Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-07-11

herty,s inexperienee i'll handling higf
speed passenger trains was the prin-
eipal cause of the New York. New
Haven e. Hartford wreck at Stamford
CT, on June u, in which six passen-
gers were killed and 90 injured. The In
terstate Commerce Commissions re-
port of its investigation of the acct
dent. made public, today, so holds ano
adds that the responsibility for placing
an inexperienced and uninstructed
enginman in charge of high speed
passenger train rests with the operat-
ing officers of the railroad.
The engine brakes. tests seem to in-
dictate, We're good; the train brakes not
as efficient as safety demanded in such
fast train, but the home and distant
signals at Stamford were held to be
too close together. Doherty's inexpe-
rienec and lack of instruction, the
commission holds. were responsible for
his failure to apply the brakes in time
to stop the train before the danger
signal set against him.
Washington, July 10.-The Interstate
Commerce Commissions report of its
investigation of the New York, New
Haven & Hartford passenger train
wreck at Stamford, CT, on June Il.
holds that the railroad was negligent in
placing Engineer Doherty in charge
of through train when he was mex
perienced and uninstructed"
The general conclusions written by
Commissioner McChord, include the fol-
lowing statement:
Establishment of safer and more
efficient operation of this railroad is
Immediately necessary il Congressional
legislation extending the scope of gov
ernmental regulation of railroads is
not to be called for and justified in the
interest of public safety
The report declares the whole evil
dence justifies the following conclu-
sions:
1.-The engineman of second No. SO tthe
wrecked train, Engineer Doherty) did
not have the special experience and in
struction required for the operation of
such a train.
THE New York, New Haven & Hart
ford Railroad Co. had no reliable method
for determining the capacity of engine
men before placing them in charge Of
high speed passenger trains.
There was negligence ON the part of
the corporation in putting in charge of
such train as second No. SO an engine
man in experienced and unrestricted in
this class of work.
This railroad has no proper system
of checking work reports so as to deter
mine whether or not defects reported on
locomotives are actually repaired. This
lack of supervision is dangerous and 1t
ought not to be permitted to continue.
1.-THE distant signal at Stamford is too
near the home signal and should be at
least $500 feet distant therefrom.
Modern steel equipment for high speed
passenger trains should be installed at
the earliest possible time. as recon-
mended in previous reports of this COM
mission and legislation fixing such a
time should be enacted without delay"
Commissioner Mcchord's report reviews
exhaustively the evidence developed al
hearings and at coroner's inquest and
says in part
1.-THE direct cause of this accident was
the failure of the engineman on second
No So to apply the airbrakes in time te
stop his train before reaching the home
signal This failure was the result OF
an error in judgment on the part of the
engineman. due to his lack of experience
| in handling high speed passenger train:
and the absence of instructions regarding
| the proper method of handling his train
1.-THE responsibility for placing an mex
perienced and uninstructed engineman II
| charge of a high speed passenger trail
rests with the operating officers of tn,
New York. New Haven & Hartford Rail
| road Co.
Contributing causes of the aceiden
were the improper location of the dis
tant signal at Stamford and the fact tina
the train brakes were not as efficien
as the requirements of safety demanded
! on a train of that character.
| "As to the effort to place blame 70
this accident upon the engineman's work
ing agreement with this railroad, atten
ton is called to the rules laid down il
that agreement:
Rule / of Article 9-Spare engi
neers shall be run first in and frs
out SO far as 1t is possible with thu
requirements of the service, and whef
engineers are assigned to Temporal,
vacancies, they shall remain on same
provided they are competent, unit
the regular engineer returns. The
shall receive rates of regular engineer
while on the road.
Rule /, as amended, exception c.
No engineer who has less than on
years roster rating as engineer shal
be allowed to run through passenge
trains
This rule has two plain and def
mite exceptions
$50 far as 1t is possible with tn
requirements of the service and
PROVIDED they are competent
III Primarily the determination of q
The requirements of the service an
f2) competency of engineers is TO
the management of the railroad. TIL
most important requirement of tn
service is the safety requirement.
In this case it is shown that n
reliable or effective system was i
operation for the determination of TIL
safety requirements of the service i
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