Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1912-07-06
Fixing Blame
for Disaster

CORNING, N. Y, July 6.-With the
passing of every hour it becomes
more and more apparent that the
blame for Thursdays frightful wreck
with its awful toll of death must fall
upon the shoulders of William Schroe-
der. engineer of train No. II, who ran
past a caution signal, fagman and
danger signal in the order named
in his mad rush of destruction.
A. Buchanan, jr., of Albany, inspec-
tor of equipment for the Public Ser
vice Commission, stated. last night
that he is satisfied, so far as his in
vestigation has gone. that the blame
for the wreck lay in the engine cab of
train No. II. ssta
"There was something radically
wrong in the cab" said Mr.. Bu-
chanan. Just what it was / am not
yet permitted to say. We are cer-
tain, however. that the flagman was
out behind No . fully half mile
back, protecting his train, and that
the block Signals were set against
Engineer Schroeder. Besides, a clear
view of the rear of No. 8 was to be
had from the cab of No IL for 1000
feet before the trains met.
Schroeder says he never realized
the danger ahead of him until he
saw the tall lights of No. 8. His
statement is corroborated by his fire.
man, Mack Huntley, now in the Corn
ing Hospital, who says he did not
know the passenger train was in the
block until they were bearing down
on them and he saw the lights di-
rectly ahead. Neither Of the men saw
the first or second block signals be-
cause of the dense fog. They declare
they saw the lights of the passenger
train too late to get their train under
control. They were speeding sixty
five miles an hour
Three Danger Signals.
There were in all three signals set
by No. II, it is claimed by the rail-
road officials. The signals We're first
the semaphore, a mile east of the
scene of the wreck; a fiagman with a
flag, half mile nearer, and danger
semaphore signal within $50 yards of
the spot where the trains collided.
When Engineer Hartnett, of No g.,
arrived at a point mile east of Glib
son he saw the warning signal and
slowed up. Half a mile further he
saw the fiagman from the freight
train and proceeding carefully, he
approached the home signal of dou-
BILE danger, where he brought his
train to full stop. He found extra
freight No. 81 stalled by the loss of
drawhead and. uncoupling his en-
gine, went to the assistance of the
crippled train.
There is a conflict in the testimony
regarding the position of Flagman
Lane. Two passengers who stood be-
side the tracks during the twenty
minutes interval between the time
No, 9 stopped and the arrival of No,
IL stated at the coroners inquest that
they did not see Flagman Lane go
back with the flag to warn No. II.
Blames the Engineer.
Superintendent Poore, of the Buff
| falo division of the ID. l.. and W.,
holds that Engineer Schroeder was
already to blame for ignoring signals
Poore could not say whether or not
| torpedoes were placed on the track to
| WARN ocHTOSueT Oh lne presence OF
| another train nearby.
Local railroad men have story to
the effect that Schroeder had left his
cab in order to get down to examine
the injector, which was not working
properly, and that 1t was while stoop-
ing over to attend to this matter tina,
\ he passed the signals and the flag.
man. This story lacks confirmation
4 Thirteen Unidentified.
i Thirteen of the forty-one killed IL
the wreck remained unidentified las
night. OF these six are in a loca
morgue and seven in Elmira Som.
of the bodies were so terribly lacer
ated that identification will be almos
impossible. 1t Is probable that SOM
of the unknown Will be buried her
in unmarked graves The bodies still
unclaimed are those of six women
flve men. a 1o-year-old boy and al
s-year-old girl.
Beaman Cato, of Moristown, N. j
whose wife was killed. became sud
denly and violently insane yesterday
He was lodged in the police statiol
and is under the care of physician
J He is continually asking for nevus n