
dispatche. One Fred Newman was
upon Car no. IS with Gmgras. Now
man prior to this time had some
small experience rs q moto man on
the part of the road which IS located
in Ncrth Adams end at the time OF
the accident was engaged in learning
the road between North Adams aad
Pennington under the iutelage Of
Gins-as The rules OF the Company
require chat tho regular motorman Of
the car shall at all time be upon the
front platform while the car is in mo
ton. Sometime before Car No 9S
reached No. ] switch at Pownal, Gin
grae went inside Of the car leavins
Newman to operate the same. This
was q plain violation OF this rule.
when the c.r was nearly up TO the
telephone box, Glngras evidently OBJ
serving that the car was net going 10
stop 40 the box and was not undo.
coatrol rushed to the front platform.
but not la time 30 take any action
which would have avested the coils
ION. II was claimed by Newman that
The air brakes en- car No. 9s suddenly
failed But e appeared the brakes
we're working properly on the trip
from Bennington and an investigation
after the accident revealed that these
brakes we-o fin good order We do
net End that there was any failure Of
the sir brakes.
We ind that the primary cause of
tho accident was the violation by
Cinsras Of The rule above stated i
Is evident that Newman did not have
tnc car under control and evidently
lcst his head in tho emergency and 81
Cing1as had been at his place on the
front platform the accident. in an
probability would not have happened.
As q result Of the collision, Gingras
was killed. Arthur Hoatling OF Pow
mai. Vermont Clarence Peckham C,
Bennington. Vermont Albert Kraus
OF New York City and G. o. Man.
chester OF Piusheid. Mass, who were
passengers. sustained cuts and
bruises and Motorman Amidon was
cut and bruised.