The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-14
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superintendent has authority to hire
 engineers and discipline them?'' asked
 the coroner. The witness explained
 the men were not hired as engineers.
 They served an apprenticeship as fire
 men. The men are required to pass examinations before the master me chanfc, the chief train dispatcher and others, the candidate being required to show what he would do under all con- dftions The man must have had ser vice for a year before he is allowed
 to take an engine.
 The witness then explained the op- eratton of choosing enginemen from the extra list or spare board.'' When a man passed the examination and other requirements he was supposed to be qualified to take an engine. Mir. Woodward here stated that special efforts have been made especially with in the past few months to insure greater care on the part of the en- g1neers. looking to the safety of the trains.
 Engineers had been cautioned among
 other things that they must not at tempt to make up time except when sure of a clear track ahead. The en- g1neers had taken a great interest in this campaign of education and many of them were enthusiastic about it.
 The coroner then asked the witness
 to explain the block signal system, and the WUtnesS went into a detailed ex- plantation of the system.
 In his questions to Engineer Doher- ty. the coroner tried to bring out that
 two trains might be in the same block. Doherty insisted that it could not be so, his answer being based on the defi- milton of a. block In his questions to MT. Woodward, today, the coroner en- deavored to bring out the same points. The witness finally said that such a thing might happen and one train be with another in the same block but to do so the engineer would have to disregard two signals.
 The coroner took up the question of derailing devices and the witness re- piled that the road has some deraiI- ing devices at drawbrddges but the law required this. It was a serious mat ter to derail train.
 This the road knew from its own sad experience. The coroner then re- marked that two years ago the road emphasized the necessity of stiffening if in view of the experience of the last two years did the company rely as much as before on the human ele- ment- The witness referred to the Westport wreck and then to the Stam- ford wreck saying that every effort was being made to secure greater safe ty for the travelling public. He could not understand how these accidents happened. There seemed to be an epidemic of these mistakes. The gen. ral opiRion was that all the road was trying to do was to drive the engin- eers and make time. This was not so, he declared emphatically. but the company constantly warned the men against this.
 srWe don't care if the trains come in late but we do want them to observe the rules.''
 The witness admitted that the com pany was losing some reliance in the human element and was trying to limit it. The road was trying out experiments but they were simply ex- there were some 1,5o0. were practical and it would be dangerous to put them into service.
 '.I wish it were possible for the pub lie to cease travelling until these ex- periments have been perfected, don't you?'' remarked the, coroner to MT. Woodward. The witness replied that the situation was serious and he wish ed it could be changed.
 MT Woodward also explained that the requirements aH 10 reports on passed signals were very strict and each instance was given a rigid inves- tigation. The purpose was to con serve the safety of the public.
 The witness was excused after prom ising to present copies of engineers reports for several months past ana Engineer Doherty's record.
 Conductor Thomas Dunn was re- called to answer a question as to block signals and then Engineer liar mon was sworn. He had been an en- gineer since 1891, was first put on a switching engine and then freight trains and had run about 12 years before getting into the passenger ser vice. He had been in the passenger for about eight years and had had considerable experience as an en- gineer in long runs. His experience with the big Pacific type engines was in running them back and forth. This was to get the bearings working smoothly as they might be stiff when the engine Came from the shop and it was not advisable to put it into the regular service without this. It took sometimes two or three days and sometimes longer. He had not known Of any engine requiring a month.
 Testifying as to reversing an en- zine, he said it was easier to do it when it was standing He had not had any trouble with reversing He weighs 250 pounds. He ran the en- zine 1888, that in the wreck. on Monday from New Haven to Stamford, but did not run on Tuesday because he was out. of service He ran by a home signal at South Norwa.lk. Asked to ex plain this, he said it was because the distant signal was at ttproceed' v52iBe the other was against him. Asked if this could be, he replied, They say not"
 But you say they can?" CT do."
 MT. Woodward was recalled to re- ply to this testimony and said by req l son of the mechanism of the block both signals must be in the same po- sftion. MT. Harmon, rsuming his testimo- ny, said he had had no trouble with his air. He was running about 25 miles an hour but stopped within a bout 239 feet He had no trouble with his engine It worked fine. It was common talk among railroad men that an engine might run we'll at one time and not at another. He did not know for how long he had been suks- pended.