Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-11-03
STATE HOUSE
Public Utilities Commission Re-
ports on Several Fatal Acct
dents-Dr. Young's Interview
on Meeting of Milk Interests
at Boston
NEXT COUNCIL MEETING
NOVEMBER 10

In the matter Of the accident upon
the premises of the Cumberland Coun-
ty Power & Light Co. on Oct. '25. re-
sulting in the death OF Mildred Water
house, the Public Utilities Commission
reports that this child OF four years
was run over by a construction car
on Park avenue. The Commission
states that it seems to have been the
custom Of this electric railroad. when
pushing a fiat car ahead Of the motor.
to have a man on the front end as a
lookout" when within the city. limits
and in this instance each member Of
the crew was riding inside the con-
struction car and no lookout man was
on the fat car The Commission says:
1T may be that the accident could not
have been prevented had such look
that the child, who, as stated above,
was but four years Of age. was per-
mitted to be upon the street unattend-
ed and very likely ran from a place
of apparent safety out upon the tracks
in front of the car. AS we said before,
it may have been impossible for
lookout man to have prevented the
accident had he been on duty, but 1t
does seem to us, however. that when a
car is being pushed ahead Of a<motor
car there should be someone on the
front end to do all that is possible to
avoid accident to travellers, and we rec
ommend that in the future this be
the constant practice"
In the matter of the accident near
Green lake station, en- the Maine Cen
trail Railroad, Oct. "a, resulting in the
death of an unknown man. the Com
mission reports that the investigation
made it perfectly apparent that the
man was riding on the freight as a
trespasser and in some way fell off
and was killed.
In the matter of an accident upon
the Maine Central Railroad at Cornish.
in which William Latour was killed.
the Commission reports that there was
no witness to the accident but all the
surrounding circumstances indicate
that the man was stealing ride and
fell from the moving train. The Com
mission then states: There is no evil
dence Of any carelessness or respon-
sibility on the part of the railroad or
any of it's employees, but unfortunate
ly there seemed to be an entire failure
upor the part Of the employees of the
railroad to understand their respon-
sibilities and duties following the find
ing Of the body under the Circumstance
es disclosed, for the dead body was
left exposed to the elements for nearly
four hours while one employee would
call another by telephone, and each
attempt to shift the responsibility for
the care of the body on to someone
al of ashrdl shrdl shrdl shrdlu srdluu
else Attention is called to the fact that
not long ago we sent out a carefully
prepared letter Of instructions all
public utilities with reference to the
immediate care Of a dead body found
under circumstances which gave no
suspicion that foul play was the cause
of death. We ask the Maine Central
Railroad Company to instruct its en-
ployees with reference to the disposal
OF dead body under circumstances
like those disclosed in the above acct
dent
In the matter Of the accident on the
premises of the Bangor 6 .Aroostook
Railroad Co. at West Schools, Oct. 10.
resulting in the death of w. T. Ross.
the commission reports: Ross had
just been engaged as brakeman, and
Junction at 11.30 A. NJ. He stated that
he had no previous railroad experience
and was instructed to go with and OBJ
serve the head brakeman. Six stops
had been made before West Schools
was reached. At this station the en-
CINE was cleared and sent to the water
tank. Ross was told to go with it to
open the switch. On the way he got
upon the pilot, and. according to his
own statement to the conductor after
the accident, when he got off to run
ahead and open the switch, studded
his toe and fell across the track, with
the above result" Ross was run over
by the pony truck Of the engine and
died after the amputation of both
legs. The commission decides, the in
vestigation failed to disclose evidence
Of negligence on the part of the rail-
road company or any Of its employees"
In the matter Of the accident upon
the premises Of the Maine Central
Railroad Co. at Auburn, resulting in
the death Of Frank NJ. Stewart, the
commission reports that Stewart was
killed when struck by the engine of
an extra train and thrown from the
bridge over the Androscoggin river to
the top of a pier and thence to rocks
below. dying instantly. When Stew
art was first seen by the engineer he
was out of the reach Of the engine,
but as it approached he left his posi-
ton and walked toward the engine.
The commission decides: mo reason
for his action is disclosed. He was a
working man.. Who had crossed the
bridge to and from his work daily for
a great many years. No provision is