The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-29
Operator Makes statement.

''About 9:45 after calling Wyoming and
ascertaining that the freight was there,
the dispatcher called me rapidly half
dozen times. When 1 answered on the
WIRE he told me to bust the order. l
wrote bust across the order, just as No.
was coming in. Conductor McAuliffe
came in and asked me what the order
board was out against him for. l told
him that we had had an order for him,
but that the dispatcher had busted it.
He asked me to hurry and wire him
clearance order, which 1 did. After the
train had started and was out Of my
reach the dispatcher learned that the
freight had left Wyoming. I told him l
could not stop No. as it had left. He
Immediately began calling Kings Court
Junction, the station between Watford
and Wanstead on the railroad wire and
I tried to raise them on a commercial
WIRE We both failed to do this, how
ever, until after the express had passed
the Junction"
Carson admitted that he knew it was
against the rules of the company to can
eel a train order without sending a
Sub" for it, but said that the dispatcher
was his superior officer and he disSiked
to question his order or dispute his au-
thority to take this action. Dispatcher
Kerr's order book does not show that
the order was busted" as Carson
10 lHe DOOh II WAS
still In force and should have been de-
livered to the conductor of the express.
Kerr has not made any statement even
to the officials, and will not until he
takes the stand at the inquest
Rule is Very Strict.
Division Superintendent George G. Jones
of Toronto says that the rule against
cancelling or busting train orders is the
strictest in the company's code.
II do not believe he said tonight, that
it has been violated since the standard
dispatching rules went into effect. Dis
patcher Kerr is one of the pest and most
efficient dlspatchers 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 every confidence in him."
Other Grand Trunk officials who were
pre- sent also expressed their confidence in
Kerr Coroner Harvey OF Lamberton will
begin the inquest at Wyoming tomorrow.
Uf the five Chicago people in Victoria
hospital, John Bird and DIR. C. Harvey,
the lecturer on anatomy at the University
of Chicago, are the most seriously In
jured, although Russell Quinn, whose
hands are hurt, is suffering great deal
of pain. DR.. Harvey, who was one of
the last persons dug out of the telescoped
coach, is resting quietly tonight and is
considerably better than last night. John
Bird is suffering considerably. John
Barnes, of Woodstock. Ont the house
surgeons say, probably is the most Sc
riously injured of any of the wreck VIC
tins, and the doctors are apprehensive
about him. j. j. Cuthbertson, of Port
Huron, Mich, whose mouth was badly
lacerated. is suffering tonight. Frank
Baker, of London, Ont, is reported as
not quite so well tonight. The other VIC
tins of the wreck are improving.
The possibility of pneumonia developing
among the wounded as a result of their
exposure while pinned in the wreck is
feared by the surgeons tonight. Several
of them show some symptoms of the
disease.
One of the most pathetic features of the
wreck is the triple loss sustained by
the Bodley family of Port Huron in the
death of Mrs. J. Bodley, her son, Glenn
Bodley and granddaughter, little Lottie
Lynch, who died at the Victoria hospi-
tai.
Woman Identified.
Toronto, Ont, December 2s.-The wo-
man killed in the Wanstead wreck whose
identity has been in doubt is Loini Pam
amen, f'inlander, who had worked In
this city. She was en- route to Duluth
to join her mother.