The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-03-30
Federal INQUIRY ON
LAKE SHORE WRECK
ALREADYUNDERWAYI
Ohio Also Undertakes to Place
Blame for Death Of Twenty
3 seven In Amherst Crash.

CLEVELAND, March so.-Investiga-
tion 10 place the blame for the wreck or
three New York Central myers. including
the Twentieth Century Limited. which
took toll OF twenty-seven lives and In
jured over forty persons at Amherst, 10
under way here today.
Both state and Federal OFFICIALS are
attending hearing Of railway employees
involved in the disaster who were sum-
moned to tell their stories OF the wreck.
"A. w. Belnap Is representing the In
terstate Commerce Confusion. while M.
J. Hefferman and w. F. Packard are
representing the State utilities commits
sion.
Belnap IL to start a hearing with in
spectors Of the state utilities commits
sion. independent OF the New York Gen.
trail inquiry.
Three Explanations.
Tho evidence already made public
shows there are three possible explana-
tons OF the cause of the wreck. and the
probe was to be conducted along these
lines:
Did Engineer Herman Hess Of the
second section OF No. So. whose train
see block stop signal in the fog?
Did A. II. Earnst, Amherst towerman.
fail to set the stop signal against Hess
train as Hess alleges7
Did the signal apparatus work proper
~?
Orders have been issued to the rail-
road company TO remove the wreckage
only TO the extent of allowing trains
to pass and to Immediately furnish
Chief Inspector Belnap copies OF all
train orders governing the movements
Of the three trains involved In the coll
lision. or the originals from the time
the-trains were made up at their respec-
tive starting points to the time OF the
wreck
W. r, Schaff, district superintendent
OF the New York Central lines. said:
The tower man can have nothing to
explanation lies between the engineers
and the block signal system.
We tested out the block signal sys-
tenn after the wreck. and found It work.
Ing perfectly. After the wreck Engi-
neer Hess and his brakeman, A. IA.
Gates. with Brakeman William Blakene,
OF the Twentieth Century Limited walk
ed back to the signal which Hess drove
ny. they All say they found the signal
NUMBER OF Victims.
Although the New York Central claims
but twenty-six persons. twenty-four OF
them passengers. lost their lives,
morgue officials disagreed, saying they
had parts OF twenty-seven bodies. There
were two bodies at Lorain, two at Ely
ria. and parts OF twenty-three at Am
herst. Sixteen of the twenty-seven had
been identified. The, other eleven may
never be. Seven of the unknown dead
were men. three OF them women.
VI those identified. not one body Ia
whole There were still eighteen injured
In MemoS-al Hospital. Elyria, TODAY.
Two are expected to die.
Lawrence English, sixty-three. of
Buffalo, has a compound fracture of the
right leg. An operation may be neces-
sary; which physicians say he would
hardly survive. 0
Coroner Charles Carver of Lorain
E S,po,ny Is making an Investigation pre-
General Manager d. c. Moon, of the
New York Central. issued a statement
IN Which he said that the one day Coach
IN the arst section of the train. the
dead were found. was constructed of
steel. Survivors declared II was of
wooden construction and caught fire.
The various investigations vii inquire
into this phase OF the wreck.
According to an inquiry made by
General superintendent A. S. ingalls,,
OF the New York Central, the indica :
lions are that the signal man in the
tower set the wrong signal for the first
section OF the Chicago Buffalo flier
Story of Engineer.
Herbert Hess. the engineer Of the sec
ond section. said he had not seen any
signal. but that after the wreck he
walked back and found that the signal
was set against him. Hess was in
clined to believe that the towerman had
set the warning signal after the second
section had passed It. Hess said his train
was going at fifty miles an hour at the
time of the collision. Railroad officials
cite the birth OF a baby in the tower
mans home on Sunday and his subse-
auent loss OF sleep as the cause OF the
wreck.