The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-05
MISREAD THE ORDERS
WRECK AT LIMERICK ON SEA.
BOARD DUE TO CARELEssNESS.
INVESTIGATION WAS HELD.
DEVELOPED THAT BURROUGHS
WAS READ HARRINGTON"

Conductor j. b. Bridger and Engi-
neer Charles w. Ellison Made
Their Statement TO Superintend-
ent Hale Yesterday-Other Testi-
mony Was Heard at the Investi-
Rntion-COnductOr and Engineer
Both Misread the Orders-They
Will Probably BE Discharged or
Suspended, as They Were Respon-
sibIe for the Accfdent-Headligh
Was Not Out mt the Time of theAc-
cident-Engineer Ashley Hurt
Worse Than Was Thought.
Conductor ]. B. Bridger and Engin-
ler Charles w. Ellison, were before
Snpt. w. Hale of the Seaboard Air
Line yesterday to explain how the
wreck at Limerick occurred. They
were in charge of extra freight train
No. 5S1, which collided, head-on, with
passenger train No. Sc, as told in the
Morning News yesterday.
The orders from the train dispatcher
were for the freight train to wait at
Burroughs on a side track for No. 66
to pass on it's way to Savannah. The
orders were handed to the conductor
When he received the paper bearing
the orders. Conductor Bridger read it,
but did so less carefully than he
should. AS he read the orders, they
were for the freight to wait at Bar
ringtonr
Quite sure that he had properly, read
the orders, the conductor handed them
to Engineer Ellison, remarking that
they were to stop at harrington for No.
sc. The engineer then read the orders,
also less carefully than he should. He
also made the word Burroughs"
harrington" accepting the conductors
Interpretation.
Thus was a precautionary measure
that officials have ordered observed, for
the prevention of accidents, of no avail.
The reading of running orders is a duty
that devolves upon both engineer and
conductor, one serving as a check
against the other. BY some singular
chance both men read the orders i'm
properly.
Read harrington for Burroughs.
harrington is a station on the Sea-
board So miles south of Savannah,
while Burroughs is but eleven miles.
The engineer and conductor of the
freight train had a schedule before
them, in addition to their orders TO
wait at Burroughs, but they were not
supposed to know that No. 66 was not
running considerably behind time, and
that they could not make the siding at
TQor mi, orfN IN frVan 10 Lot fAA
ger train go by at that point.
Supt. Hale, though not admitting
that there was any justification in the
fact, but merely to show how readily
Darlington might be misread for
Burroughs" wrote for a representative
of the Morning News, the names of
the two stations. At a glance they
appeared much alike, and it could be
seen that, unless carefully scrutinized
one might mistake one word for the
other.
At the investigation that he held Mr.
Hale had the original order. This did
not show sufficient similarity between
Burroughs" and Harrington" how
ever, to relieve the engineer and con-
ductor of blame for the accident. They
were the responsible persons, the engi-
neer and conductor of the passenger
train having had nothing to do with
with the right of way.
Suspended From Duty.
Mr.. Hale would not say what recon-
mendation he would make as to the
penalty the erring conductor and en-
gineer should be made to pay. He
will make some recommendation to the
general office at Portsmouth, however
and, in view of the evidence that was
brought out at the investigation, it is
safe to presume that the men will be
either discharged or suspended. They
are now under suspension.
There had been some talk of arrests
of the men responsible for the acct
dent, but nothing was done. Asked
about that, Mr.. Hale said that GER
tainly there was no intentional wrong
done by the conductor and engineer.
They would hardly he said, have run
their train into a collision knowing
that one was inevitable. Their lives,
as much as those of others on the two
trains, were ait stake. Mr.. Hale
thought the explanation given of err
ror in reading the orders was the true
one of the accident. .
A question had been raised as to
whether the headlight of the engine
pulling the freight train was lighted
at the time of the accident. Nothing
could be ascertained at the investiga-
tion to indicate that the light was not
shining. On the contrary. direct evil
dence was given to show that the light
was on. Even had the light been out,
however, the wreck would have oc-
CURED, as the curve at the point of
the accident would not have admit
ted of the lights of the two engines be-
ing deserted by the engineers at a
great distance to allow them to bring
their trains to a standstill
The body of Mail Clerk J.. A. Rice,
who was killed in the collision, has
been taken to Union, S. c., where it is
to be inferred.
Engineer ]. NJ. Ashley of the passen-
ger train was hurt more seriously than
DIR. J. G. farrell. Seaboard Air Line
surgeon, had at first thought. He re-
ported to Mr.. Hale yesterday that the
engineer had two ribs broken.