Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-28
CONFUSED ORDERS THE CAUSE
Freight is Reported safe and Ex-
press Goes Ahead to
Doom.


PORT HURON, Dec, 27.-There are con-
f1icting stories as TO the direct RESPONSE
bility for the Grand Trunk wreck at Wan
stead, but 1t is plain that It was through a
miscarriage OF orders. Both conductors
had instructions which, II is alleged, clear
them Of blame, but the attempt to throw
the responsibility on Andrew Carson, the
operator at Watford, is not In accordance
with the facts ais near as can be learned
tonight.
1t is asserted in the first place that the
train dispatcher at London sent an order
to Watford for No. TO pass the freight
at Wanstead, the scene of the wreck, be-
fore the express reached Watford. How
ever, the operator at Wyoming, the first
station to the west Of Wanstead, reported
that the freight was still there. The dis
patcher thereupon, according to Watford
advices, cancelled the meeting order at
wanstead and when the express reached
Watford, according to running rules in
force, It had a clear right OF way to the
next scheduled stop, wyoming.
Unfortunately after No. had left Wat
ford It was discoyered that the freight had
after all, started for wanstead. All pos
sible EFFORTS were made to intercept No. s.,
but the operator at Kings Court Junction
an intervening station, who should have
been on duty, could not be reached ana
Wanstead was not a night ONCE.
There was no earthly means OF stopping
the impending catastrophe. The Wanstead
operator, who lives about sixty yards from
the station, saw the impact of the two
trains and Immediately rushed to the sta
tion to call for aid. He had no sooner
opened the key than the message was
| a. N "a ae1 No q raatA a. A.
too late.
Cannot Understand Blunder.
MoNTREAL,T, Dec 27--superintendept
McGuigan OF the Grand Trunk railway says
his Information is that about. twenty-five
were, killed and thirty injured. He cannot
understand he says, how the operator, who
is charged with the mistake. made such a
blunder. He is one of the oldest and most
I reliable operators we have. The superin-
tendent said he went into the service with
the Great Western In 1887. It appears he
failed to give the order to the passenger to
meet the freight.
Collision ON Illinois Central.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Dec. 27.--A fast pas
senger train OF the Illinois Central, bound
for Cincinnati from New Orleans, crashed
| into a work train at Caneyville; eighty-four
miles from Louisville today.
Three men were instantly killed and two
injured One of the engines was demolished
and the other engine and three cars were
derailed.
The killed..
ROBERT SMITH, engineer Of work train.
| Elizabethtown, Ky.
THOMAS BELL. fireman work train,
Louisville.
W. o. ROBERTS. fireman passenger train,
Central City, Ky.
The injured:
| Louis Cofer, engineer passenger train,
Louisville, badly bruised and cut
John sandett. passenger, Louisville, arms
cut and body bruised.
Collision on Missouri Pacific.
PAoLA, Kan. Dec. 27.--A head-end col
lision occurred between two freight trains
on the Missouri Pacific railroad mile west
OF Dodson at 1 o'clock last night.
| Killed: .,.,
T. p. NORTON. brakeman. sedalia. Mo.
| Injured:
william Bedell, engineer; badly scalded
| - spaulding. brakeman; head cut ant
cash on arm.
]. w. Hill, engineer; badly bruised.
Both fremen were slightly injured.
Train. Goes Into Ditch.
CLEVELAND, o., Dec. 27.-The west
bound passenger train, which left here las
night on the Cleveland q Pittsburg road
jumped the track at Brady's Lake, o., earl!
today while running rapidly and went int
i the ditch.
J. A. Allen. baggageman; Albert Thorntoi
and Edward French, Pullman porters, al
received slight injuries. II ls said no pas
: sengers were hurt. The accident was cause'
by snow hlllng in a switch.