The Washington herald., 1906-12-01

/ Officials Of the Southern Railway hold
one person alOne-C. d. Mattoax, who had
Charge Of the night track at the block
station at RangOon-responsible for the
wreck early Thursday morning that re-
suited in the death Of President Samuel
| Spencer and six others knowing that
his own negligence was the cause OF one
| Of the most disastrous accidents in the
annals of the road. Mattoax his dlssp-
peared. He has not been seen since the
wreck. The charge has been made 10
officials Of the Southern Railway that
Mattoax was not at his post Of duty
when the trains crashed at Lawyers. Va.
| II is said that he was absent when Nc. 3
passed the block station on its way
north. and that student operators whom
he had left in charge reported the track
clear. and sent train No 81 into the sec
/ tiOn Of cars ahead.
| An inspection Of the telegraph sheets
shows that some one gave train % the
/ block, and that the operator al Lawyers
was not notified. No. 80 was on the
track, and entitled to that part OF the
| track
Visiting During Business Hours.
A Tumor was circulated yesterday that
/ when the fagman ran back from Spen-
/ GERS train TO protect # from accident. ac-
cording 10 the regulations, he met train
No. 81 less than 800 yards away approach
I ing at high speed Nearing the dispatch
er's Office. IL is said that he saw Mattoax
/ leaving the campers car. some distance
away and that he had boxing gloves on
I his hands
This report that Mattoax was taking
part in boxing match is not given much
/ credence by railway officials in this city.
In the first place it is not daylight at
O'Clock in the morning. which was only
1 shortly before the hour Of the disaster:
and second, it would hardly De probable
that any Of the operators associates
| would be up and indulging in contests. at
/ such an early hour.
If it is shown that Mattoax was absent
from his place Of duty snd that student
+ operators had been left an charge OF the
station. it is believed that these facts win
/ come to the attention of the officials be-
/ fore the investigation is finished. In
/ case Mattoax has been in the habit OF
/ leaving his station Of trust in ineom-
petent hands. some one would be aware
of the fact and, it is believed, come for
ward with the information.
other Employees Did Their Best.
/ The telegraph sheets show that Mat
4 toax permitted the Jacksonville ex-
press upon the block without getting
clear track" from Lawyers. He failed
/ to notify Lawyers that the train was
on the block. This train passed Ran
goon at SOS o'clock. At 6.14 o'clock
Mattoax called up Lawyers and asked
to permit No. 81, the Washington and
southwestern vestibule limited. in The
block
/ Lawyers. not knowing the express
was on the block. permitted the limited
in at Rangoon. Several minutes later
/ the collision occurred.
/ The official statement shows that
/ the fla gman from the front train went
| to protect the rear Of his train when
/ it became detached a mile from
| Lawyers. but he had proceeded only a
/ hundred yards when the rapidly NOV
/ ing train showed around a sharp
curve. Engineer Mckinney applied the
| mained at his post. and after the col
lision was lying alongside the track
with only slight hurts
Assistant General Superintendent E H
| COapman says there is not the sIightese
doubt but the hagman Of the forward
train. the rear car Of which was President
SpenCeTs, made every effort possible -
stop the oneoming limited, and he would
probably have succeeded, even in spite
Of the fact that he had only three min
utes' margin if the train had been on
straight track instead of the sharp curve.
Superintendent COapman's detailed STAG
ment follows:
Investigation so far made Of the acci-
dent develops the fact that Operator Mat
toax. at Rangoon. let train No. % in the
block, and disregarding the rules. failed
to notify the operator at Lawyers depot
of this fact When the first section Of
train No. 81. the washington and South 4
western vesf1bule limited. approached
RangOon, Operator Mattoax asked the Op~
orator at Lawyers for the block on No. 81
This was given by the operator at Law
yers. who did not know that No. 80 had
gone in upon the block No % broke
down at the south end of a curve, and as
soon as the train stopped the fiagman ran
back TO protect his train.
ExOnerates the Trainmen.
"As far as we can learn the hagman
had proceeded about 800 yards, when No.
81 was in view on the curve. Engineer
Mckinney saw the signal and applied the
emergency brakes but he did not have
time to leave his seat before the collision
took place. An inspection OF the tele-
graph sheets in each Of the block stations
substantiates this belief.
The sheet at Ransoon shows that No.
80 got the block by direction of Operator
Mattoax, and the sheet at Lawyers shows
that Mattoax had not notified the opera
tor there that No. SO was on the block
and entitled 10 IL.
"A fuller investigation viii be made as
speedily as possible but we do not ex-
pect there will be any additional develop
ments
THE company has a number of men
securing the country in the hope of locat-