New Britain herald., 1916-02-29
DEAD ENGINEER IS BLAMEDFOR WRECK
 IN MIX'S FINDING
Curtis Failed to Obey Automatic Warnings, Coroner Says Re-
 garding Crash at Milford
SIGNAL SYSTEM IS FOUND
 TO HAVE BEEN IN ORDER

Comments to Attention of Public l OtlhtIes Commission the Fact That Trains Left New Haven Three 1 Minutes Apart and Also Notifies l Railroad Officials to Take Action Against ''Bunching.''
 New Haven, Feb. 29.-The failure or William R. Curtis engineer of ex- tra passenger train No. 5 to observe the signals set against him and to opey them was responsible for the
 running of that train into the rear of the Connecticut River special on the
 New York, New Haven and Hartford
 railroad at Milford on February 22,
 according to the finding of Coroner. Eli Mix today. In the wreck ten per- sons lost their lives and more than two score were injured
 The coroner calls attention to the fact that the two trains left New Ha- ven three minutes apart, and com- mends to the attention of the Con- necucut public utilities commission and to the proper officials of the rail- road company the subject of tIe spac- ing and "bunching' of trains. to take such action ''as they shall deem con- ducive to the safety and the lives of the travelling public
 Finding Is On Woman's Death.
 The finding is on the death of Miss Susan Hyland of this city, who was crushed to death in the wreck. After referring to the sending out of the two trains from this city three minutes apart, and the brea king or bursting of the air hose on the express which stalled it mile and a half west of the Woodmont station, the going back of f1agman from the express with torpedoes and fusees to protest the rear of his train, and the crashing into it of the extra train, the finding continues:
 AS a result of said collision two passengers, the deceased being one, who were on train No. 79 Ghe eXpress) together with the engineer and fire man of train No. 5 (the colliding ex- tra) were instantly killed and a for merr employe of said company who was upon the engine Four other passengers who were removed from the wreck died subsequently, from in juries received therein; and large number of passengers were more or less injured"
 Before colliding with train No. 79. the coroner says, the engine Of train No. 5 struck and killed F'lagn1an l.. Tourtelotte, of train No. 79,
 I charge of his duty was endeav bring to stop train Mo- ,, and who at the time he was struck was about 500 feet in the rear of his train, appar- ently endeavoring to place torpedoes upon the track as warning against the approach of said train No. s. Signals in Good Working Condition.
 The coroner finds that the railroad has on it's New York division sys- tenn of automatic and other signals for "safe operation of trains, that the signals, installed about two years ago, are regarded as@eficient and as de- pendable as any yet devised, that on the morning of February 22, the sig. nals were in good Woking order, and that the engineer of the extra, pro ceeding at a rate of speed estiiRaIed to be from fOrty-tive to fifty miles per hour passed a signal set at caution, at which he should have slowed down. and that at a point still further west three persons were observed in the en- zine cab, one in working clothes oc- cupying the engineers seat, one not l in working clothes occupying the fire mans seat The finding continues:
 Automatic Signal Not Obcyed
 ''I find that within d second or two 1 before the engine attached to train No. l collided with the rear of train No. 1 79, the emergency brake was applied | in said engine of train No 5 and that l no appliance of brakes was noticed 1 by any one on said train No, from 1 the time it left the New Haven yard l until the time said emergency brake was applied just before the collision.
 'I find said trains No. 79 and No. 5 left New Haven three minutes apart, that the delay Occasioned to train No. 79 by reason of the burst or broken air hose was three minutes, yet not this situation, if the signals were Obeyed I am of the opinion no collision would have as said signals automatical- Iy spaced said trains about one mile apart.
 1T am aware a train travelling forty five to fifty miles per hour would cover the distance comprised in one mile very quickly and would allow d flagman but very little time to leave and properly protect his train. yet II signals were observed and obeyed oEe