Waterbury Democrat., 1902-02-08
RAILROAD CENSURED
State Commissions Report on
 Tunnel Disaster.
CENTRAL OFFICIALS WERE NEGLIGENT
Company Hns Not Kept Pace With Increasing Traffic, but Has Been Unprogressive and DereIict
 and Lax Tn DiscipIine

ALBANY, N. Y., Feb. S.-The state board of railroad commissioners has handed down, it's decision regarding the recent disaster in the Park avenue tunnel, New York city.
 Among other things the report says that the New York Central and Hud- son River Railroad company was grossly negligent of it's obligations to the public ill putting Al engineer of such limited experience and ascertain ed capacity as the engineer of the Harlem train to be in charge of pas Senger train for operation through this tunnel in what are called the rush hourS.''
 The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad company has been neg ligent, derelict and unprogressive in failing to take measures to increase it's terminal facilities at the Grand Gen. tral station and yard by such dimen- sions as would reasonably keep pace with the yearly increasing traffic ne- cessities of the lines entering this sta ton.
 The said railroad company has been negligent in failing to examine more closely into the qualifications of new engineers and lax in discipline in fail- ing to hold engineers to accountability for violation of the running rules in this tunnel
 The board recommends various changes in the position of tunnel sig nals and says the proposed increase of yard room and the separation of the suburban traffic from the through traf- hc by carrying the suburban trains underground from the tunnel by loop system to an independent station and operating the local trains by the multi pie unit electric plan is a wise plan, but that it will not be operative with in two years.
 Temporary changes in the yard tracks, to be made on newly purchased property, are to be begun forthwith and completed without delay.
 The proposed underground suburban traffic loop, the plans for which have been adopted by the board of directors of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad company and which have been put in evidence before the i DOIASt, iS IO DS CdIIICu lO COulplGllOn with all diligence as soon as the neces- sary legislation is had.
 The board in closing says:
 "The time is not many years distant when, even with the contemplated inn proyements i'll operation, the increas- ing traffic of the great city and of this triple railroad terminus will require enlarged and better facilities. It may be here noted that possible ways of an- ticipating this need are (a) through the extension of the company's facilities by establishing new trainyard on the Long Island side of East river, or (b) by increasing and improving the company's existing terminal facilities on the west side of the city in the vii cinity of Thirtieth and Thirty-fourth streets and the North river By this means perhaps all, or a large part, of the suburban traffic might be carried to this terminal and to that extent re- lieve the Grand Central station The surface and elevated roads would quickly extend their connections so as to make that terminus easily accessi- ble, and in any event the probable ear ly advent of the Pennsylvania rail- road to that part of the city would make such a terminal desirable, per haps necessary