The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-24
Judson Employed Noted Experts Who, After Thorough Inquiry, Renders Report Showing Futility of Pro-
 ceeding Under Coroner's Ruling

bridge instead of passing onto this bridge and been wrecked east of and on the bridge.
 18th. The train must have passed through this slip switch leading from track to track 4 at a speed exceed ing thirty miles. per hour to have wrecked the train, as we saw train 12 pass through this same slip switch at a speed of at least fifteen miles per hour and no perceptible vibration or roll occurred, and we believe that had the train run at speed of twen . ty miles per hour no very marked roll or derailment of train would have
 "9th We believe the engineman must have been asleep, incapacitated IT lost consciousness and did not req lie his close proximity to the slow speed slip-switch until too late to as Sist himself by reducing the. speed of the train to a safe limit for pass ing through the slip-switch, or else forgot his orders to make station stop at Bridgeport, which we under stand was an extra stop for the Fed aral Express on the day in question, because if Bridgeport was not a reg ular stop for this train. the train would naturally pass through Bridge port on track 2 and there would have been necessity to have used the zlip-switch cross-over at Burr Road Signal station; but even had there Neen no requirement to stop at Bridgeport, the engineman passed a distant signal at caution and home signal at danger. all at Burr Road interlocking tower. contrary to the rules of the company with which he was fully familiar.
 10th. We cannot see that any fault Or blame can be laid to the railroad company on account of faulty con- Struction or maintenance of the switch and signal system at Burr Road Tow CT for the following reasons:
 '+(a) The switches, frogs and track were in first class condition, well ball. Ia fad 0gaiLRd alip11- nent good.
 ''Oo) The signals were well located for fast running, properly coupled up with tower levers for safe and re- liable operation, no / obstruction to prevent a long view of the signals and only one signal on a pole, signals operated by positive mechanical con- nections so that signals must show danger or caution, respectively, when the controlling lever in the tower is placed in it's normal position.
 "'(c) The interlocking machine in the tower is in first-class condition, with locking so arranged that proceed signal cannot be displayed in conflict with the routes set up-
 ''(d) The color of the signal lights governing the movement of trains at night is standard, so that should a colored lens be broken the white light exposed from the flame of the lamp would represent danger, requiring all trains to stop.
 ''(e) The duplication of interlc king layoutS or installations as at Stam- sord East Port Chester, New Ro> chelle, State street. Bridgeport, and Burr Road, with practically the same rules governing theiI operation, tends to simplicity and uniformity, reQuir- ng less memory or mental effort on the part of the enginemen than would be the case if each interlocking in- stallation was different and required a different set of rues governing each installation"
 The finding of criminal negligence by Coroner Wilson was not received with approval, and the belief was generally expressed that it was not reached in ignorance of its political effect.
 The coroner had been under heavy fire for holding secret sessions of his court. The accident to the Federal Express excited great popular indigna- ton. The time was just prior to the coroner's campaign for the nomination for mayor.
 The effect of the finding, not con- sidering any purpose or design that might have existed in the mind of It's writer. was undoubtedly to in- crease the popularity of the coroner The inspectors of the Interstate Commerce Commission subsequently investigated and found no negligence of a criminal nature on the part of he railroad.