The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-03-01
COrOner's Jury Says Crew of No
18 Did Not Carry Out Com
pany's Rules.
FALLS UPON THE FLAGMAN
Contradictory Testimony Heard
as to Placing of TorpedOes BY
Flagman LOcklier After Be
ing Called in by His Engine.

Columbia. S. c., Feb. 2S.-Re
sponsibility for the Southern Rail
way wreck at Frost Monday after
noon, when IL people were killed
was placed Tuesday by the coron
er's jury on the crew of train No.
IS, who, it alleged, failed to prop
erly observe the rules of caution
The verdict read:
THAT the IL persons came to
their deaths by train No. AZ from
Spartanburg to Columbia running
into train No. Is from Greenville to
Columbia at or near Frost, occas
ioned through the rules of caution
being not thoroughly carried out by
crew of train No. 49,
thorough investigation was also
conducted by railroad officials and
Immediately thereafter the follow
ing statement was issued by F.. S
Collins, superintendent of the Co
lumbia division:
Investigation developed somt
contradictory statements between
some members of the crews. but 1t is
clear that II the tagging rules had
been observed by train No. IS, the
accident would not have occurred"
FlaRmcn's Rules.
when a train is stopped at an
unusual point or is delayed at reg
ular stop over three minutes or
when 1t fails to make its schedule
time, the fiagman must Immediately
go back with danger signals to stop
any train moving in the same direc-
tion. At point one-half of mile
Cor Is telegraph poles) from the
rear of his train he must place one
torpedo on the rail. on engineman's
side; he must then continue to go
BACK at least three-fourths of a mile
Cor 27 telegraph poles) from the
rear of his train and place two tor
pedoes on the rail. ten yards apart
Zone rail length). when he may re-
Turn TO point one-half of mile
Cor Is telegraph poles) from the
rear of his train, and he must re-
main there until recalled; but If a
passenger train is due within ten
minutes, he must remain until it ar
rives. When he comes in. he will
remove the torpedo nearest to the
train, but the two torpedoes must be
any following train.
"If the delay occurs upon single
track. and Ii becomes necessary to
protect the front of the train. or if
front brakeman must go forward
and use the same precautions. II
the front brakeman is unable to
leave the train. the fireman must be
sent in his place
"On descending grades, or during
binding storms or fog. the fagman
must go as much farther than the
distance named above as will insure
absolute safety, placing the torpe-
does at relatively greater distances
from the obstruction"
Train No. 4R was three or four
minutes late at Frost. one-half mile
from the wreck Engineer Long
testified, ard his train was running.
he said. about 45 miles an hour
when the collision occurred
Another phase of the inquest
about which much inquiry was di-
rected was Rule 90 under which
nagmen operate. requiring flag
man to remain at his post and dis
regard ''call in" signals, when
trailing passenger train is only ten
minutes behind another train on an
iFeguiar stop. Strict compliance
With the rule would have required
Lockiier to have stuck by his pro-
tecting station until train No. 42I
arrived and then to have mounted
she engine and proceeded on the
trailing train. as train No. IS was on
No. 42's schedule.
Torpedoes in Question.
Harvey Locklier. fagman on train
No. IS. testified at the coroner's in
quest that when his train was hat
ed Monday afternoon he immedtotc-
iy rushed back up the track betwe !,