The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-29
TOLD TO "BUST" 1T
THE OPERATORS STORY OF THE
GRAND TRUNK WRECK.
THE OFFICIALS QUESTION 1T.
DO NOT RELIEVE THE DISPATCHER
"BUSTED" THE ORDER.

No Further Deaths Among the
Many Who Were Injured-some
nre stiII in a Serious Condition.
but il is Expected They Will He
'cover-Operator whom the Ohictns
Claim Caused the Wreck Makes "a
Observation-Disclosures That IL Was
no Fault of His.
London, Ont. Dec. oS.-There were
no deaths to-day among the persons
injured in Friday nights collision at
Wanstead on the Sarnia branch OF the
Grand Trunk Railroad. between the
Pacific Express, No. s, west-bound,
and the east bound freight. in which
% persons lost their lives.
Tonight it was stated at Victoria
Hospital that while several of the IN
iured are still in serious condition,
it is expected that all will recover. The
body of Fireman Ricketts, of the ex-
press train, which was last night be-
lieved to be buried under the wrecked
engines, was found to-day, covered
with snow, in the ditch beside the
track. One arm was completely torn
off and the body was otherwise man
gled. Death must have been instan-
taneous.
Tonight there is but one Identified
body at the morgue here, that OF
woman who was ticketed from Toronto
to Duluth. The mans body, which
was unidentified last night. was this
afternoon identified as George ID.
Southern of Lockport, N. Y.
Andrew Carson, the operator at
Watford, the first station east of the
wreck, whose failure to deliver orders
to Conductor McAuliffe of the Pacific
! express to pass the freight at Wan
stead, is said by the Grand Trunk Of
ficials to have caused the wreck, this
! afternoon made his first statement
since the wreck. He says he received
the order for No express to pass
the freight at Wanstead at 9:4S o'clock,
but declares positively that few
minutes later Dispatch ]. G. Kerr at
London, called him and ordered him to
bust" or cancel the order. He said:
Operators Statement.
about 9:54. after calling Wyoming
ard ascertainingr that the freight was
! there the dispatcher called me rapidly
| half N dozen. times. When 4 answered
| on the wire he told me to bust this
order. / wrote bust it, across the order
Just as No was coming in. Conductor
McAuiffe came in and asked me what
the order board was out against him
for. / told him that / had had an
order for him, but the dispatcher had
busted It, He asked me to hurry and
write him a clearance order. which i
did.
After the train had started and was
out of my reach, the dispatcher learn
ed that the freight had left Wyoming.
told him / could not stop No. 5, as
it had left He Immediately began call
ing Kings Court Junction, the station
between Watford and Wanstead. on
the railroad wire. and l tried to raise
them on commercial wire. We both
failed to do this, however. until after
the express had passed the junction.
Carson admitted that he knew 1t was
against the rules of the company to
cancel an order without sending a sub
stitute for it, but said the dispatcher
was his superior officer, and he did
not like to question his order or dis
pute his authority to take this action.
shows NO Order to BUST"
Dispatcher Kerrs order book in the
local Grand Trunk OIIlce does not snow
that the order was busted or can
celled as Carson claims. According to
the book, it was still in force, and
should have been delivered to the con-
ductor of the express. Kerr has not
made any statement, even to the rail-
road officials, and will not until he
takes the stand at the inquest.
Division Superintendent George Jones
of Toronto says that the rule against
cancelling or busting" train orders is
the strictest in the company's code.
81 do not believe" he said tonight,
chat II has been violated since the
standard dispatchers' rules went into
effect. Dispatcher Kerr is one of the
best and most efficient dispatcherr in
our service. He is the operator who
accompanied the train bearing the
Duke and Duchess of York on the royal
tour of Canada a year ago. have ev-
J cry confidence in him"
Other Grand Trunk officials who
were present also expressed their con-
fidence in Kerr. DIR. Harvey, coroner
of Lambton county, will begin the in
quest at Wyoming tomorrow.