The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-09-25
SCORES NEW HAVEN
FROM FLAGMEN
TO DIRECTORS
McCOrd Report Places Blame
for Latest Fatal Wreck
MAN FAILURE" ALL ALONG
Management Should Pay More Atten-
ton TO Safety and Less to
Finance

Washington, Sept. 25.-"Man fail
IRE" all along the line from officials
and directors of New Haven railroad
down to its trainmen, is held by the
interstate commerce commission to
have been the cause of the North Ha-
were killed and 35 injured. In its re-
port. made public yesterday, the COM
mission blames the crews of the
wrecked trains for lapses and scores
officers and directors for "inefiicieney
of management Operating officials
of the New Haven and the officers
and directors of the system are con
demned scathingly for PRONUNCIATION
of regulations which were permitted
to become practically dead letters
and for not seeing to it personally
that operating conditions were what
they had directed them to be.
Man failure in this case" says
Commissioner McChord, who prepar-
ed the report after an exhaustive per
sonal investigation of the accident,
began high up in official authority,
and it was not an unnatural sequence
that it reached down to those in posi-
tons lower in official rank but still
weighted with great responsibility"
In use at the time of the disaster the
report points out, were "antiquated
signals condemned by the locomotive
enginemen as well as by the public
service commission of Connecticut"
and old wooden cars unsuited by con.
struction for such traffic as they were
expected to accommodate. These
were held to be contsibutory reasons
for the excessive number of casual
lies.
Commissioner McChord indicates
the results OF a similar recent acct
dent at Tyrone. Pa, in which the
equipment was all steel, and in which
none of the passengers were Killed.
as an object lesson in favor OF the
use OF modern equipment. The COM
mission demands of the New Haven
road the immediate adoption of "an
adequate system of superintendent
and supervision which will give those
in authority definite and positive in
formation as to whether or not the
safety requirements and rules of this
railroad are observed"
After n comprehensive review Of
the testimony taken at the investiga-
ton, Commission McChord says in
part. The direct cause of this acct.
dent was the failure of Flagman Muir.
ray properly to protect his train, the
failure of Engineman Miller properly
to control the speed of his train i'm
order that he could bring it to a stop
before passing automatic signal No.
% and the failure of Conductor Ad.
ans 10 make certain that his train
was properly protected. An addition
al cause was the failure of Engine
man Wands to bring his train to
stop, as required by the rules. before
passing automatic signal No. 23.
which was in the stop position.
While this accident was directly
due to failure of employees properly
to pe-orm their duties the signal sys.
TEN in use was entirely inadequate
safely to direct and govern the move
ment Of the large volume of traffic ov.
er this line. and there was a deplor-
able lack of supervision on the part
OF operating officers: on this account
the conditions which led up to this
accident were possible.
In reports by this commission of
me investigation of previous acct
dents on this railroad. defects of man
agement neglect OF obvious precau-
lions for safety. ineffective rules and
these not Systematically enforced.
high speed trains closely following
one another without adequate safe.
guards, dereliction of duty on the
part OF certain employees as we'll as a
general weakness OF discipline. have
been denounced and condemned. II Is
astounding that this state Of affairs is
allowed TO continue to exist"
After giving a list OF the executive
officers and direcors OF the New Ha.
ven. including many OF the foremost
men Of the financial world. Commits.
sicner McChord continues: "On this
directorate we're and are. men whom
the conhding public recognize as ma
gicians in The art Of finance and wiz
ards in the construction. operation
and consolidation OF great systems OF
railroads The public therefore rest
Cd secure that with the knowledge OF
the railroad are possessed BIZ sucb
men Investments md travail .h-rts