The San Francisco call., 1908-07-06

2
mig ~ too high a rate OF speed and
In rlst he did not observe the signal
thst was standing against him. and
which was protecting the use OF The
cr0sslug bv the other train
"TT. J.. Peterson. chief Of detectives
Oakland police: Fred Ssudelin. drug
glEt, J. ,. Moftt. deputy sheriff: Frank
4 Thompson. city clerk, Oakland, J. 7.
Moran. merchant Z. I. Calvin. general
manager Southern Pacific company; J.
H Young. general superintendent
Southern Pacific company, " A Nc
Govern. division superintendent South
eru Pacific company, A u. Baker, as
rfstent division sEperintendent South
cra Pacific company; W II norton
assistant division superintendent
Southern Pacific COMPANY W. H Rus
ee1 master mechanic Southern Pacific
COMPANY. II Euglebright, master car
reuairer Southern Pacific company J.
= CHAMPION. district engineer Southern
Paciac company. i. n. Cutting. signal
ereineer Southern Pacific company. ..
u. wright. division train master South
eru Pacific company
The witnesses examined were Eng
reer william Mark, Conductor John
CoIegr0ve and Brakeman r. : Mr.
back ~ rle Fourteenth street local.
Conductor I. X Corey. Brakeman Her
h-rr Drake and Engineer !. J. Barry ef
train SO. 80. TowerInzn T G McCauiey,
Superintendent Cutting of the block
srstem and Roadmaster Corrigan.
SIGNALS CLEAR
Tie consensus II the testimony was
70 tile effect that the signals al the
webster street crossing and ~ the sig
nal blocks on both tracks clearly gave
tie Fourteenth street local The right Of
way over tie crossing and required the
arrroachiug santa Cruz train 10 stop
uutu the other train had passed
Barry told lis story. after the ind
ings had been reported Barry was a.
rested by Captain Peterson.
~ the Gay prison yesterday he gave
IN interview.
II before I followed the instruc-
1lons given 10 me- had made three
tr.ps on tho run with other engineers
since leaving the coast division from
which 7 was transferred Ny bellei
was thar with the hrst semaphore sig
rallng for me 70 proceed I had the
right of way. The danger signal on
the semapLo-e 7 could not see until
was close upon IT, ran into the
open switch, and my reverse did not
work because my whole train had
been deralco-"
BARRY BREAKS DOWN
IS be told his story OF the wreck
Barry broke down and wept at the
though Of the deaths that followed the
rlad race of hls engine.
Nv fireman saw the local crossing
the bridge he went on. "Oh, Cod II
Ie lad only called TO me- was on
fhe other side OF the train and did not
know the local was coming. They tell
me the brakeman on the other train
saw what was coming too. and did not
warn the engineer until too late"
Berry says he had been employed OF
the coast division, from which he was
Transferred last week. since January s.
1855. lie lives Al 2316 Folsom street
san Francisco. and made his runs as
an engineer from that city. being an
extra man for any section Of the coast
division. Mon who say they knew
him in his work on that division credit
him with being diligent and faithful
When he first entered the service as a
youth be was a private clerk 70 the
master mechanic.
DIFFERENCE IN SYSTEM
~The system on the coast division" J."
said Barry in speaking cf his trans
making yesterday. There is usually a
warning signal some distance ahead Of
q semaphore which closes the track 10
Bn engineer. There at Harrison street
the second semaphore gave me a dan
ger signal and the derailing switch
was so close upon the tower. only 50
feet from the block, that ] could not
stop before reaching the switch. When
7 tried 10 stop I found the tracks We're
freshly oiled and slippery. Then when
my train was thrown on the ground
the reverse was useless
do you not know that the company
rules say trains must run under con-
troll within the yard limits?" Barry was
asked
The downcast engineer looked nom
plused. Where are the yard limits? %
he queried in return
AT Alice street"
There is nothing there 10 show it
he protested. There should be,
shouldn't there? You cannot expect a
new engineer 70 know that unless he
IS told or there is a signal.
LIMIT - MILES; SCHEDULE 30
The city ordinance. for that matter.
limits the speed to % miles on the line
on which I was running. And yet the
schedule Of the Southern Pacific COM
pany calls for a speed Of 30 miles an
hour. eight miles over the limit set by
tho city law.
Il understood shat IL the first sema-
phore was not against me ] was to go
ahead. OF course, / was looking for
the second signal. but 1 expected from
what I had been told that the signal
of the first block that I should proceed,
meant that the track was open.
I went at high speed-enEineer tell
me they always do the same. and my
conductor says every one drives
through there fast And when the sec
ond block fell ] was so close that IL
was too late to stop for the derailer.
The signal and switch were TOO close
together. and I could not see the sec
ond block from the engine unfn I was
$50 feet away from H. And other rail-
road men have told me that II is hard
10 see the second signal from the cab"
TEST THE SIGNAL
The committee investigating the
wreck visited the scene OF the disas-
ter and tested the point raised by
Barry that the signal could not be
seen al a safe distance OF approach
They declared that the engineer was
mistaken.
A wrecking crew labored all night
on the damaged cars and track and in
the forenoon had the way cleared for