El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-03
REPORT OF THE INVESTIGATION. |

n REPOR Of lie lNtES tlOnl lON'
The Santa Fe Posts a Bulletin and
points Out the Responsible
Parties.
The following bulletin which was
posted In the Santa Fe depot at thi
point this morning has reference TO
the wreck which occurred at Dillon,
New Mexico, short time ago, In
which there was no one injured, but
in which the company sustained
heavy loss. The bulletin reads as fol-
lows:
All concerned:-An accident causing
serious loss and delay to the traffic re-
Gently occurred on this division by the
negligence of the train and engine
crews in charge of an extra. In this
case the train consisted of % cars, the
way car, and two engines. The air man
in order to expedite the handling OF
the train through terminal yard, had
the air plant to the rear
end of this train in order to
charge same aud prevent delay in
pumping up. 1t was found there
was q car to be set out five cars from
the head end. This was done air
coupled up, and evidence shows the
air was cut through. 1t was then
found necessary to replace dummy
hose between the two engines, and
evidence shows that air was cut
through after replacing this hose:
The air inspector gave the usual signal
to have the air applied and testifies
that the brakes Immediately applied:
that he walked to the head end
and notified ie Tho party Syna;ne ne
that he had 81 cars of air and four
pipe cars and that the air was excep-
tionally good, no leaks, and piston
travel all right; that he told him to
release and the air Immediately re-
leased, and each car inspected there
hand brakes had been care
fully tested by the brakemen and were
found TO be in good order. Con-
ductor approaching the train with bis
train orders noticed that the gauge in
the way car showed Is pounds of air.
take siding at the first rteleg raph sta
ton, were read, properly handled, and
clearly understood by both engineers,
the conductor, brakeman, and fireman.
Air inspector bottled the conductor
that he had 81 air cars in good work
ing order and four pipe cars,
and the head engineer advised the con-
conductor that the air had been tested
and was all right. Conductor rode on
the head engine in order to be at the
switch at the meeting point. Both
brak emen rode on top of train. Ser
vice test was not made, and when first
application of air was made to stop for
SWITCH which was at point more than
q half mile from where the train was
to head in, it was found that the
air brakes were imperative. The con-
,ductor used the whistle and called for
hand brakes and asked the engineer to
applied hand brakes with clu hs, but
train went into a station at hi gh rate
of speed, was let in on eide track, and
-collided with cars and an en- CINE ON
side track, causing much damage. 1t
was found that the second
engineer had cut his brake
valve in after leaving the
station to ascertain how much air was
being carried by the head man. He
also claimed to have cut valve out
again, This accident may have been
cause by failure to cut in the air be-
tween the two engines after replacing
the dummy hose. It is more probable
however, that it was the result
of the second engineer cutting
in his brake valve and carry
ing his engineers valve in running
pOS1blOQ, w nlCu WOulu pT0VCu6 OIdh Os
oper ating by an application from the
lead engine, as the second engine
would pump the brakes off. 1t was
fully and freely admitted by the men
in this case that there was
nothing that could have been
done that was not done, no precautions
that could have been taken or
provid I'D ~ the company, that had not
been taken, to have prevented this
accident: that it was due to neglect
and carelessness in handling the air
The engineers have been discharged
for violating rules Nos. 403, 4O5, 4O7
Alb, and Ala. The conductor has beer
suspended for sixty days for violating
rules Nos. 120 and 4O8, and more parti
cularly because rules Alb and Ala were
pown by him not tOshave been com
I'D with.
I'd, J. E. HURLEY,
Superintendent
lprse on Charley.
L,