New-York tribune., 1902-01-09
SIGNALS WEREN'T HEEDED.
NEW-YORK CENTRAL OFFICIAL De
CLARES ENGINEER OF WHITE
PLAINS TRAIN WAS WARNED.

The officials of the New-York Central were
retcent last night as to the cause of the acci-
dent They seemed to think that the engineer
of the Harlem train was at fault. They We're
not inclined to say much, however until full
Investigation made w. II. Newman, presi-
dent of the New-YOrk Central and B. A.
Blodgett, general superintendent, spent the day
looking after the clearing away of the debris
and attending TO the injured. They said 1t would
be time enough to attend to the question OF who
was at fault after immediate needs had been
attended to. Late in the da>', after a consulta-
tion with Mr. Newman and other officials cf the
road, and an examination of the engineer of the
Harlem train and others Immediately in author
ity at the scene of the wreck j. H Franklin,
superintendent of the Harlem Division, MADE
the following statement:
Train No 22s Y known as the South n NSfwabs OF abs
Forty second-st. station at SI5 a: ,. m The New
Haven train halted by signals at Fifty th-st
known as the Croton local to pass from track No.
ahead of the New-IIayen train on track NO, No.; Z
The Croton local Que at the Grand Centrai
Station at S:15 o'clock The signals at Fifty ninth
gineer of the White Plains train disregarded them
The torpedo on the track went OFF but he didn't
to do so. The system Of block signals on the road
aafn Tn to make his s6t decare track
If another train is on the block ~ -
account Of "a fog or smoke it is hts duty to stop and
then send back one Of @ the , TO hnd Sog op
torpedo signal is not heard in case an engineer sges
station lii ~ without getting 9go ahead Signal and
without seeing any other signals he is certainly
able TO see any signal. as said before it is his
bounden duty to bring his train to standstill and
then investigate.
Mr. Franklin explained that the Fifty-ninth-
St station Is called the home station. and the
station at Seventy -second-st the distance"
station. 1t is the duty of the signal man, he
said, to hold all trains in block between Fifty
ninth and Seventy second SITS. when switching
rs to be done In the yards. This is done fire.
quently he said. In a still later statement Mr..
Franklin said:
The engineer of the train, the White
Plains local far I have been able to learn,
is the responsible for the accident. The
NorWak local was due In the depot at SIT,
and the White Plains local at S1j. The Nor
walk local was stopped by the danger signal at
Fifty -ninth-st. The flagman got out with
lantern and tOrpedOes and put the torpedoes on
the rail The engineer of the incoming train
failed to recognize the signals and the collision
was the result He seems to have been en-
tireLy to blame"
L. u. Mccoy superintendent Of the Hudson
River Division of the New York Central. said:
The collision is deporable.- 1t fearful
wreck. We are doing everything possible for
the injured. l went to the scene, but went as
an individual. as the matter is not within my
jurisdiction. and it would hardly do for me to
have anything to say about IL when official
statement viii be made"
o. NJ. Shepard. superintendent OF the New
York Division of the NeW-York. New Haven
and Hartford Railroad, said this afternoon that
so far as he has been able TO learn the hagman
on the train that crashed into got off the
hind and ran back to flag the approaching
train. He placed torpedo on the track and
then started to signal the approaching train
with two red lanterns. The torpedo exploded.
but the engineer, according 10 Mr.. Shepard.
either did not hear the report or ignored IL.
The lagman then threw both lanterns at the
cab window. but apparently the engineer paid
no attention to them.