Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1906-12-04
blame FOR WRECK
PLACED ON OPERATOR
Country Being Secured For
Mattoax. ~aE
eoMrENTIoNs UpAELD BY BOOK


n Allowing TWO Trains In One
Block al the ssms Time Was the
Whole Cause Of Collision.
Lynchburg, Va, Dec. 4.-Ths
cause OF the awful wreck near Law
gers depot, 10 miles south OF this
Rity In which President Samuel
spencer and his party OF prominent
New York and baltimore men lost
aheir lives, Is laid absolutely at the
door OF c. d. Mattoax, the opera
tOr, VINO was In charge OF the block
Telegraph station at Rangoon.
Matt0ax, who disappeared after be-
Ang relieved less than an hour after
Ale wreck, has not been found, de-
pplte the fact that railway detectives
have secured the country around the
wreck and his home at Sandy Level,
A. Pittsylyania county, some 40 miles
from the scene OF the accident on a
small branch line Of the Southern.
An Official OF the Southern rail-
way stated THAI the company was
sieslrous or apprehendlng Mattoax In
older 70 secure a statement from him
qhat might throw some light on the
causes trai led rim 20 allow two
trains In the same block at the same
slime. This official was not pepar-
ed TO state today whether or not the
company would take steps 10 prose-
cute the missing operator and he did
not then know n he could be prose-
cutod under the laws Of the state OF
Nlgslnia.
An examination of the telegraph
sheets kept at The Rangoon and Law
yegs block Offices BY the representa-
glge Of the Associated Press disoloses
the fact that MattOax allowed train
40 s3. The Jacksonville express, up
on the block. the train passing his
tihtlon, setting a clear track from
aim al 6;OG O'Clock The operator
81 Lawyers, ths neat station ahead.
claimed tha, MalioaS ala not ask him
for a "oear track" for No. 90, and
Re-. therefore. did not know this train
haa passed RanEo0n The block
sheet at lawyers bears ont this claim
Iho sheets at both oihcos show that
tte operator at Rangoon asked Law
ytrs fef clear track for No, 81.
the Washington and southwestern
Neatlhnled limited. and the Lawyers
operator not knowing No. 80 Was Ia
the lock. Eoye No, 90 the right Of
Nhy AZ G,ta o'clock, aud No. 81
passed RAngooR a. thar time.
slmmered down. Il Matioax. a.
alangooa. mad reported train No. 30
on tho block az Lawyers, then there
Would have been no accident. because
enc operator 81 Lawyers would have
held No. 50 at Rangoon until the
Jacksonville egAln hali cleared The
block az Lawyers. no matter how Ions
she delay might have been belNeea
she tw0 ofloes,
Superintendent, W, &, Andrews, 81
en- nanyiie division. explained that
ahe report that the engine % the for
ward train had Eonc some distances
ahead 90 its train when q became De-
aaehe4 wAs crroneona and the fact
s. that tha enEiae lld noe leave TIE
train more than tweng feet. the aii
brake applying Immediately nPoa thg
eneine az well a. the trAin The
srouhle vas tae breaking ~ kupckls
90 ne dfawAcaa co lhe front cna u
she forward car The tFainmcn were
repairinE tAis whea thc collision oe'
cufFe1
Assistant Oeaeral supeduyehtehi
". n. CoSpmsn states lhere is r0
the slightest aoahl bui The aarmAl
male csegy possible oEogt / oPro,ec
tAs Fear ~ the grain, bee he coah
nol sei anoand a sharp carve ia um'
O. prevent TIE eo'asoa. > A so0a a.
1'aEinctr Kianey sac tAe signal 4.
erp,ie1 tAe emerEenCg hFakss AZ
etayel az Ne Posl 10 ne last.
bepefjutCragus AntFVuf - A
osntins 3tsyisioa. zen isse FRIDAY Ai
eemooa, hsalng lcsa called b MasA
tngtoa, %. C. q uas NJ. Antfep
tntersssnding tAai tAe gatiFe %
rio faWily 50 she ecalaeFs aHpt
comparg hat hfea fRrmenei - a.
E'& IS MaEfEEeR AZ fl gftslsi >