Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-09-27
IN VESTIGA TIN c
THE WRECK At
DEVORE
Exhaustive Inquiry by Santa
Fe Into Causes of Disastrous
SmaSh-up Near San Bernar-
dino--NoteS of the Rail.

To fix the blame for the disastrous
wreck at Devore, Cal, last Saturday
morning the Santa Fe officials on The
Los Angeles division are making an
exhaustive investigation, and il Is ru-
moVered that a number of employees
will lose their jobs as a result. The
san ~Bernardino. Cal, sun has the fol-
lowing about the investigation:
The santa Fe officials are making
a thorough investigation of the dis
astrOus wreck at DevOre station of last
Saturday morning, but as yet the Of
ficials nave not given out any sta.e-
ment as to the result of the INJURY.
Every surviving trainman will be
closely examined as to the affair. as
well as a careful examination made
of the equipment that is I'm condition
To how anything regarding the cause
Of the wreck.
There are many causes that might
have contributed to the disaster. and
the snuffing u Of several human
lives. 1t is said that an examination
of the switch frog, where the wreck
occurred, shows that something must
have dropped into ii in some way to
tear ii to pieces, thus possibly ditching
the train.
The question Of the air brakes is
receiving very close attention. The Of
ficials. it is said. have made a careful
examination of engine 1925, which
was hauling the train, and have found
that nearly every driving wheel had
its tire slipped. and that the brake
shoes were almost entirely worn off,
which would indicate that Engineer
Stratton had used his air to the limit
coming down the grade, in the vain
endeavor to stop the runaway. This
would seem to contradict the state
ment OF Conductor Merrill tina the air
failed when the train first got away.
or rather that the train got away be-
aus of the air failing, as indicated
by the gauge in the caboose.
Something Wrong Somewhere.
The officials believe that something
was wrong somewhere on the train.
in the handling of the brakes. and
are determined TO ferret ii out II pos
sible, but thew are greatly handicap
ped because of Engieer Stratton being
dead. II is hoped hat his fireman.
Thrasher. will sufficiently recover to
give a statement. and that may shed
much light on the matter. His condi-
tiOn Is encouraging. and il nay be that
It will be possible to have him make
a statement in a few days.
1t is said that If everything was i'm
working order, and nothing dropped
the train into the track, that the
curve at Devore was not sufficient to
wrecked the train going ~ me
speed that il was moving, for II had
already taken ten-degree urv not a
great distance above Devore, while the
curve at which the wreck occurred is
but little more than four per cent.
Injured Improving.
All Of the injured men are reported
as getting on as well as possible. and
none Of them will die unless it is Fire
Thrasher, whose condition Is real
y encouraging, though still admittedly
serious.
May Improve line.
The repeated wrecks on the Cajon
grade are causing the Santa Fe
management to consider plans for the
Improvement Of the line over the hill,
which is one of the worst pieces of
rack on he entire line. because of
The heavy grades. A tunnel has been
IN the past considered. also double
tracking and the relocating of a por-
lion of the line to reduce the grades.