Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-02


vestigation came as a surprise to those
concerned.
The statement issued by Mr.. Moon
follows:
General Managers Statement.
"Supplementing my statement of
March 20, 1916. with reference to the
accident at Amherst, Ohio. on that
date:
Investigation made by the New York
Central Railroad Company and con-
hrmed by the evidence introduced in
the hearing held by the representatives.
of the Interstate commerce commission
and the public utilities commission of
Ohio indicates that the accident was
due to the engineman Of second No. IS
disregarding the caution signal about
5000 feet and the stop signal about
1000 feet in the rear of first No. So"
Engineer Hess testified at the public
hearing that the block signals read
clear" and his fireman. R. D. Turner.
testified that Hess called off the sig
mails as they whizzed past them in the
fog
show that the block signal apparatus in
the Amherst tower failed to work prop
erly. Witnesses were not agreed as to
whether the block signals after the
crash read clear or danger"
Testimony Contradictory.
Contradictory testimony regarding the
signals seen by trainmen on the New
York Central road on the occa sion of the
Amherst. Ohio. wreck was marked
feature Of the inquiry.
Herman Hess, veteran engineer of the
train which caused most OF the twenty
eight deaths that resulted from the
wreck of the three trains. completed
his testimony. sticking to his statement
that he received the signal clear"
Albert H. Ernst. the young signal tow
erman, had previously testified that the
signal block system had failed to work
and Hess also gave it as his belief that
he was misled by false signal.
r. D. Turner, Hess fireman, was too
busy coaling the engine. he said, to
watch all Of the time. but he testified
that Hess was alert every moment and
was watching through the fog for the
signals.
Flagmen Are Witnesses.
The hagmen of the two sections of
train No. Sc were at odds in their con-
illusions as to the signal at the Am
herst tower. one declaring it showed
clear" as Hess had testified. and the
other that it showed stop.
Further testimony was also intro
duced 10 show that false signals are
not an uncommon thing. especially in
foggy or stormy weather.
NJ ID. Fleckner. signal tower man
testified. corroborating both Ernst and
Ia usch as TO previous trouble with the
block signal system There had been
numerous times last winter. he said
when the signals failed to work
A W. Leonard. engineer on the first
section Of No Sc testified the first
est nf m
~ green caution light. and that
- light in the home Block in front
Of the tower. was read calling him to
stop He had heen stopped three
minutes before the crash he said
Burial of Unclaimed Dead.
The bodies OF Ave unclaimed and un-
know N dead wefe buried this afternoon
In The Amherst cemetery Coroner
Carver decided the bodies were so bad
ly mangied Identification would never
be possible. Burial was made by the
New York Central Railroad Company.
Three other bodies will be buried
Monday.
Miss Mary Turner and Mrs. ]. E.
Grell, 514 4th street. Troy, " r, ar
rived in Amherst today to try to find
the body of their nephew. Henry Tur-
ner. a machinist. thought to have been
returning 10 his home from Detroit A
kit of machinist's tools was found in
the wreck.
Coroner Carver. however. refused to
open the Ave caskets. declaring identifi-
cation would be Impossible.
There are two womens bodies un-
identified. They may be those of any
of three women. said to have been on
the train. and who have not been hea I'd
from since: Miss Ada Pryor, Toledo.
Miss Margaret Monte. Chicago actress
and Mrs. Margaret Tigne. Cincinnati.
Developments at Hearing.
That all three of the New York Gem
trail trains that were piled up in the
wreck we're racing through dense
fog in an effort to make up lost
time. that the signal block system was
defective on this occasion and had been
similarly deficient on numerous occa-
sions during the past winter and thar
no particular man was to blame for
the wreck-these were the outstanding
features of evidence taken AT the Nrst
formal session Of the investigators TO
FIX the responsibility for the wreck
That criminal prosecutions under the
state law possibility became
known when II was announced tina, G.
F. Adams. prosecuting attorney of I,o-
rain county. in which Amherst is To-
Gated, was attending the hearings
with a view TO ascertaining II criminal
negligence can successfully be charged
against the New York Central road
or any of its employees.
Thes witnesses at the inquiry were
all railroad men, closely connected
through their respective duties with
'he accident which resulted so disas-
trously.