New Britain herald., 1917-08-20
SHORE LINE CARS NEAR COLLISION
Motorman, UnnerVed, Resigns
 His Position on the Spot

New Haven. Aug. oo.-Two cars filled with Sunday recreation seekers mostly women and children had a mar row escape from another head on collision on the Shore Line Electric railway shortly after 6 o'clock last evening through a mix-up over the or ders as to the siding on which they should pass each other. The cars as matter of fact did not collide. being stopped by their motormen without much difficulty when fully two cars lengths apart as the stra ght away stretch of track on which tho -"ide happened gave the notormcf .~,pIe time to get their cars under .rn- trol and stop without the til cd collision. But a moment or ef "- ence in time might have resul, n their meeting on a curve or othci ass favorable spot which might have caused serious collision.
 The near-on collision occurred at spot about halfway between what is known as the East River siding and Madison. The two cars were halted when they were about 50 feet apart by the prompt action of the two mo- tormen. Had one car been a minute earlier they would have met at a curve where it would have been next to impossible to halt either one
 When the two cars had been stop ped. Motorman William Miller of Gu1lford. the pilot of the west bound car, threw up his job on the spot and refused to either take his car to the end of the trip or back to the barns in Guilford. He was completely un- nerved.
 It was shortly after o'clock last evening when Motorman Miller called up the despatcher on the systems pri- vate telephone for his running orders According to his claims, told to per- sons who saw him after the incident he was told to go ahead and meet the other car at Madison. Motorman Merrill had been ordered to meet Mill ler's car at the East River siding. The result was that both cars were about half way between sidings on a single line track coming together head on.
 Oars Seen in Time.
 Both motormen saw each other quickly and succeeded in bringing their cars to a stop without any eam- age. A slippery track. darkness, or several other conditions might have brought the two cars together.
 Over anxiety on the part of the car crews due to the effects of the pre- vious week, Is blamed by General Su- perintendent Cain, of the Shore Line for the mix-up. Although he does not want to place the responsibility for the near collision on anyone until he has thoroughly investigated it. he said last night that he had been informed that the despatcher's record showed that each motorman had received or ders to meet at East River siding, and it was the supposition of the de- spatcher that the orders had been well understood.
 Yesterday had proved heavy one in traffic for the Shore Line and all day long most of the cars were crowd ed. Especially was this so of the two cars in question the east bound car having scarcely standing room even When they learned that a wreck had narrowly been averted, several got off the cars at once and walked back to Guilford, where they hired automo- piles to take them to their destina- tions.
 Motorman Miller who resigned on the spot, refused to go back to his car, and the crew of the other car were forced to tow 1t back to Guilford. Conductor Heffernan, who was with him, Is also reported to have previous ly resigned and was waiting to have his place filled. Motorman Merrill on the other car, and his conductor lowed the other car back to Guilford.