Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-11-01

gusta g. Waterville track, making the
shift diagonally so that the Lewiston
Augusta & Waterville crossing is little
south of the Maine Central crossing. 1t
then proceeds south. The electric rail-
road is located in the west side of the
highway south of the crossing.
The two tracks are Il feet and 10 in
ches apart. between inside rails, opposite
the Lewiston, Augusta & waterville high
way crossing, and 81 feet and four inches
where the body was found.
This description of the locus Is neces-
sary in order to make clear what we be-
Ieve may have been the cause of the &C
cident.
THE motorman and messenger in
charge of the express car were men OF
long experience; the equipment of the car
was in good condition, and the opportuni-
ty for each party, the car crew and Mr..
Dehetre, seasonably to observe the pres
ence of the other was ample.
1.-The express car left Waterville at $50
P. NJ. While the statements Of witnesses
are somewhat conflicting. we think that
the following conclusions may be fairly
deduced:
spur track crossing at two or three miles
an hour and Immediately began to pick
up, reaching speed of eight or 10 miles
an hour. The motorman first saw Dehetre
about the time the car passed the high
way crossing and blew the warning whis-
tie. This warning was repeated five or
six times
"Dehetre, when first seen, was walking
south along the highway. east Of the
track. Is or % feet outside of the track
and pretty near the middle of the road.
He did not appear to hear the wristle
and. when the car was nearly opposite
he turned directly toward the track and
walked upon it far enough SO that he was
struck by the pilot and thrown, rf on the
opposite side of the track.
when he turned toward the track the
motorman, besides giving another whistle
threw his air brake into emergency ana
stopped his car in its length after hitting
the man.
! "A Maine Central passenger train, also
going south, made the highway crossing
just about simultaneously with the cleo
| trio car and was going 40 to so miles an
hour. 1t passed Dehetre just before the
express car reached him, but only Just
passed him. We believe that the noise
of the passenger train prevented his
hearing the approaching car, or its warn
ing signals. and accounted for his step
ping directly upon the track.
. while the motorman seems to have
done his best to warn the man by signals,
and the man himself appears to have ex-
ercised no care in stepping upon the track,
we think that the motormen Of electric
cars ought to be instructed, in the effort
TO- avoid accidents by every reasonable
endeayor regardless of legal liability, al
ways to reduce their speed so that the
car shall be under absolute control, capa-
BILE of being stopped Immediately. when
they are proceeding within such distance
os a passing train that the sound of the
latter may drown the sound of the car
and any person. not positively known to
be aware of the approach of the electric
car is seen to be in such position that it
is possible for him to stop in front of 1t.
Where there is nothing unusual to
deaden the sound of the car and the
warnings, the motormen may reasonably
assume that persons standing or walking
by the track will hear it; it would be
practically impossible to operate cars on
any other assumption. But where condi-
lions such as the above exist. additional
precautions ought to be taken. We rec
ommend that the Lewiston. Augusta &
Watervile Street Railway devise rule
for such situations and report the some
to this commission