The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-06-20
BRAKES FAIL IN
DEATH RUN TEST
Locomotive Runs Beyond
Where Skylark Stood.
NO BRAKES AT ALL AT END
Engineer Doueherty's Story of How
Stamford Wreck Occurred Borne Out
In Spectacular Manner--Train Runs
375 Feet Beyond Safety Mark.

Stamford Wreck Occurred Borne Out
In Spectacular Manner--Train Runs
375 Feet Beyond Safety Mark.
Stamford, Conn, June 1S.-On the
seventh test the air brakes on the big
Pacific type engine No 1888 Of the
Boston express on the New Haven
road failed totally to hold the wheels
In reproduction of the stopping CON
ilitions of the fatal run into the yards
here last Thursday afternoon. The en-
gine after running with brakes set for
2,296 feet carried the same cars to
which 1t was attached on the day Of
the wreck for a distance 375 feet far
ther than the spot where the wooden
Pullman chair car Skylark had stood
when the same engine bored through
it, killing six passengers. Six prelimi-
nary tests had been successfully met.
At the end of the day the brakes
broke down completely, permitting the
locomotive to run away from its cars
after being uncoupled from them. The
brakes when applied in an effort to
stop the runaway engine had no force,
and 1t was found that pin had drop
ped out of one of the brake levers.
The engine, now a cripple, was towed
into the Stamford roundhouse, where a
force Of repair men was put to work to
get 1t into shape to go back to New
Haven under its own steam.
Fatal Train Used In Test.
For the purposes of the post mortem
test the engine in which Charles J.
Dougherty had drilled through the Sky
lark was attached to the same cars that
had formed the second section of the
Boston express when the rear end col
l1sion occurred in the Stamford yards.
The train crews were the same, except
that an experienced engineer and an
other fireman had charge of the engine
cab, and the big locomotive, already
known as the death engine" had been
repaired slightly to put it back into
running condition.
That repairing, however, had been
done under the direction of inspectors
for the interstate commerce commits
sion, who stated that none of it had
affected the efficiency of the brakes.
The attempt to re-enact with the
tragic features the death run of Dough-
erty'S engine was made after officials
of the New Haven road testified at the
inquest conducted by Coroner Phelan
that it was impossible for Dougherty
to have applied the brakes as he said
he did and yet cause the wreck of the
car Skylark.
The run on which the air brakes
merely failed without breaking down,
the seventh of the days series of tests,
was the first on which an attempt was
made to reproduce the conditions
Dougherty faced and to apply the afr
as Dougherty testified that he applied
it. The only physical condition differ
ing from that which Dougherty en-
countered was that little green flag
stood in the path of the train instead
of an antiquated wooden Pullman car
filled with passengers.
Brakes Fail Completely.
AS the heavy express train pulled
into the block in which the little green
flag waved, it's brakes were grinding,
yet the locomotive needed them hardly
at all. Eight hundred feet from the
place of death the train was bearing
down almost at full speed, although the
brakes then had been set for more
than twice the distance regarded as a
"good stop" The express pace slack
ened perceptibly as it neared the spot
where the Skylark had been smashed,
but 1t still was going at speed enough
to suck up clouds Of dust from the
road bed.
The locomotive passed on and so did
. four of the cars. When the brakes
gave a final crunch and the train came
4 to a standstill the locomotives bent
4 pilot was at rest 375 feet beyond the
spot where the Skylark had stood. The
Pullman cars FOXboro and Pristina
4 We're standing just where the Skylark
y had stood. They were the fourth and
fifth cars of the test train, and still
! were filed with a litter of New Eng
4 land newspapers bearing the date June
3 IL, the papers having been left there
; by passengers who poured out of the
train after the wreck.
Until the seventh test, which failed
railroad officials were rather hopeful
n because of the days showing. Under
J many brake applications they had
4 shown that Engine 1888 could be
brought under control and held down
to normal running conditions. But
when, to the manifest surprise of
every railroad man on the train, the
brakes suddenly proved useless, many
faces were overcast with expressions
of chagrin.