Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-30
CAUSE Of WRECK ON
SOUTHERN RAILWAY
Due to Block Telegraph Rules Be.
ing Disregarded by 0per.
ator Mattoax.
TELEGRAPH SHEETS SHOW IT.
Arrangements for Funeral of President
Spencer Have Not Yet Been
Completed.

Lynchburg, Va, Nov S0.-The acct
dent yesterday morning near Lawyers
depot on the Southern railway in which
President Samuel Spencer and his party
lost their lives, is declared by South
ern railway official to be due to the
block telegraph rules being disregarded
by Operator G.. ID. Mattoax, who was in
charge at night at the block station al
Rangoon, four miles from Lawyers de-
pot.
Asst. Gen. Supt. l.. Il. A. Coapman, of
the company, today gave out the fol-
lowing statement:
Investigation so far made Of the
accident develops the fact that Operat-
or Mattoax at Rangoon let train No.
80 into the block and disregarded the
rules failed to notify the operator at
Lawyers depot OF this fact. When the
first section OF train No. 81, the Wash
ington and Southwestern vestibuled
limited approached Rangoon, Operator
Mattoax asked the operator at Law
yefs lor the ploch oii Nv o. LUIS
was given by the operator at Lawyers
who did not know that No. 80 had gone
in upon the block.
mo. 80 broke down at the south end
OF a curve and as soon as the train
stopped, the fiagman ran back to pro-
tect his train. As far as we learn,
the nagman had proceeded about 300
yards when No. 81 was in view on the
curve. Engineer Mckinney saw the
signal and snnlled the emerpencv
go, .,. "a, 10, ~
brakes nut ne uiu not nave 'i'he 10
leaVe his seat pefore the COLLISION TOOK
place.
"An insneot,on of the telearanh sheats
I'm each OF The block stations substanti-
a,es mis- bsi,ef Tne sneet at nangoon
snows that Ma az was yiven tho b,och
hv onerator Mattony and inc sneet al
Iawvers shows that Nattoax had moi
rn,tned tho onerator tnere that No a2
was an Inc MOCK ana entitled RI e.
"a fuller Investigation viii no made
as sneeoflv az nossibIe hut we do moi
cxpect no deveion andttionoI facts The
comnanv has a humber OF men sco,Ir-
inc mo country IN tne hone Of locatins
operator Mattoax hut nm 10 a late hour
ms forenoon wa nave heen ahIe m as.
certair ansoIutaIv nothing as 10 his
whereabouts
An Investieation is beins made to-
dav as N the circumstances which led
m tho precx ~ the two southern Pail
WV trains near hare vestsrdav RESULT
mo IN Tho death az prasident snencor
~ rnod GA sa,o,.aI chen nassa,,
.ars and the intur,ng 81 aevsral otners
IN daath % W,Iiian poI,ard tha nnr'
,ar a., prasidon, Snanceris oar ana 7
W. chan - reyro transn ho,h y;
a., a., ~ H., hosrt,oi
h nm u niaht su,o,,sd ,,a Seath
i,s, sa,,a,s 4, Oh TIL ta,as,
rs. ~, os,,,,ai rarard
w., mo'u ,ho , "a, '' ird,eatna TN, aII ~
them are doing nicely and probably VIII
The scene of the wreck Is 10 miles
south of Lynchburg and TO 1t many
persons have wended their way out OF
curiosity to see the effects OF the dis
aster. The work OF clearing the debris
Is being carried on and some OF the
wreckage already has been removed.
County Coroner j. w. Davis is expected
TO take some action on the accident to-
day. He arrived at the scene OF the
wreck yesterday, but finding that the
bodies already had been removed he
deferred until today as to deciding
what steps he should take IN the mat
ter.
The escape of A. Il. Merrill Of New
York, private secretary to Mr.. Spen-
Ger, the only survivor In the party on
the private car, save for porter, was
miraculous. The injuries he sustain
ed are not serious and he will be able
to leave the city hospital here prob
ably by the first of the week.
Identification was made today of the
negro who was killed and his body
burned. The victim was Benjamin
Bowel, of Toledo. Ohio, a dining car
man who was taken abroad Mr.. Spen-
GERS car for the trip.
SPENCERS FUNERAL
washington, NOV, SV'-Ihe bodies
OF charales u. rIsheT ana FRANK l.
Redwood, both OF baitimore' VINO We're
kiiied IN the cosilsio'i near Eawyels'
Va. when PRESIDENT samuel spencer
of the Southern railway lost his life'
were sent to Baltimore early today.
Arrangements Tor the funerai OF Pres
ident spencer nave not been complet-
ed, but buriai probably VIII be IN
Washington. AFTER conference TO-
day with the family, second wee
President flhley VIII announce ar
rangements.
ID. w. Davis, the Telegraph operator
who was killed, was frequently detailed
to accompany the higher officials OF the
road on such trips as the one that ended
so dlsastrously yesterdas' IL Is said
that Nhen ne was hotilled tna' ne would