The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-08-18
Miss Lena Miles, Daughter
of Two Persons Killed,
and Levi Fielding Were
Passengers in Automobile
and We're Injured Some
what-Central Vermont's
Track Blocked for Seven
Hours


Jonesville yesterday afternoon wrecked
the New England States Limited, south
bound, on the Central Vermont railroad,
caused the death of the engineer and Sc
rious injury to the fireman, demolished
the automobile and killed two of its four
occupants and perhaps fatally injured a
third, besides blocking traffic on the rail-
road for many hours.
The Dead.
JOHN MILES, 81, Huntington Center.
MRS. JOHN MILES, 46, Huntington
Center.
RoLLA SMITH, 54, ST. Adams
The Seriously Injured.
MISS LENA MILES, %, Huntington
Center.
ARTHUR W. CHEVALIER, 25, st.
Adams, three ribs broken, bruised and
lacerated.
LEVI FIELDING, Huntington Center,
bruised and badly shaken up.
The passengers of the train were not
seriously injured, although they were
thrown about by the derailment of one
coach and by the sudden stopping of the
cars. Both Mr. and Mrs Miles were
probably killed when struck, their ma
chine being carried few feet by the en-
gine and then dumped down the bank
nearly TO the edge of the Winooski river
Engineer Smith went down the bank
with his engine and was scalded to
death. Fireman Chevalier jumped on the
up side of the bank and sustained his in
juries in landing.
Strangely enough. Leon 0'Neil, aged
l3, was fishing in the river just under
meath the embankment. Hearing the tre-
mendous crash he glanced hastily up and
saw the derailed locomotive plunging
down the bank and directly at him
Without moments hesitation, he
dropped his fish pole, plunged into the
river and swan across, a distance of
200 feet, and in depth IL or Is feet. The
engine went into the river Just a few
feet beyond where the boy dropped his
fish pole.
A Hazardous Crossing.
The grade crossing where the collision
occurred is one of the most hazardous on
the whole line of the Central Vermont.
The road from Huntington Center enters
long covered bridge, with sides boarded
up except for two tiny peepholes in the
center of the structure, which peepholes
are practically of no value, inasmuch as
train might come along after road
vehicle had passed the center of the
bridge. Twenty five feet from the north
eastern end of the bridge, the road
crosses two tracks of the railroad, one
the main line and the other siding
Moreover, the approach of train from
the north is concealed by one of the
company's water tanks, built high up on
the bank of the river, so that vehicle
would be almost upon the track before
view of the track north could be seen
more than 100 feet away. The approach
from the south is clear for a long dis
tance. There are no warning signals at
the crossing.
Jonesville station is on the northeast
erly side of the tracks, not more than
hundred feet from the scene of the,
collision.
Train Was Running Fast
This particular train, the New Eng
land States Limited, does not stop at
Jonesville station, and it generally
makes fast time in the run from Rich
mond to Waterbury. Estimates of the
speed of the train yesterday afternoon
place the rate at 45 or so miles an hour;
so it is not to be wondered at that a
collision of such terrible consequences oc.
cured, even though the driver of the
motor vehicle exercised considerable
caution.
Mr.. Miles, who was driving the auto
mobile, was a man of long experience in
handling ear. having driven for seven
years, and he was considered a careful
driver, according to those who were ac-
quainted with him. Ralph Miles, his son,
SAYS that his father was by no means q
reckless driver, in fact, was just the
opposite.
Mr. Miles Stopped Car Before Attempt
ing to Cross.
That Mr.. Miles took extra precaution
yesterday afternoon in approaching the
crossing is asserted by the occupants of
the automobile, who were still alive
when the rescuers reached the scene.
They declared that Mr., Miles stopped his
machine after passing through the bridge,
going northeasterly, and listened for the
approach of train Hearing nothing, he
started ahead, only to have the fast
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