Norwich bulletin., 1914-07-25
Investigating the
 WestpOrtA Accident
RAILWAY eMPLoYEs DIFFER As
 TO RIGHT OF WAY
DISAGREE ABOUT SIGNAL
Motsrman N.dsh of Picnic spsei.s
 Says No LIshts Was Set Asainss Him-others Contend It Was. >.


 Wsstport. Conn, July 74-Not- rnncts progress in taking testimony was made by Coroner Phelan of Bridgeport in opening his inquiry today into the col, hston ef & freight ear and a passen5 ger trolley car in this town Wednes4 day night, in which accident four per- sons were killed. but almost at the outset he developed the main QueG. ton. Two railway employees differed B to which car had the right of way ltsion occurred.
 Saw Nadin at Signal Box.
 Walter H. Smith, motorman of . passenger car which had run from Norwalk to Riverside avenue with ans other car, and was on a spur track in order to change over the trolley arms for the run back, said that the Iisnt In the signal box near him gave the right of way to the cars there, which right was taken by the trolley freight car which had come up. Sid- ney c. Cook, conductor on the picnic special which was wrecked said That he saw Harold Nadin. his motorman. which was the western limit of the block and he presumed he had flashed the light from the east to the west side which act, if performed, wdAzld have given Nadin the right of way | to the Riverside avenue signal box.  but he said Nadin would have had no business at the box unless it was to change the lights and in this case the signals would have been right for him to proceed after exchanging lights | to protect his car.
 The coroner did not hold his inquiry | in the afternoon, leaving word that he had gone to Norwalk and that he would resume his session tomorrow
 Signal Light System Explained. | Some time was taken today in ex- planation of the signal light system used on the division This was nsces< sary as Aotorman Smith told e< Eha hghts in the Westport signal oox5anA | o ctsls of the railway company as- sisted in explaining what he unanf in saying that the lights tn the box there gave his car the right of way | to the Country club. It was shown that in the box light system dounis boxes are used at single track turn outs. In this instance, the east light at Riverside avenue and the west hght at the Country club worked synchron- nously. and the west and east light respectively worked foeether. It was explained that oar coming to . sig
 nal box stopped If no light was against the car the motorman knew the block ahead was clear and he eu- | key. SO that he left burning a hghS facing the block behind him Thaa act exchanged the lights fn the box d the other end of the block so that aa light that the block ahead was n0S
 clear.
 Signal Against Picnic Special. Smith said that while his car stoeA at Riverside avenue the east light gave
 him the right of way. Thig light b0Fn-
 ing meant to him that the west nwhk
 at the Country club was also burning, rEfn ho w@ IA
 nic special as it approached the Ccun-
 try club The freight car motozxnan.
 Raymond. according to Smith, cafled
 out, '1s that your ughtr' meaning the
 other empty car on the spur sakd it was. Thereupon Raymond calleds,out that he would take the light as hin
 and the two empty passenger carn
 were to trail him. SmitRs car being
 last
 kadfn e.ys No Light We Set Aaslnst Him.
 The coroner had received earlier iz
 the day at his ofnce in Bridgeport
 several sworn statements from wit
 nesses who through injuries could not , motorman of the wrecked special in
 his statement. said that no light waA
 against him in the signal box at the
 Country club as he approached it and upon stopping his car he exchanged lights and started ahead. S-He saw
 the freight car coming towards him
 when it was about zS feet away. He
 reversed the power and did not re- member what happened In a state ment Frank Raymond said that he did not look at the signal lights at
 Riverside avenue. but took the signal
 of his messenger, George East, who
 had been watching the signal bex East in his statement said that he saw the motorman of the first two empty cars which came from Norwalk
 walk to the signal box. He was sure this motorman exchanged the lights
 and he waved Raymond back to ths freight car and 1t went ahead into tfls block He said he was certain that the lights gave his car the right .. 2 way.
 Coroner Phelan now has in hand
 the statements of the injured employes
 and of two others, all having directly . to do with the conditions of the lights . in the two signal boxes, besides nu-