Norwich bulletin., 1911-07-26
Coroner Wilson Places the Responsibility
 For the Bridgeport Disaster
BOTH ENGINEER AND ROAD BLAMED
Railroads Culpability Lay in Maintenance of Short Cross-Over on Fast Express Trunk Line Track-Re- quests Engineers to Make Up Lost Time-Two En- gineers in Cab Are Recommended on Fast Trains.

Bridgeport, Conn, July 25.-That the New York, New Haven and Hart ford railroad company was criminally negligent and that Arthur M. Curtis of New York. the engineer of the Fed eraI express. was also crimina1ly neg -ligent, is the finding of Coroner Will son as result of his inquest into the wreck of the Federal express here on the morning of July II, when fourteen were killed and forty injured
 Proper Signals Were Set.
 The wreck was caused by the train taking a short cross-over at a high rate of speed, which threw the engine and six cars off the tracks onto a street below. That the proper signals were set gainst the train and that En- gineer Curtis was in good health were also brought out in the finding.
 Why Road is Blamed.
 The road is found negligent because they maintained short oss-over on fast express trunk line tracks and Cur tis because he ran his train at such a high rate of speed over the cross over.
 Text of Finding.
 The finding, in part follows: T find that Arthur M. Curtis died from being crushed and other injuries high rate of speed over a 1ow-speed cross-over located at the Burr road tower of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad company, caus- ing a derailment of such train and the death of thirteen other occupants of said train.
 Cross Over is Dangerous.
 That the said New York. New Ha- ven and Hartford railroad company was criminally negligent in maintain ing an inherently dangerous and short cross-over on fast express trunk line tracks and in relying upon a rule gov erning the use thereof. Notwithstand- ing the fact that it operates fast pas- senger trains over this location, when q longer and more gradual cross-over, with its accompanying ddminution in the degree of the angle, would have eliminated the danger of this situa- ton.
 Longer Cross Over Would Have Pre-.
 vented Accident.
 That the said Arthur M. Curtis was criminally negligent in operating his train at such a high rate of speed over this crossing. but. even so were it not for tho dangerous construction and layout of said company, or had long CT cross s-over been located there, such B catastrophe could not have happened
 Two Engineers on Fast Trains.
 T would recommend also that the said railroad company look carefully into the advisabiltty of having two en- 2ineers, on fast trains particularly, with no division of responsibility be- tween them, and that safety be con- sidered above speed at all hazards People Demand Safety as We'll as
 Speed.
 There is no question but that peo- pie demand fast trains and high speed, but it is equally true that they de- mand and are entitled to safety in Hrzve1 and tha degvaa of rare iDcIIy,o . bent upon railroad companies to ob- serve in running their trains is more or less commensurate with their speed.
 Weather Was Oppressive.
 Then, again, it is common knowl- edge that a human being is not irfal- lible and is often affected by extreme weather. and at the time of the acci-