The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-03-18
REPORT FATAL
 TROLLEY CRASH
Engineer EIWeII Puts Entire Blame on
 MOtOrman
Accident Near Waterbury in Which Two Died and About
 90 Were Injured

Hartford March 1S-The fatal troll ley accident on the New Haven Wa
 terbury line at Summit Station on Feb. 2S in which two persons ured as a result of injuries received, and about 50 persons were injured, was due entirely to the carelessness of Motorman James L. McGuire'' of Wa terbury, who was running a car well equipped and with all appliances Tn
 good working order for stopping the same.''
 Such is the opinion of C. C. Elwell, chief engineer and inspector of the public utility commission, who has just filed his report of the accident
 Continuing, MT E1wel1 says in part:
 NO recommendations made by the commission or rules adopted by the company will overcome human fra1lty and positively prevent motorrnen rom passing danger signals, but If the con struction of trolley cars can be so improved as 10 lessen the casualties by accidents of this character, the matter should be given serious con sideration.v
 T would therefore suggest that all electric street railway companies oper- ating cars within the State of Con necticut seriously consider the prac- ticabiIity of having all electric cars running on tracks with those carrying passengers, equipped with buffers Of a uniform standard height, and some improved system of 'anti-climbing' de- vice to make the telescoping of pas senger cars less likely in case Of col Iision; and submit to the commission the result of their consideration and investigation.
 ''McGuire," continues the report, s4cIaimed that the red signal light was so dim that 1t was impossible for him to see it until arriving within 200 feet of the signal, when he threw his brake into emergency. This did not -I1r Tan done, owing to poor braking power and the car passed Zhe signal at four miles per hour He saw the stone 1 train approaching through the cut i when at the signal and reversed his | power, but the wheels locked and the i car slid because of slippery track and descending grade. meeting the stone train 105 feet east of the signal, while his car was still moving only about four miles per hour. No sand was used although a supply was carried on the gar
 rnony of many intelligent eye witness es and a series of experiments made on the spot with similar car to No. l 130 (the passenger car) said passen- | ger trolley was running from eight TO ten miles per hour when the accident l happened"
 The trolley line between Water l bury and New Haven" the report | continues. 'is equipped with auto | matic trolley signals which were put | into service in July, 1912; they af- | ford protection for the movement. of | cars through the various single track | sections. The line between Bridge | port and New Haven is similarly | equipped; there have been no fail | ures reported in thls signal service | that would cause accid dent.'
 The manner of the working of the | signals Is described at some length The location of the signal at Sum | init is touched upon and Engineer El- we'll then continues:
 ''Motorman McGuire's claim that | the red light was dimmed on account | of the heavy stone train coming up the hill is in measure sustained by | experiments made after the accident, | but both the red light and the red | disc were visible and could be seen at a safe. distance. McGuire also states that the slippery track con- tributed to the acicdent.. Such a con dition of the rails made it all the more important that he should have had his under full control when approaching the signal"
 There follows the conclusion of the investigator that the accident was due entirely to the carelessness of Motorman James J. McGuire,'' and the suggestions of the commissions engineer quoted above A list of dead and injured closes the report.
 To this report the public utility commission adds the following:
 The foregoing report of the acci- dent is accepted and ordered on file and record as the official record of the causes, facts ana circumstances of said accident.
 Attention is called to the sugges- tions made by the chief engineer and inspector. The commission further suggests that the company submit to it. on or before April IS, 1913, the re- suit of it's consideration and inves- tieation of such proposed equipment and the practicability of adopting same"