Omaha daily bee., 1915-09-26
PASSENGER CREW
BLAMED FOR WRECK
Investigating Committee Agrees
with Coroner's jury as to Cause
of Fatal Collision.
INJURED ARE MUCH IMPROVED

Investigation of the causes that
brought about the werck on the Mis-
souri, Pacific, near oreapolis, Friday
morning, resulting in the death Of
Mike Sherlock. engineer; W. r.
Goodwin, fireman, and ]. e. Wilson,
brakeman, and the injury OF ten pas
sengers and members of the crew Of
No. 104, the passenger train, was
commenced and concluded Saturday
morning.
A Cass county jury, summoned by
Coroner Brendel, Friday night re-
turned verdict that the wreck was
caused and the three men killed as
result of the members Of the crew
OF train No. 104 leaving La Platte
station in disregarI of orders.
The investigating committee that met
yesterday came to the same conclusion
as did the ooroners jury. General Su-
perinendent D'Bernardi, Kansas City;
Superintendent Russ Of the Nebraska d.
vision. Falls City: DR.. Paul F. Vaster-
ling chief surgeon, and A II. Mansfield.
chief claim agent, St Louis, and +. l..
Holt. master mechanic. Falls City, came
in on a special. They stopped at the
scene Of the wreck and also at DsPlstte,
where No. 1O4 should have waited and
passed No. 1853, the freight with which
It collided. They came on to Omaha
where they were met by J. II. Strickland
OF Lincoln, the inspector for the Inter
state Commerce commission
Ali Had Orders.
During the investigation It developed
that all the members OF the crew OF No,
1O4 had orders notifying them that at La
Platte they would pass No. 1bS. pulled
by Engine No. liza The orders made
no mention of Freight No. 155. drawn by
engine No. 1918, which was running as an
extra and was laid in on the siding al
La.Platte.
Conductor Jeff Hulse of No. 104. In the
employ of the Missouri Pacific for thirty
years. asserted that as he passed LaPlatte
he saw No. l65 on the siding and noticed
that it's engine was No. 1918. while the
train that he was to meet was pulled by
engine No. liza He thought that this dis
crepancy in engine numbers was brought
about by a mistake In the transmission
Of the orders and presumed that the dead
NHBllctI anu llleiiltsh ilttdS NAS bosHAS Aaa'e
take.
Brakeman Hatfield on the rear end OF
No. 1O4, had orders similar to those OF
the other trainmen and his opinion wal
that the train they passed at LaPlattC
was No. 1853. He also thought the dis
patcher had made mistake in trans
hitting the engine numbers.
BIamea Passenger Grew.
As a result OF the investigation. the
committee placed the entire blame fol
the wreck upon the men operating No
1O4. holding them equally responsible. o.
these men. two. the engineer and fire
man, are dead and the others probably
will be discharged from the service o
the company.
The track at the wreck was cleared a
10 o'clock Friday night and trains ar
again passing over IT,
OF the injured w. 8. West and jaime
McClurg. postal clerks. and Il. l. Cottor
baggageman. are still in the hospital
though they are getting along nicely
and their injuries are not considered seri
Gus. The others who were injured hav
ali gone to their respective homes.
The bodies OF the three dead men hav
ben prepared for burial and have bee
sent to relatives. those OF Sherlock an
Goodwin having been forwarded to Kan
sas City and that Of Wilson to Falls City