The Indianapolis journal., 1902-12-30
Testimony of Train Dispatcher Kerr,
Operators Carson and watson
and Other Employees.
EFFORTS TO STOP THE EXPRESS
BEFORE 1T DASHED INTO THE
FREIGHT AT wANsTEAD.
Operators Promptness in "Busting''
an Order Mainly Responsible-The
Conductors Evidence.

WYOMING, Ont, Dec. 2s-When the
principal witnesses to-day at the inquest
to place the responsibility for the wreck
on the Grand Trunk at Wanstead had
given their testimony. chain of mishaps
was unfolded, the absence of any one OF
which would have tended Nto prevent the
disaster that caused the death of twenty
eight persons. The principal witness was
j. G. Kerr, the London dispatcher, who up
to this time had been silent.
Kerrs evidence to the effect that he
sent orders to the Watford and Wyoming
operators simultaneously to have the ex-
press meet the freight at Wanstead. Short
ly after Wyoming reported to the dispatch
er that the freight was slow in getting
out. Kerr's order was promptly repeated
back by both operators and Kerr marked
it 20. K.'' Kerr asked Wyoming why the
freight was slow in going out. Wyoming
replied that he did not know Kerr then
called Watford and asked If No. was
coming. Watford's reply being yes" Kerr
said:
wait min. may bust" This was In the
telegraphic code.
Wyoming then reported the freight pull
ing out. Kerr said:
LET her CO." He then called the Wat
ford operator, who reported No. had gone
and that he had busted the order for
No. s. Kerr then called Wyoming and
told him to stop the freight Wyoming
answered, 'I can't" Kerr said: You
must stop her."
Kerr then called Kings Court for sew
EN- or eight minutes before raising that
office Kings Court reported No. had
"A WanStead
the dispatcher, asking If the trains were
to cross at Wanstead, as he heard noise
was trouble. In a few minutes Assistant
superintendent Costello, who was on the
express train. called Kerr and asked for
the auxiliary to be sent, as collision had
occurred.
William Carson, the Watford operator,
at whose door is laid the responsibility for
the accident by the Grand Trunk officials,
followed Kerr on the stand. He appeared
to be cool and collected. He got the order
for the two trains to pass at Wanstead, he
said, and displayed his order board to stop
the express. Soon after he heard Wyoming
tell of the delay to the freight and then
the London dispatcher called the witness
and said Bust It," He did not hear the
word May preceding the bust it." The
express had stopped and the conductor
asked for his order, but the witness told
him ii had been Cancelled and gave the
conductor clearance order. Bust it is
a common form OF cancellation OF orders.
he said. He did not get formal order
annulline it. There was no written .record
of the order "Bust it.
w G. Watson nineteen years old, who is
the operator at Wyoming, testified as fol-
lows: THE special freight pulled in and
gave Conductor Graham an order to take
the siding at Wanstead. His engine took
on water. London called me to hurry up
the freight train. When / got an order to
stop the freight / wired that 1t was too
late. / rushed out Of doors with lantern
and the caboose of the freight was just
passing me. / signaled the rear brakeman
to stop and yelled at him to stop. / thought
he heard me, as he gave the stop signal.
a semaphore about half a mile from the
station. Yes, it was in working order, but
is not now. 1t was all right before and
after the accident"
bound freight said: 81 received my order
at Wyoming to take the siding at Wan
stead. The engine took on water. My rear
brakeman signaled to stop and i signaled
all right. 1 thought he meant Wanstead
The semaphore was not displayed and there
was no stop signal. / proceeded to Wan
stead, but owing to the snow the engineer
did not see the switch and ran several car
| lengths by. 1t was necessary to back up
| The train was at a standstill on the main
| track when No. loomed up. She was but
| touched the ground the crash came. The
| engineer also jumped. No. could not
| have stopped at the rate she was going
| even II she had had orders to stop"
| next testified. He said: 'I was on top OF
| the caboose and saw a man signaling stor
| from the depot and thought it was my con.
| ductor. i signaled ahead to stop and the
| front brakeman and conductor answered
| me. i could not think who 1t was signalet
| from the depot, when the conductor sig
| nailed from the train all right. did not
| hear anybody yell stop to me at Wyoming
| as my cap was down and 1t was showing
| hard. Yes. / saw the stop signals from
/ the Wyoming depot / was on the real
| when the crash came.'
Conductor McAuliffe. of the passenger
| train, in his testimony, said: 81 was lat,
| in coming into London, one hour and six
| teen minutes. / received an order to pro
| ceed to Watford. / asked for the order a
| Watford but there was none. / asked fo
| a clearance and Carson gave 1t to me.
| told the operator that the boss was on,
/ meaning that Costello, assistant superin
| tendent, was on the train. received m,
| clearance and started. / was in the Pull
| man when the crash came and knew a
| once that a collision had occurred. Their
| is my clearance order"