Daily Kennebec journal., 1917-05-03

the right or way, Wnlcn was SO uHoeI-
| stood by the crew in charge or the car
of the other railroad. 1t is the duty OF
the latter to ascertain, as Tar as pos
sible whether this section or South
Main street track is clear before tney
enter upon it from either Bridge or
Common street. A curve IN the street
prevents perfect view the entire dis
tance. Occasionally the Lewiston, Au-
Susta and Waterville car has to be
backed off, after entering the street, to
permit the other to pass.
From the time the Lewiston, Angus
ia and Waterville car on Bridge street
is within $50 feet Of South Main street
its motorman has coed view of South
Main street, looking north for about 300
| feet, and under favorable conditions he
can see to Silver street.
"The Lewiston, Augusta and Water
Vile Street Railway car was in charge
Of Motorman E. G. Whitney, 66 years
| old, who had been in the service OF the
! company is years and whose previous
| record was good. 1t was his duty to
observe and krcw whether a car was
approaching on South Main street, any
| where in sight before he left Bridge
street. The collision occurred about
9.15 A. NJ. His car struck the forward
corner of the Waterville Fairfield and
| Oakland car. pushing it sideways off
the track. Notwithstanding the oppor-
tunity to observe he did not know the
other car was approaching until they
were practically together.
"He said he had always made it
custom to look UP to the Bay View to
make sure and supposed he looked up
that trip just as much as he ever did.
THE crew of the Lewiston, Augusta
& Waterville car think it was not 60
! ing more than three or four miles an
hour: the men on the other car es-
innate its speed at - miles. Consider
ing the relative weight of the cars, the
manner of their contact and the extent
of their injuries, we think the speed
must have been very much less than
the last named figure.
"Mr Whitney appears to have been
clearly at fault He could not have
| failed to see the approaching car if he
| had paid any attention whatever. The
motorman on the latter car had right
to expect the former to stop before he
reached the South Main street track.
"Tnis arrangement prevents some
what dangerous situation, which does
| not oXCuSe OF mitigate tiiC iNShSSiiSN
which led to this accident, but con-
tributes to the liability OF accident
from such causes. Crews Of cars enter
ing that section of track between the
two switches above mentioned cannot
! tell whether a car is coming towards
them over the switch or just inside of
it at the opposite end,-not a very great
distance away over a busy street.
| Sooner or later there is almost sure
to be some serious collision between
cars running ir opposite directions un-
DER different arrangements at this
| point
mo signal would have prevented the
accident if the motorman had paid no
more attention to it than he paid to the
approaching car. But this was an ex-
ceptional case.
I'VE recommend that the Waterville
Fairfield and Oakland Street railway
install an automatic signal at the east
side Of South Main street at the juno
! ton Of Bridge street, that will be
tripped by a car fapproa ching on the
! South Main street track when it passes
Common street, and another at the wye
at Common street that will be thrown
from the junction of Bridge and South
Main streets. making a single block
from Bridge to Common streets.
I'VE also recommend that all cars Of
the Lewiston, Augusta and Waterville
Street railway come to a full stop on
Bridge street and Common street be-
fore entering South Main street. and
remain stopped until the conductor goes
ahead into South Main street and sig
nails for them to start"