The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-26
CORONER WILSON'S FINDING IN INQUEST
 INTO DEATH CAUSED
 BY WRECK OF JULY Il


 cause of the wreck of the Federal body of Curtis, the engineer:
 ''I, the undersigned. Clifford B. Will son, coroner, having notice of the death of Arthur M. Curtis. white male, 34 years old, late of New York city. N. Y., who, on the 11th day of July, A. D. 1911, died a sudden. vio- lent. untimely death in the town of Bridgeport, having viewed the body of the deceased and made immediate inquiry concerning his death, do here by certify that said Arthur M. Cur tis died in Bridgeport on the 11th day of July, A. D. 1911, from being crushed and otherwise injured in the wreck of the Federal cypress, rail- road train operated by and over one of the lines of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad com pany.
 Arthur M.. Curtis. the said de- ceased, was, and had been since No- vember, 1904, an engineer in the em- ploy of the said railroad company, working about and to and rom the Harlem river yards. He was on the spare list at all times while at Har- lem river. not having any regular job. In the fall of 1898 he went fir ing at Providence. He was consid-
 
 run at different times the company's best trains, and had been in the elec- tric service.
 "One of the trains operated by said company over its lines is the so-called Federal expres, known officially as train No. 72. This is a through train eastbound from Washington. D. C.. to Boston, Mass. It does not pass through New York city, but is con veyed by means of a ferry from Jer- sey City to Harlem river, where it first strikes the rails of said com pany.
 At Harlem river a train crew of the New York. New Haven and Hart ford Railroad company assumes charge of said train. and one of the said company's engines is attached thereto. This train is often later than it's schedule time, and on July II, 1911, did not leave Harlem river until 1852 a. m.. and arrived at Stamford at 2:55. which was one hour and 12 minutes later than it's regular sched ule time. From New Rochelle June tion eastward it proceeded on track No. 2, the inside eastbOund track.
 The Harlem river branch up to New Rochelle Junction is composed of six tracks, and from New Rochelle Junction to New Haven there are four tracks. the inside eastbound track be- ing No. ?; the outside eastbound. No. 4; the outside westbound, No. 3; the inside westbound. No. 1. The outside, tracks, Nos. 3 and 4, are usually used for passenger travel. but the inside tracks are sometimes used for such purpose, particularly when it is de- sired to give a train On track clear road, or to get around some obstruc- tion.
 Train No 34 on said railroad is known as the Boston Mail. and is scheduled to make the run from New fork city to Boston in five hours and 10 minutes. This train was also put on track 2 at said junction. close be- hind the Federal express.
 At Stamford the Federal express was left on said track 2 and the other train was put through the crossover there to track 4. The Federal ex- press left Stamford a little ahead of the mail train, which was keeping its schedule. At the Fairfield tower the mail train was three minutes ahead of the other.
 The running time of the Federal express between Stamford and Bridge port. a distance of about 25 miles. is 36 minutes, and it makes no stops from Harlem river to New Haven ex- cept to leave passengers from west of Jersey City
 "On July II, 1911, the Federal ex- press was made up of engine No. SIS. the regular engine for the train. ten- der, United States Fisheries car, bag gage car, day coach. and six Pull man sleepers. The air brakes on this train were tested before leaving liar lem river, and the train was in good operating condition.
 Garrett S. Dyckman, the train dis patcher at New Haven, whose juris- diction over trains eaStbOund com mences at Stamford and extends to Midway, Conn.,, states that the train master at Harlem river sent him a message about 40 minutes after train No. 72 left Harlem river. inform ing him that a stop was to be made at Bridgeport, and that the train would cross. over from track 2 to 4.
 ''It is the train dispatcher's duty to dictate where crossovers shall be made, and this is governed by the movement of the trains on the tracks so involved and the attendant circum- stances. Owing to the progress of trains No. 34 and 72, Dyckman decid- ed that the Federal express should cross over from track to 4 at the Burr road crossover in Bridgeport, and notified Clarence W. Hemingway, the operator at Burr road tower. to this effect about ten minutes before the train was due to pass said tower. He received Hemingway'S o. K im- mediately after sending the message, both being transmitted over the wire. w llllam bdlldrQ, the operator at the Main street tower, Bridgeport the next tower east from Burr road tower, also heard this message transmitted over the wire to Hemingway.
 Frank P. Cummings, the operator on duty at the Fairfield tower. which is the one next west from Burr road tower and about three miles there from, says that the Federal express went by him between BPS and 3:29 a. m. on said day, travelling probably 55 or 57 miles an hour"
 Hemingway says that he set up the crossoXer just about 3:3e, as near as I can remember The fast mail went by me at 3:2S, if I remember right, and so marked it on my sheet, and this 72 was rung in to me at 3:29. and as soon as this train went by I set the crossover up; that is. as soon as 34 went by. That would make the crosoveri set up for him before 3:3O. He further states: It was all of a minute and better. I had plenty of time to do it. and went down to my desk and sat down and waited for this mail train to get clear before 72 was due to pass him. When this cross
 When this crossover is set up the distant signal for an east bound train, which is located 2,1S7 feet west of the home signal, is set at caution on both tracks and 4, the home signal on both tracks is at danger, and dwarf signal, 1ocat- ed by the side of track and 104 feet west from the point of the croSsOver on track is clear. all of which con- stitute the crossover signal. These