The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-12
COronsr's Inquest Today Over
Victims of Santa Fe Wreck.
On Conductor and Engineer,
Work Train.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Had They Obeyed Them Been
No Wreck.
Railroad Men Occupy Time of
Coroner.

At the coroner's inquest held today to
determine the cause and fix the blame
for the fatal wreck on the Santa Fe 3
mile north of Topeka last week, the
evidence introduced tended to show
that the engineer and conductor of the
wrecked work train were responsible
for the disaster through their mistaken
idea of their orders.
They alone had orders for the care of
their train and warning regarding the
freight that wrecked their train. That
the orders confused them and that with
the passing of one freight train they
no doubt, but whatever the extenuating
circumstances, these two, Engineer
Herman and Conductor Brown, alone
had orders, which if properly obeyed.
would have averted the wreck.
The coronor's inquest was held to-
day in the court of Topeka and con-
Quoted by County Attorney Schenck.
Through q misinterpretation of
the orders the conductor and myself
are" is the frank answer of Engineer
j. NJ. Herman of the work extra train
1877 of whose load of laborers 16 were
killed in the frightful wreck Friday,
October 8, when asked point blank
by the county attorney who was re-
sponsible for the wreck.
Train Orders in Evidence.
But Ln0T0 IS a great zeal Oh ground
for that miSinterpretation. Four
sheets of the f1imsy paper bearing the
orders were handed to Conductor E.
c. Brown of the Inflated work train
in the morning before the train pull
ed out from Topeka to work between
Meriden and Topeka from 1880 a. m.
to $50 p. m. as per the first order.
Two of the orders, No. z and No.
are the subjects for the misunder-
standing which caused the wreck.
Both were in the same bunch.
No. ordered them to protect the
work train from extra west, engine
No. 1873 to leave Meriden at S:45. No.
ordered to protect against extra
east engine No. 1873, to leave Topeka
after 1920.
Therein laid the difficulty and the
confusion, which troubled the conduc-
tor and engineer of the work train.
The conductor thought there was
mistake about the 1873 east. The en-
both 1873 trains were westbouud and
that order No. s was merely an lex
on No. z.
Finally No. 1873 west passed the work
that train was asked about his orders.
He had no order No. 8. Then when
the work train had backed into North
Topeka to allow the other to pass, the
conductor of that train had told En-
gineer Herman that he would see what
the discrepancy was. Thereafter, when
nothing was heard. Herman in his own
mind had become satisfied that the
No. 1873 which had passed them at an
hour between the time set for the two
was the one which they had been or
dered to look out for.
Conductor E. G. Brown. when placed
On the stand. seemed to be affected
deeply by the result of his mistake
and made no attemnt whatever to es-
cape the issue. The orders as stated
above had come from the Emporia
dispatcher whose name he thought was
Wilson, he said.
we're confused he said. I'VE talked to
The engineer on 1873 and he had no
order No. s to aid us in determining
he meaning of ours. Naturally we
could not discover it. The engineer of
Ls3 thought the agent at Meriden might
ave overlooked his order
Conductor Brown, Roadmaster J.
E. Henderson, and Brakemen J. w. |
Hamilton and Ira Clemens were in
the way car of the work train. The |
brakemen were in the cupola watch |
ing the track ahead. AS they came |
down the incline off the bluffs. trees
shut off the view of the track around |
the sharp curve to the west. At a |
distance of a dozen car lengths from |
the approaching oil train, Brakeman |
Hamilton shouted, For Gods sake |
jump, she's on u.s." threw on the air |
ductor and roadmaster sitting in the |
car heard the yell and jumped from |
the side door, but Brakeman Clemens
was killed, unable to get out. The |
preaching engine was two car lengths
when the men jumped, is estimated |
by the conductor.
Engineer Admits His Error.
Engineer Herman, ON the stand, adj |
nitted that he was at fault together
in, no fc--
the order. But added:
when 1873 westbound had been let |
past at Topeka and the conductor
had said he would see what the mat |
ter with the orders was. thought
that by their passing us safely the |
error had been overcome
He was evidently of that opinion |
when the work train was backed |
rapidly in toward Topeka for dinner.
Had the order No. s stated to watch |
for extra east engine No. 1S5 there |
might have been no mistake, though |
the order especially mentioned the |
eastbound train. The engine which |
drew the extra oil train was not 1873 |
but 1856.
AS matter of fact the evidence now
shows that the trains were ordered by |
the dispatcher correctly. No. 1S3 was
to leave Meriden at 8:45 for Topeka as
per order No. z and then return at
1880 as per order No. 8.
Still the same engine made the re-
turn: No. 1s5. different engine, was
sent back with the train but if the /
train had been watched for the result |
would have been safety. The No. 1873 /
was changed to 1856 when the train left /
Topeka for the same order No. s car
ries that number in the hands of the |
same conductor who brought the train |
down and was returning. The same /
engineer, however, was not returning |
because the engine had been taken off.
1t is clearly a mistake on the part |
Of the crew of the work train, par
the conductor and engineer,
who alone have the orders. Both
Brown and Herman have been LET olIt