The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-03-23
Signal Experts of New Ha- ven Road Make Searching Investigation of Condi-7 tions Surrounding Wreck of Boston Express At Housatonic ] Roller Lift Bridge.
Train Bumps PeriIously Near Edge of Lofty Elm bankment As Derailing Device is Worked to Pre- vent Fast Express From P1unging Through Open Draw.

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 Rigid investigation of the signal system, deraiIing device and the hu- man element that entered into the wreck of the Boston express at the Housatonic river roller lift bridge last night, was continued to-day by the officials of the New Haven road.
 The further inquiry into the wreck has emphasized the almost mfracu- Ious escape of the fast express from possible fate that would have exacted a terrible toll of human life. With the draw bridge yawning open ahead of the fast moving train, the expe- dient of derailing the train to prevent it's pIungdng into the river was adopt ed For over 200 feet the locomo- tive, a powerful superheater of the Pacific type. bounded over the road bed, on the brink of a 80 foot em- bankTnent, dragging three 5 foot cars off the rails But few inches re- rnafned between the train and the sdge Of the embankmant-
 NEene but the fireman, William Bur pee, was injured. Burpee feared the Locomotive would topDle over the bank, and he Ieaped from the cab to the roadbed. His thumb was dislo-5 cated. and he suffered many bruises and wrenches. Engineer Frank Whit ney refused to budge. until the rtrain had come to a stop, thanks to the eff 4G1GUGY or the emergency DEGkGS. linen lhe blew the s.5-5'. distress signal that Eset signalmen to work summoning thelp.
 A aerai1ing device and a fra1l guard tran is all that saved seven carloads of passengers from being either pre- cipitated headlong into the deep wa ters of the Housatonic. forty feet be- low, or down steep ernbankment two feet to the right Of the rails as the automatic derailing device was held 8open by a wildly staring signal tower man
 And as engineer and passengers crawled with haste from the engine cab and closed vestibules, and train crews ran back and forth applying the ssafety-hrst' precautions against irear-end collisions. those who a few minutes before were little dreaming of death, realized how close the end had been, for but 72 paces ahead was the river and . little beyond the five thou sand ton draw closing with slow and deliberate motion
 Tn the distance the tug John Glenn" Capt Schultheiss command ing, was slowly puf1hg through the highway bridge a quarter of a mile away. To the right the big engine. a combination baggage and mail car, and two coaches were inclining at "a periIous angle over I& steep embark 1nent, thirty feet above the fields
 Above and over the rear end of the train the glowing buIls-eye signals of the last warning station were set at Red and Yellow while beneath the center of the heavy parIor-car and dining train was mute evidence of what had happened, for with it's suard-rails parted and torn so as to keep the passengers in the last zone of safety the automatic switch showed that it had help open to the last ditch and had AeeR instrumental in saving those whose lives were entrusted to the automatic eyes and ears of the Safety First appliances and the guiding hand of human ingenuity.
 While at first the dazed passen- gers recovering from the severe jar ring that they had received as de- railer emergency brakes and rough ties had combined toe give them, it was soon ascertained why someone had erred, for the roller lift bridge sgain1 lifted a short distance above the normal level and again sank into it's bed-plates.
 Though officials of the road in astatements given out last night were inclfned to place the blame upon the engineer. it was later recalled that in the approach to a draw-bridge the bridgeman must signal to the block towers on either end that such is the case, but the tower man must in ad- eitfon relock the derailing device which is the last to close.
 It was for this reason that as soon as Burpee, the fireman had been picked up. and the wreckers brought to the scene with the highest officials of the road that General Manager C. IL. Bardo, J. A. Droege, general su- iperintendent and others began inn mediate inspection of the signal sys- tenn. Though the. utmost secrecy has been maintained as to the result of. the investi gation, the attitude of the. officials in later sealing the mouths of all concerned led to the belief that Engineer Whitney might not be fully to blame in having approached the big structure at such speed as is at trfbuted to his train by eye-witnesses to the deraiIment
 Thank God, we are stiII on the tracks" commented James Pon1eroy, 1r1ail-c1erk in the forward car to a companion as the big train finally came to a standstiH though swaying perilousIy over the brink of the steep lezabankne nt down which he looked without being able to jump safely to kthe roadbed- In this view Of the sit nation he was upheld by Fred Cro-s