The Topeka state journal., 1902-08-12
RAILROAD NEWS.
Jury Scores Santa Fe Coast
Line officials.
Says C00mb's Siding Wreck Due
to Executive Negligence.
"A SEVERE CRITICISM.
Methods of Switching Come in
For a Roast.
2oufo To noeanOd 2ma g hos Tn
A SEVERE CRITICISM,
Santa Fe Decapod Smashes Up
Freight Cars.

Severe criticism for the officials of
the Santa Fe road and the system or
switching employed at the scene OF the
recent wreck at Coomb's Siding, Cal,
was meted out by the coroner'S jury
which had before it the consideration or
the causes of the disaster.
Te wreck occurred through some
mistake in orders on the Redondo line
on August 8. Two Santa Fe trains
crashed together, and H. E. Gardner, a
brakeman, was killed. The verdict OF
the jury was as follows: n
I'VE, the jury, find that said H. F.
Gardner came to his death as the result
of collision between two Santa t'e
trains on the Redondo line of the Santa
Fe Railroad company on the evening OF
August 3, 1902, at Coomb's siding.
And we further find that said COLI
sion was contributed to by negligence
on the part of executive officers or the
Santa Fe Railroad company, together
with the night yardmaster of the Santa
Fe yards at Los Angeles, the foreman
of the Santa Fe switcing crew then
working at Coomb's siding, and the en-
gineer of Santa Fe engine No O2l3.
I'VE further find that certain meth
ods of switching in use in the immed-
late past within. and outside of said
yards merits severe criticism
I'VE commend the action of Switch
man James Murphy in tagging the
north bound passenger train.
IRVING SAYFORD, Foreman.
"CORWIN BORDER.
"WILLIAM 6. TAYLOR.
ID. HAIL.
-. BERGER.
JOHN II. WILLIAMS"
In speaking of the wreck, the San
Bernardino Transcript says:
Local railroad men are of the opinion
that the wrecking crew We're working
outside of the yard limits on orders
from the general vardmaster. who Is
the agent of the company in Los An
geles They claim that the bulletin In
] hNDl
contained this order until the wreck oc-
Cured and then when they went to
look for the order, it could not be found.
1.-THE fact of the matter is that all
train orders governing the running Of
trains on the Santa F'e lines. west or
Barstow, are issued from the San Ber-
nardino Office in the name of the divis-
| ion superintendent. In the San Ber-
nardino yards the. rule is, that the yard
men are perfectly safe to work within
| the yard limits without orders and they
! look out for regular trains according to
| the time card. When specials are run
| and they have work to do on the main
line, working orders are always ISSUED
| by the dispatcher"
DECAPODS SMASH CARS.
| The big Santa Fe decapods are smash
| ing UP rolling stock for the Santa Fe
| at a shocking rate. The monster en-
| of thing is not likely. to add to the
popularity of decapods in Santa Fe
| service.
The latest offender is ess. which went
| on the war path near San Bernardino.
| Cal last week. A long freight train
! left San Bernardino with engines Nos
| 468 and 483 on the front end and deca-
| pod 989 pushing behind. AS the train
was pulling out over the main lead the
! front engines suddenly put on the air
| to stop at the switch on the ain line.
The decaood did not realize that the
| front end of the train was trying tc
| stop, and it kept on showing along
| The result was that two coal cars. one
loaded with coal and the other with
| four handcars. had their backs broken
| in an instant and their loads were
dumped upon the ground. 1t took the
| train a full hour to get disentangled
| from the wreck and then once more pro-
| ceeded up the hill AT Verdemont a
! repetition of the yard wreck occurred
The only difference was that only one
! car was mashed by the mighty decapOd
| The wrecker was called out to clear ur
the mess, and the west-bound overland
trains were delayed several hours.