The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-11-25
UTILITIES COMMISSION
 ORDERS TRAINS TO STOP
 BEFORE SHORT SWITCHES

travel train number 53 was run in two sections. The firstssection, made up at Springfield and composed of coaches left Bridgeport; it's last stop ping place, at AIS D. m. on time. This train is scheduled to run on track number three from New Haven to Stamford and son track number three from Stamford to Woodlawn, but be- cause a construction train occupied track number three near WeStport, first number 53 was diverted from it's regular route at Bridgeport and run on track number one to Vest port, where it was crossed back again to track number three and continued westward to its New York terminal
 The movement of first number 53 from tracks number one to number three at Westport, was made accord ing to rule, and in obedience to sig naIs.
 After the first section passed West port the tower operator, M. A. Coyle, restored his signals to their normal position and gave an unlock to the first tower man east of him located at Greens Farms. This permitted clear signals to be given second nun Der 53 at Greens Farms. The cross and number three were not changed after the passage of the first section and when second number 53 was an nounced from Greens Farms, Opera tor Coyle cleared the westbound drawbridge signal for track number one and set the dwarf signal for the crossover, keeping the distant signal at caution, and the home signal in stop position. Instead of bringing the train under control because of the distant signal being at caution the passed on over the drawbridge and passed the station at an estimated speed of between 40 and 50 miles per hour. There was apparently no eff fort made to check the speed until the engine was near the crossover. when an emergency application of the air was made but too late to materially lessen the speed, and the and the wreck occurred, as described.
 Saw the Danger.
 The first one to witness the unusual action of the train was Bridge Tender 500 feet east of the station. The tow CT operator also saws the impending danger and tried to signal the fire man, whos<E1e said. was sitting on his seat looking straight ahead as he passed the tower.
 Work train conductor, Grove Key nol4s, made a frantic effort to attract theNattention of the engineer and fire man from where he stood, on. the south side of the tracks between the tosFer-and the station while Sectiun F0feman Gordon. who was working on track number one, a few feet west of the crossover, observed the train coming too fast to take the crossover- safely, and swung his hat across the IEack as a ~S1SHaIs TOT the engineer 10 stop All of these warnings were ap- parently unheeded until it was too late to prevent the accident.
 The rails, switches. and frogs over which the train passed, after leaving track number one, must have been subjected to a verv severe strain, but the only indications visible after the wreck were a slight spreading of the guage to one inch in the widest place at the joint midway between the wes- terly frog and switch of the crossover.
 No Imperfections i'm Signals.
 An examination made very soon af- ter the accident failed to disclose any imperfections in signals, interlocking a track, which could have caused the derailment, and all evidence goes to prove that the engine and other train equipment was in perfect order. It is, therefore, apparent that the acci- dent was due to the failure of the en- gineer to obey the signals which should have governed the movement
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