The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-11-20
GREENS FARMS WRECK PROBE IS UNDER WAY Lou P. Bristol Important Witness Public Utilities Com
 mission Present ARRANGEMENTS FOR MASS
 MEETINGS OF PROTEST Cities on Main Line to Give Voice to Indignation at
 R0adbed Conditions
Special to The Farrner.l

Roadbed Conditions
 Especial to The Farmer.)
 New Haven, Nov. 20-With the en- tire membership Of the Connecticut as spectators, and Police Commission CT Lou P. Bristol of Bridgeport. traf- ftc manager, as one of the chief wit neSses,, the formal investigation by the Interstate Commerce Commissions department of safety in the Greens Farms wreck was begun in New Ha- ven today.
 While this investigation was in pro- gress, commuters and others living in cities along the main line, New Haven. Bridgeport, the Norwalks and Stam- ford were making preparations for mass meetings of protest against the conditions leading to the frequent wfecks on the New Haven system.
 Next Tuesday night has been chosen safety made a complete inspection of ford and Norwalk meetings. The armory in West avenue. ES Horace H. Jackson, a prominent member of the Bridgeport Business Mems Association, who was approach ed by the Norwalk leaders in the movement, has. referred the propon- euts of the Bridgeport mass meeting to Charles D. Davis, president of the association. MT Davis was in New
 
 held up. The inspectors of the departnent of safety mad a complete inspection of Farms. yesterday, and gathered inc formation on which upwards of 30 witnesses have been silnn1oned. A goodly number of these were heard today The testimony of all who in spected the. scene of the wreck was to- the general effect that. the breaking of the equalizer bar and it's falling in fo a switch qfr-TT TafRrrad f n in the railroads statements, was responsible for the wreck.
 The examiners did, not go into the question Of the physical condition of the roadbed during the preliminary ex- animation, but from the nature of the questioning it was apparent that the examination would be thorough.
 HI. w. Belknap, chairman of the de- partment. Of safety of the Interstate Commerce Commission, conducted the inquiry
 In conducting the examination, Mr. Belnap was aided by his assistants. Hawley, Swazey and Hoard. Among those present were Messrs, Ford. Hale, and Elwel1, of the public utili> ties commission. The first witness called was J. J. Dodin, train dis patcher at the local station. He told of the time of the trains leavingi New Haven and it's speed. He said it was four minutes late in leaving hereiand that it was four minutes late at the time of the wreck. The train, he said, went from Fairfield to Greens Farms, the scene of the wreck, in three minutes.
 He was followed by Superintendent Woodward. He testified as to the time of the running of the train be- tween Boston and New York and said the trip between this city and New minutes. There was but one other, he said, that made it in less tinne, one hour and 34 minutes.
 He said that in the opinion of the 10 flor r1il ant 1o1 0od Hxy the dropping of an equalizer bar in a switch. The bar. which was found, he said, showed the marks of what it had gone through. Commissioner Belnap laid great stress on the speei of trains on the road. MT. Woodward said that when he reached the wreck car was coupled to the first car but off the tracks. The other three, cars, he said. were three hundred feet be- hind The train had run 1.5O0 feet after the derai1nent before it stop ped. This showed the high speed at which the train was going. There was nothing on this stretch of track, he said, that would prevent the trains making high speed.
 William R. Morley. engineer, said he found both switch points open as though something had gone through and sprung them. He did not see the equalizer bar.
 Henry A. Cordier, fireman, found new bolt broken at crossover switch and said it came from rail six feet back of the switch. He did not see the eqa1izer.
 Fred A. Ross, conductor, found the switch broken as though something had been dragged through it, crowd ing the left hand rail over to one side. He didn't see. the equalizer, bar.
 Fred M- Robbins, a brakeman. did not investigate.
 D. A. Kinney, baggagemaster, was the first to- testify that he saw the equalizer bar. It came from the first truck of the dining car, he said. It was broken.
 William T. Case, parlor. car conduc- tor said he signal1ed. the engineer to stop when he felt the first jar. He made no examination of the cause.
 Walter Clarke dining ear condue- tor, made no investigation.
 l.. P. Bristol, traffic master, said something had half thrown the switch and that it had hit the block of the switch point. The ties, he said, were all new and he saw one broken rail. He saw the broken equalizer bar. There was no flaw in the bar, he said. and the break was new one. He said the bar had probably been broken from the truck long time and only needed something for it to run against to cause it to falE He said it turned the stock rail over
 Fred A. Mann, wTecking master said he saw the bar and that it had a slight flaw but that the break was a new one. He said he never knew -,f faI ifacy