The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1912-10-09
OFFICIAL ADMITS
ROAD COULD HAVE
PREVENTED WRECK
Safety Device Commission
Suggested After Former
Disaster Ignored.
WOODEN CAR TO BLAME
investigators Want to Know
Why Company Hasn't Made
Inquiry Of Its Own.
WOODEN CAR TO BLAME

The refusal Of the New York. New
Haven and Hartford Railroad to adopt
safety devices recommended year ago
by the Interstate Commerce Commission.
after the wreck at Bridgeport. was
brought home to the officials Of the
road to-day at the inquiry TO determine
the cause OF the wreck at Westport.
Conn, last Thursday, In which seve
persons lost their lives. The inquiry y
being conducted by Interstate Commerce
Commissioner c. c. McChord at thu
waldorf-Astoria.
Under the questioning OF Lawyer
Philip Dougherty. representing the Com
mission, Vice-President VI. J. Horn. OF
the railroad. admitted that the wreck
last week would not have occurred "
the recommendation Of the Commission.
made one year ago after the Bridge
port wreck. had been adopted. This
recommendation was that train should
be stopped at a "cross-over before
the switch was set to send 1t from one
track to another.
Mr.. Horn also admitted that his road
had neglected even to experiment with
any OF the ono hundred automatic de-
vices to stop trains that pass signals,
now on the market. None was suitable
for his road he believed.
Testimony by vice-presidents OF the
railroad yesterday disclosed neglect by
ofiicials OF the road to install any OF the
latest mechanical devices now in use In
the tunnel systems Of the city. which
automatically stop trains that run past
danger signals. One official testified that
A. far as he knew 10 action had been
taken by the directors OF the road to
inquire into the cause OF the accident at
Westport.
This seems very significant to me-"
said Lawyer Dougherty to-day.
The coroner who held the inquest rec
ommended a criminal investigation.
vet the directors concern themselves
only with the financial end of the man
agement, leaving the actual operation
u the heads Of the various DEPART
ments. This point will be the subject
Of further rigid probing by the COM
mission
The use OF an old-fashioned wooden
Pullman, In use twenty years, in which
all the passengers killed met their
deaths. is point which MI
Douyherty said he would challenge.
This car weighed a bit more than half
the weight OF the other Pullrnans be-
hind II and was entirely OF wood.
yice-President II. J. Horn OF the -ail-
road was recalled to the stand to-day.
Mr.. Dougherty began by asking him why
the railroad had not accepted the recon-
nendation OF the Commission after the
bridgeport wreck a year ago. which sug-
rested that all trains be brought to a
stop before every "cross-over"-that is.
curving rails used to shift train from
ono track to another.
why hasn't your road acted upon
this suggestion while II was discussing
the adoption OF some mechanical device
to prevent accidents OF this nature?"
asked Mr.. Dougherty.
I'VE have been discussing It," said Mr..
Horn.
"Why haven't you put a fagman at
the cross-overs?" asked Mr.. Dougherty.
we have debated that question" an
severed Mr.. Horn. 1T does not seem
advisable to some. for II may mean the
transferring Of one possibility Of acoi-
dent to another. namely. that OF q train
hitting the one that Is stopped. The sig
mails, think. are sufficient. Besides. an
experienced engineer. knowing that ne
could be guided by additional signals.
might run past the nagman."
''why haven't you used tho hagman
a your croS-overs. leading to the &C.
ceptance of some mechanical device to
stop trains that run past danger Sig
nAls7'
We've been discussing that" said
Mr.. Horn. sharply.
rs It necessary for you 10 go into q
turmoil over that simple question? II
you had accepted the recommendation
OF the Commission after the Bridgeport
wreck, you would have saved the lives
of twenty-five killed and over one hun
dred injured since then by your road"
iuterpoiated Commissioner McChord.
aagrlly.
Nr. Horn admitted under quss-
uoning that II the recommend
ton OF the Interstate Commerce
Commission that the "iron," or
switch, In "oross-ovsrs" should
not be set to cross . train from
one track to another until the
train came to . full stop, had been
adopted, the accident at Wsstport
could have been avoided.
Dougherty then took up the matter of