The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-09-14
Engineer Blamed
 For Collision In Running By Signals
Brakeman Killed in Head-on Crash of Freight and Lighter in New Haven Cut

New Haven, Sept 14-According to an official statement from the New Haven road, the head-on collision in the "cut'' yesterday afternoon between a freight train and a switching en- zine. in which Howard F. Reinhardt, brakeman. was killed, was due to the fact that the engineer in the light engine, Matthew Deane of Harlem River, disregarded two signals and
 was on the wrong track. Deane had not been taken into custody last night but the statement came from Coroner
 Mix yesterday afternoon that he would be detained in connection with the case.
 The following is the statement from the press department of the road fix ing the cause. for the accident as the road sees it.:
 "The accident was caused by the engineer on light engine BY disregard ing two signals; also running against the current of traffic east of Fadr St. on track No. 2.''
 HOW WRECK HAPPENED. The wreck was one of the worst
 that has occurred directly in this vi- cinity in some time. The freight train was coming into this city from Spring field in charge of Engineer Charles Ross and Conductor Renniher of New London. Both Ross and his fireman, Harry Farmer, also of New London, 1 jumped when they saw the imminence of the collision. The freight was go- ing at a fair rate of speed and the l curve between Grand avenue and Olive streets where the collision occurred prevented Engineer Ross from seeing the switching engine in time to stop. The switching engine was backing up and, it is stated, was on it's way k11@ C~l l<,.~ a have been, it is claimed on. track 1, while it was actually on track 2, which l is usually kept open for inbound traf- l fife. The curve also prevented Deane | from seeing the freight until it was l too late to prevent the accident The collision occurred about midway | between Grand avenue and Olive St. 1 Owing to the fact that the freight | train was pushing @ coal tender in 1 front of it. the engine itself was not badly smashed.
 | The peculiar feature of the acci- dent was that Reinhardt, the brake
 man who was killed was in the center of the freight train. He happened to be at the brake between a box and l a flat car. These two of aM the cars on the freight were the only ones badly smashed. The flat car was com pletely overturned and Reinhardt was buried under it. FLYING SQUAD ON SCENE. The switching engine was badly smashed and caught fire. On still alarm. the dying squadron came out | from the Artizan street house and ex- tingufshed' the blaze by means of chemicals
 The engineer and fireman on this engine had jumped before the collision | and were only slightly hurt It was reported last night at the station that | they had both gone to their homes in | Harlem river and that they will be called to appear before Coroner Mix today. The wreckage blocked up the cut | for only a few minutes and within an hour after the collision practically | every vestige of the affair had been removed. Reinhardt was head brake | man on the freight train and was we'll known in railroad circles. Deane, | the engineer, has been on the road about five years. He is about Al | years of age.