Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-01-24
ON Y s MINUTES APART
TRAINS WE'RE RUNNING TOO
CLOSE TO EACH OTHER
FOR SAFETY.
Saw The SIGNAL TOO late
Engineer Declares He Could Have
stopped Had He Had roo
Feet More.

CHAMPAIGN, ILL.,, Jan. 23.-Al-
though no decision was reached today
by the board of inquiry into the 70.
cent disastrous wreck on the Illinois
Central at kinmundy Ill.,, enough
evidence was obtained to indicate that
responsibility for the accident was due
more to human fallibility than TO me-
chanical devices. The inquiry Is being
conducted by joint board composed
of representatives. OF the state. tn,
railroads and the interstate COM
merce commission and technical ex-
perts. Further hearings probably will
ne held in Chicago tomorrow.
Too Close for Safety.
Testimony of trainmen showed that
the Panama limited which ran into
the private ear Of Second Vice-presi.
dent F. .. Melchoir of the CHI lcago.
Rock Island and Pacific railroad, IN
which he. with former President ]. T.
Harahan of the Illinois Central, and
two other railway men were killed. was
Following the New Orleans express II
which the car was attached, too close.
ly for safety.
1t was testified that only five min.
utes intervened while they were sup
posed to be running ten minutes
apart on the schedule"
The theory that defective air brakes
on the limited was the chief cause.
was exploded by the testimony of En-
glneer stuart, who declared the brakes
on his engine and train were working
perfectly. lie was borne out in this
by other members OF the train crew,
Investigation Started Yesterday.
The investigation was begun here
TINS afternoon. On the board are
Dean Goss, of the Illinois University
college of engineering; q. l.. Pettinger
OF Centralia. life long friend OF Mr..
Harahan and representative of the in-
terstate commerce commission and IL
linois railway and warehouse commits
sion. Chief Engineer Berry of tho
Rock Island lines also Is a member
because of the death of three of that
roads officials In the wreck.
John ii. Brainerd, conductor of the
New Orleans express described the
wrecklng of the private car Brainerd
said he had cautioned his flagman to
look out for the Panama limited, as
that train was following the express
closely.
Saw Train Coming.
Brainerd said his train reached KIM
mundy at 1924 a. IN. The Panama
limited was due there in five minutes.
BrninaF1 ng
door of the baggage car while water
was being taken and saw the head
light of the limited approaching. He
said he did not worry as he had con-
fidence In the flagman. He was as
founded to learn later that the flag
man had not gone back more than
sixty feet before the crash came.
Barry j. Becker, the flagman, said:
Il was scared when | looked back
and saw the headlight. did not run
back more than 100 feet. / swung my
danger lantern. The limited seemed
to be three-quarters of a miie or a
mile away"
Robert Stuart. engineer of the Pan.
anna limited. took the stand. with his
face swathed in bandages. He said:
Brakes Worked Perfectly.
Il could not SEE the tail lights on
train NO. 25 (the express) because OF
the steam. / saw only the west light
and supposed 1t was the interlocker
signal. 1t was too late to slow up
when | saw the danger lamps. could
have seen a fusee for miles. l could
have stopped I'm 100 feet more. | had
shut off the steam to comply with he
slow up order at Kinmundy. Tho
brakes were working perfectly"
Engineer Stuart was Questioned
closely by the representatives of tho
Interstate commerce commission and
the state railway commission regard.