Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1915-12-01

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H. said shat Clyde Wilson, flag
man on second No 80 had been
examined twice in five years as tc
q ,ules, the last slime between the
Josh and 2Osh of this month. A
fagman must 60 back regardless
of electric signals.
Engineer "Bud" Smith, who
runs N 70. 20 and 30. said that he
could come atcnnd that curve at
eight or ten miles an hour and
stop. A hagman should 60 back
without waiting for Instructions.
Conductor Tucker Of No 88
said the crash came at 9:36. He
heard the station blow vsehen two
short blasts answering signals fol.
lowed mmedlsssly by the oolli-
sion.
Superintendent of Terminals
Avery in whose Jurisdiction the
accident b. ppeued, said first No.
80 was at the station, secoLd No. i.
% had stopped south of the sta
t.on at 9:30 and had been there
sx ur seven minutes The wreck
WAS 592 feet from the signal
block. By being under control at
tl,s point was meaut that An en-
Z ne should be going at six or sew.
sn miles, depending on the weight
of the train.
rwo boys, Murray L,,ker and
CIsreuce Peeler, standing on q
n+arhy bridge saw the crash and
also saw they aaid. q aagman
ear the tear of second No 80
Conductor Laird of second No.
30 said his train st 'pped at 9:29
or 9:30 just south of the CROSS
over sw.5ch and had been stand
iig there six or seven minutes.
His fagman WAS 300 CT 400 feet
from the rear of the train when
she crash came, the conductor ives
standing just opposite his rear
car. He had gone t. the rear and
found that the f,gmsn had not
gone back, he testified and told
him to go and sbe latter had
started when No, 50 came in view
at rate of speed which Laird 60
Inmates at 25 or 30 miles aud had
slowed down to 18 when it hit the
special.
lie testified to the death of
Messrs. Hail and Sewers al q re-
sult of the collision. His train
was fully equipped. he stated,
with torpedoes aud lanterns, and
the fagman could have gone to
a safe position on the straight
track, if he had gene at once 81 d
not waited till the conductor sent
him
IL ConductorsLsird's opinion,
had the fagman gone back and
given regular signals, or had the
engineer of No, 39 proceeded W tn
his train under control, either
would have prevented the wreck.
s. G. James, engineer of the
special, said the top signal show
ed red and the lower green when
he passed. He had his train un-
der control and stopped on = sig.
aal from the passenger station be-
fora entering the CROSS over
switch.
Il did n"t signal the flagmsn
back ss was my duty, 1 knew l
was to meet 85. saw that trains
headlight. l ble%sfor signals,
knowing 1 was 80 come on in q
few me ments. As I reached for
the whistle. to blow out the
6agman I got the signal to come
on ahead al d Just then the crasb
came at the rear" Englneer
James testified. He also said
that No. 38 vas due at the station
at 8 40 and the wreck occurred at
9 81. showing that 1t was dead on
time.
Flagman Clyde Wilson said he
had been tagging since 1907
When his train stopped he was on
the front end of the sleeper and
looked out to see why the stop
was made. He had been in the
day coaches on order from ths
Q nductor to help with passengers
He had passed to the rear aud &c
t, she ground when Conductor
Laird ca me back and told him tc
20 flag He said 39 was not de
yet, but just then saw rays fr>m
it's headlight. lie was then try
ing to open his signal case, but