Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-02
DRINK MAY HAVE
CAUSED BIG WRECK
YARD FOREMAN ALvoRD MUST
EXPLAIN
Engineer Warrington Too Badly In-
lured to Talk, but Fireman Gives
Testimony on Speed
of Train

Striving desperately to TX tne plaIne
for the disastrous Cotton wreck on
Engineer Warrington. Yard Foreman
A1vord may have to make several ex-
plantations to free himself from blame.
According to Mrs. b D. Warner, the
professional nurse who is in charge of
the hospital at Cotton and who was IN
Los Angeles yesterday, Alvord had
been drinking the day of the wreck.
"It is a subject of common talk"
she said. "that he had been drinking
before the accident occurred. Just one
month before the wreck three fruit
cars were wrecked in the yards, and he
simply laughed
Coroner Van VIE came to Los An
geles yesterday to give the wounded
engineer a chance to tell his side of
the story. He stated that when he ar
rived on the ground he saw that AL
word had been drinking and made MIN
stop under threat of arrest.
Engineer Warmington's throat was
badly scalded by escaping steam from
his engine. DIR. Gates. the surgeon 1or
the railroad company, would not let
him talk yesterday, as his throat was
not yet sufficiently healed His con-
dition, is rowever, improving.
Fireman Testifles
As the engineer could not talk Cor
oner Van vile called on Fireman Clapp
at the Sisters hospital. He told the
injured man that it was to his inter-
est and that of the engineer 10 cor
rect the damaging stories that nave
been circulating the past few days re-
garding the high speed at which the
train is said to have been running
Clapp was very ready to testlty' ana
living on his bed with his wounded
bandaged hands propped up, he was
sworn. Coroner Van VIE had prepared
q list of questions which he asked the
injured fireman and which Warming
ton will also be asked as soon as ne is
able to testify
Asked whether he could see the open
switch the fireman responded: Il
could not see it. / saw the switch tar
gets and they appeared to be closed.
A large pole near the signal house
makes the Armour target hard to see.
That is the only switch l cannot see
from nv side of the cab when we are
going through the yards.
"Just after we entered the yard limit
we began to slow down. Soon after we
passed the eastern limits of the yard
Warrington put on the air brake. we
began to feel it when we got on the
bridge. By the time we struck the
open switch we had slowed down con-
Train Going Slow
"Both Warrington and 1 saw the
switchman give the stop signal at the
same time. He was only $50 feet away
when 1 saw him. At the instant
War1nington threw on bunch OF air.
At the time we were going between
twenty-five and thirty miles an hour.
"You can't tell anything about our
speed by the condition of the wrecked
coaches. The first three forward
coaches were rotten old hulks that had
been out of date for twenty-five years. y
Coroner Van VIE told the injured
man that at Cotton Warrington is
said to have declared that he did not
dare put on the emergency brakes
while crossing the bridge.
"There is nothing to that" he de-
clared promptly. 1.-The bridge is safe
and if we had been warned of the
open switch in time we could have
stopped the train within a length of
the bridge. A train of that size can
be run at a speed Of thirty miles an
hour and still be under perfect con-
troll.
But at the switch it wouldn't be
safe TO go more Ildn ten InllSS an
hour. as there is sharp curve, the
ground is soft and the ties which have
NOT been looked after in seven or eight
years, are rotten. Under favorable con-
ditions a train could take such a
switch at fifteen miles an hour"
Wants Dead Mans Address
Warmingtons deposition will be
taken as soon as he is sufficiently re-
covered TO bear the strain.
Coracchi Gracomo and DomenicC
Bonlempi, two more victims of the
wreck, were brought to the Sisters
hospital yesterday. The former is suf.
fering from a crushed foot, which may
have to be amputated. The injured
now at the hospital are improving ol
holding their own.
Mrs. Warner. who took care of H. F
Walters, one of the victims who after.
ward died. is looking for the address
of the dead mans wife. He sent &
message to her by the nurse. but dice
before he could give his Sacramento
address,