Daily Kennebec journal., 1922-08-24

4, beginning a distance OF more than
! one mile from the station. When
| this train was within less than one
j half mile from the Knox Station, It
became stalled on this grade. There
upon the pin was pulled behind the
l12 cars Of coal, leaving the seven
freight cars with the buggy on the
main line track, and the engines pro-
| ceeded with the Il cars of coal to
Knox Station and left them on the
main line.
! THE switch was set, and the en-
! gines then ran back through the sid
| ing to pick up the rear Of the train.
| The brake valve on Engine No. 251
wa. cut out, and the brakes We're
controlled by the engineer on Engine
! No. 14o At the time the train was
stalled. Conductor Wiley and Brake
man Brown were in the buggy, but
Mr.. Brown went forward, uncoupled
the cars as above stated. and with
| Brakeman Eldridge. rode on the
/ train to Knox Station.
Conductor Wiley remained in the
buggy. When the train was separat-
ed for the purpose OF doubling into
Knox Station, no lantern or other
| light was left on the front end of the
rear part Of the train. The engir-
| GERS, however, took note of a
whistling post as marker, and En-
| gineer Desmond also observed a lone
pine tree as a marker for the pupose
CT locating the rear part Of the train
! }a 0f tho train
was on a curve to the right when go
! ing east, and the forward end OF the
! rear part Of the train which was left
| behind was about the length of the
two engines and twelve cars wrom
! the whisting- post, or approximately
! 600 feet.
| THE night was clear, and the
! stars were shining. Having left the
,12 coal cars on the main line at Knox
; Station, the two engines backed
! arought the switch at the station and
started to return for the purpose Of
! bringing up the cars which had been
! left behind. AS the engine passed
| the whistling post on the return trip,
they were travelling about IS miles
ar hour, Engineer Young applied his
! brakes and slowed down to about n
miles per hour, and then released his
| brake. Engineer Desmond. feeling
| he brake released, Immediately blew
q danger whistle and started to re-
verse his engine When Engineer
Young heard the whistle he applied
| the brake in emergency. but the en-
| gines were too near to the cars that
| had been left standing on the track
| to avoid collision.
The engines struck the cars while
still travelling at the rate probably Of
eight to 10 miles an hour and SO Sc
verely that the first freight car was
| derailcd. Brakeman Brown on the
! return trip was riding on tho sill-step
| on the tender of Engine NO. 25.. and
| when they got past the WhistlinG-
| post, he gave a cautionary signal and
| then Immediately a danger signal,
! but it was then too late to avoid the
! collision. Mr.. Brown was caught be
tween the engine and freight car and
! njured so severely that he died with
! in few hours. The control Of the
train in making this movement was
with Engineer Young on the forward
engine no. 14o, as the brake valve
! on Engine 40. 275 was cut out as
| above stated.
! There was evidently in this case
serious failure on the part of the
| men who controlled the movements
Of this train to perform their duties
i properly 1t would appear to be the
i duty Of t." conductor To properly