New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-05
Jackson and John Cavanaugh. a for
mer Mayor OF South Norwalk.
BLAME THE DEAD ENGINEER
New Haven Road Officials Issue
Final Wreck Statement.
IBy telegraph 20 Tho tribune !

by Telegraph 20 The Tribune
New Haven. Oct THE New Haven
Railroad officials issued their formal
statement tonight regarding the West
port wreck of yesterday II declares
that responsibility for the accident lies
with the dead engineer, who ignored two
signals, the home and distant. running
past them both at so high speed that
II was impossible to take the crossovers
The statement follows:
The train was the second section OF
train No. SO and was thirteen minutes
behind the first section. Both trains APP
preaching Westport were on track l.
the inside westbound track The cross
over at Westport from track I TO track
3 is protected by a home and distant
signal. The home signal signifes stop
the distant signal signifies caution. An
engineer on seeing the distant. or eau
ton signal, against him Is expected 10
reduce speed and approach the home sig
nal prepared TO stop at the home sig
nal In this case, where the train Is
expected to 20 from track l 10 track g..
there is a small dwarf or pot signal at
the crossoyer, which In clear position
signifies to the engineer that he need not
stop at the home signal. but liz to take
the crossoYer AT speed or nfteen miles
an hour, or less.
In this particular case the home and dis
tant signals were set against the train.
The pot signal In proceed position signl-
fled that the train was to take the cross
, over at fifteen miles an hour. or less.
The first section went through the cross
over under the rules; the second section
ignored both signals, the home and the
distant. and struck the cross-over at u
speed estimated by many OF close to
sixty miles an hour.
In this case the accident happened In
daylight. The engineer could see the dis
tant signal four thousand feet before he
reached 1t, and after he passed the dis
tant signal had thirty-nine hundred feet
to go and bring his train under control
before ne reached the home signal.
We have at the present writing no way
OF knowing why the engineer Ignored
these two signals. We know from state
ments Of signal men who happened to be
on the wrecked train and made careful
investigation Immediately after the wreck
that the signals and track were In good
working condition.
We also know that the first section,
taking the tracks few minutes ahead
of the wrecked train and using the signals
exactly as the wrecked train should have
used them, went though I'm safety.
IL should be understood that while de-
vices have been invented. or an attempt
made to invent them. that will stop a
train that runs by signal In stop
position. so far as Is known by operating
men no device has ever been suggested
yet that Will reduce the speed Of train
from an unsafe to a safe speed.
In this particular case the engineer
had perfect right to travel the route
he was going; the signals gave him that
right, but he had no right TO take the
cross over at over fifteen miles an hour.
and there is no device. so far as We
know, even suggested that will reduce
the speed of train to fifteen miles an
hour from an unsafe speed making a
movement Of this sort.
The signals are the block signals. man
ually operated and automatically con-
tro%led: in other words. IT Is Impossible
for the tower operator TO set a signal
which. II regarded properly by the engine
men, can cause a wreck.