The Washington herald., 1913-09-25
REPORT SCORES
RAILROAD HEADS
New Haven Directors, Men
toned by Name, Severely
Blamed for Wreck.
SHARP LANGUAGE USED
Interstate Commerce Commission Sug-
gests Several Recommendations
for Safeguarding of Lives.
SHARP LANGUAGE USED

The Interstate Commerce Commis-
siop's report putting the responsibility
for the wallingford wreck. with its
twenty-one fatalities, squarely on the
shoulders Of the management and dt-
rcctors Of the New York, New Haven
and Hartford Railroad, is the harshest
opinion ever handed down by that body.
The report. which was made public
Yesterday. sets forth the names of the
directors. beginning with William Rock
efeIler and ]. Pierpont Morgan. and eN-
tending through a long list of men we'll
known in the financial and railroad
world
Some Of these men the commission de-
scribed as having been considered by
Conhding public as ''maGicians in the
art of finance and wizards in the con-
struction. operation. and consolidation
IF great systems of railroads"
..Confidcnce Not JusIifed.'
Experience has shown that this re-
lance of the public was not justified as
TO either finance or safety is the sharp
finding of the commission.
The report is the first one in which the
Interstate Commerce Commission has laid
The blame for railroad wreck directly
Al the door of the directors
concentrations for the immediate safe
guarding of the lives of passengers on the
New Haven road 1t urges the immedl-
ate providing of an adequate method for
obtaining a space or interval between
trains pending the installation OF the
new block signal systems. 1t urges also
the running of all trains under full con-
troll in foEEy weather, and change in
the rules regarding the sending out of
-,t b.a Cie l. q
adequate. the commission urges the rail
road to increase the number of men on
its train crews so that fiasmen who are
sent back will not have to return t"
their trains. but may be picked up later
Employees Are blamed.
The commission finds that the direct
cause of the wreck was the failure of
employees properly TO perform their
duties They charge Flagman Murray
with failure properly to protect his
train, and condemn the engineers of
both trains for failing TO control the
speed in such a way TO bring their
trains TO a stop before passing the
automatic signal
The commission also finds that the
signal system of the road was entirely
inadequate. and that there was de
plorable lack of supervision on the
part of operating officers.
on this account" SAYS the report.
the conditions which led up TO this
accident We're possible"
List of Directors.
Here are the directors held responsible
for the wreck that cost twenty-One lives:
William Rockefeller. J. PierpOnt Nor
gan. George MacCullOCh Miller. Lewis
Cass Ledyard. Charles NJ. Pratt. and
George +. Baker, OF New York; AleXan-
Ger Cochran. Boston: Charles F BrOoEer,
AEsonia. Conn: Charles S. MelIen. James
: Hemingway. and \. Heaton Robinson,
OF New Haven; l. De Yer Warner and
A : May. Of Bridgeport, Conn;
Edwin Miner. Moosup Conn; William
Nannecr. IIolyok". Mass: u. Newton
barney. Pennington, Conn; Robert ".
Taft. Providence. r. l.: James : Ellon.
Waterbury. Conn; Thomas DE Witt Guy
Ter. Philadelphia; Henry X. McHarg
Stamford. Conn, John l.. Billiard. Meri-
den. Conn: +. +. Maxwell Rockville
Conn. Edward MlIiSan. Hartford. Conn;
T. y. Vail and :. W. WinsloW. Of Boston;
Samuel Rea. of Philadelphia.