The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-07-18
BLAMES STATIONS NAMES FOR WRECK Confusing Combinations Helped To Cause North Kent Crash
 Says EIwell WOULD MAKE TWO CHANGES Public Utilities Claims New Haven Road Grew Responsible for
 Canaan Collision

Hartford, July 18-A combination of three successive. similar station names North Kent, Kent and South Kent 1 IS held to be one of the contributing causes of the wreck on. the western olVlsfon of the New Haven road at North Kent on June 2, in a finding handed down by the Public Utilities Thomas Weldon of a @dead-head'' ex- tra train. running south-bounds was killed when his train co11ided head on with a milk train. The engineer of the extra train, w. IT. Rigby, is still in a Danbury hospital. suffering from injuries received.
 Chief Engineer EIwen of the Com mission says that Engineer Rigby either forgot entirely that he was to meet the milk train or was con- fused by the three station names so similar Kirby is held directly re- combination of names-North Kent, Kent and South Kent says MT. FL well, leach at a point where trains pass on written orders, is confusing and liable to lead to misunderstand- ings. I would therefore suggest that i at least two of these passing points be given other names
 The Commission also handed down l it's finding today in the wreck at Ga naan on June 23, when four persons were injured by cars from a. freight train being Kicked offs' and co1Iid- ing with a passenger train at a cross over. According to the report. "Care- lessness on the part of the crew in kicking three cars up the main line | against the tall end of the passenger train, made the accident possible. The movement could have been made with safety and without material loss of time by backing up slowly and coup ling up.
 Blame Telegraph Operator.
 The report generates the crew Of the Central New England road train but places the@ responsibility. on Tel egraph Operator Coe and the conduc- tor and hagman of the New Haven road train.
 According to the finding:
 'AThe regular conductor of No 57S being off duty, the train was in charge of John F. Murphy, the regular flag man of the trafn:< being qualified conductor. he was thoroughly farnil-s far with all the movements made by train 573 over the territory on which it runs.The hagman who acted In Mur- pay's place, F. e, Rosinko, was also a qualified conductor and knew the road thoroughly. He had been run ming on this train for Several weeks this trouble were qualified and ex- Derienced railroad men,
 ''It would appear from the foregoing that this accident was due to a com bination of circumstances which ought not to have been possible and places the responsibility upon Telegraph Op- orator Coe and the Conductor and flag man of N r.. N. H. H. R. R train No. 573. The employees of the Central New England railway are in no way to blame for the collision.
 tsAs this accident was due to the | fat f-f fy1r | ing prescribed duties, can suggest no means of guarding against similar ] accidents, other than the admfnistra- ton of discipline according to. railroad custom and the rigid enforcement of rules pertaining to the movement and protection of trains.'' Stations Are Confusing
 Tn his report. on the Kent wreck, Chief Engineer ElwelI of the Public l Utilitiea Commission says there is good evidence that the air brakes, on l the train involved were working and in order at the time of the collision
 The report continues:
 ] 'Tt seems evident that Engineer Rig- by forgot entirely that he was to meet | train No. 55s at North Kent, or was
 confused by the three station names
 so similar, and that this accident was caused by his negligence and is there l fore entirely responsible for the same.
 Such g combination of station names as North Kent, Kent and South Kent, i each a point where trains pass on l written train orders, Is confusing and l liable to lead to mis isunderstandings
 between train dispatchers. telegraph or telephone operators and train em- l ployes would, therefore, suggest
 that at least two of these passing points be given names which will not be confused with each other or with
 any others on the same division.
 ssI believe it is advisable to have | these suggestions cover all railroad lstattons in this state where conditions are such as to lead to a. misunder-
 standing of train orders,
 I. ~eoNAT, NTENrTON