The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-08-13

& SIlI mat WEEfG tIlt pGCoE4A X 1 I'll dp-
preached Auburn the red board was
dfspIayed, but when the passenger en-
zine blew the station whistle the
white board was Immediately turned
+ on. Witness knew nothing OF the
meet orders. It is customary 10 tell
a full stop at Auburn. 1t is a regular
stop, he said.
Treasurer Lacy Tcstifes.
State Treasurer Z. r. Lacy was in
troduced and testified that he served
as an engineer for Is years. The mid
die order system vas not in use dur
ing the years Of his service on the
road, but he understands the syestem.
It is necessary to safety. 1t IS IN use
on the Seaboard Air Line.
Engineer F.. d. Robertson said he
had been an engineer since 1895. He -
not IN the service at present. He knew
the working Of the middle order sys-
tenn, and it is necessary for the safe
ty Of life.
Mr.. Jack Hamilton. the baggage
master on train No. 1876 the day Of the
wreck, said the train left Raleigh ID
minutes late. 1t was due to leave at
$40. It arrived at Auburn at 1907. He
did not see the Auburn signal until the
train stopped and It was then white.
TO stop the train ii would nave been
red. He knew the middle order sys-
tenn. It is, in his opinion, a necessity.
In his opinion, If the operator at Au-
lurn had received orders to stop No.
1876 to meet No. 173 no accident would
have occurred. He saw neither Engl-
neer Parker nor Fireman Young after
the crash, but he saw Fireman Bethel
living dead about eight feet from the
engine. The brakes were
applied before the crash. He saw the
engine next morning and 1t was re-
versed.
A No. 1 Character.
Captain Witherspoon was recall
ed to testify as to the character OF
Engineer Rippey. Witness said he
had known him from his childhood,
and hat he was an excellent man
and absolutely sober
Mr.. B. r. Lacy was recalled for the
same purpose and teStlfled that ne hdd
known Engineer Rippey for many
years and that he was an A NO. L
character.
Capt. Witherspoon was asked as to
tho character of Conductor Oakley
and he testified that he was sober and
of good character.
Engineer H. Kramer, Of the Sea-
board, testified that the middle order
system is in use on that road ana
from his experience he YOU say
tina it is an important safeguard II
makes three persons responsible IN
stead of two. Asked as to the signif-
canoe of a white board displayed at
a station he said it means May pro-
coed" but it does not mean must
proceed
Robert Wells, Of Princeton, who
was newsboy on train No. l36 the
evening of the wreck, said he dld not
see No. 173 before the crash came.
Middle Order System mo Good"
Chief Dispatcher B. P. ketchem,
Of this division Of the Southern, was
recalled. His office is in Dur
ham from where the ain IN this
division receive their orders. He tes-
tilted that he was formerly chief dis
hatcher for the New York central
Railway and had been in the same
capacity with the southern for SIX
months. He had never received any
instructions to use the middle order
system. If the system is used on the
he never heard of it. Asked
if in his opinion the use of the middle
order system did not insure greater
safety to life and property in the
operation Of trains, he said. THAT is
a question that is being discussed all
over the railroad country Pressed
to give his opinion, he says, 1T is q
division of responsibility which is a
bad thing" Then at length he ex-
planned that When orders are delivered
to the engineer and conductor and
tIlSN 6dtlLt la III oIIS S4oS 10 Z
sponsible and that no one else is
going to remind them to carry out
the orders, they will be mere careful
than when they know the orders are
also with the operator at the station
and that he has the responsibility of
stopping the said and en-
gineer. Moreover, he said it is the
working of a system without system
to try to put the middle d system
into use on this line of the Southern
because many of the meeting places
have no operators to take orders and
at many other points there is an oper-
ator only during the Gay. Therefore,
says he, to use the system part Of the
time and not all the time is worse
than not at all.
ISnew 1t Before 1t Happened"
In the course of the chief Dispatch
er's testimony. he stated. upon ex-
animation, that the meet order was
issued to No. 1876 and No. 173 to.
pass at Auburn, on the evening of
the wreck. A few minutes after
seven o'clock the operator at Auburn
reported No. 1876 out" He was i'm
mediately asked if No. 173 was in
and replied, no" 1t was seen then
that a crash was inevitable unless
something should stop the trains be-
fore they ran together.
At this point, it being 1880 o'clock,
a recess was taken until 2:30 p. M.
Afternoon Session..
Afternoon Agent Everett Powell, of
Auburn. was first put on the stand.
Asked if Auburn is a middle order
station, he said he did not know.
Asked if he had ever received mid
die orders there, he said he had Upon
further questioning he said he
thought he had received such orders
this year.
He said he had a clear signal out for
No. 1856 when it came to the station.
He received no orders except an or
der annulling No. 1876 after the wreck
occurred. He received no message
from Clayton. He reported to Dur
ham when No. 136 left Auburn at
1907. He goes on duty a. 7:3O a..
m. and gets off at 1880 p. m. If or
ders had been issued to him to hold
No. 136 he WOULD have held it till
the arrival of No. 173 He had red
signal displayed until No. 1876 blew
for the station when ne displayed
the white board.
IF orders had been issued to you
from Durham to hold No, 1876. do
800 -: 49, I'll z-