Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-10
FOUR ARE BLAMED
FOR TRAIN WRECK
Railroad Official Reports on
Investigation of Crash at
EIwood, N. J.

Failure OF Eng1neman RdlpH ~
Townsend and of three other train
men to provide protection from the
rear are declared directly attributable
causes of the wreck on the Pennsyl-
vania railroad at Elwood, N. j.. on
Sunday August "a, when the ninth
and tenth sections of a Washington
excursion train collided, causing more
than a score Of injuries and one death,
In a report of the investigation corps
Of the railroad administration.
C. S. Lake, assistant director of the
division of operation Of the railroad
administration, who was sent to the
scene by the administration to make
a thorough inquiry, submitted the re-
port.
Places Blame on Four.
A summary of the report. in part,
reads as follows:
Investigation discloses the accident
to have been directly attributable to
the failure of Engineman Ralph j.
Townsend to observe or regard eau
ton indication of automatic signal
and stop indication of automatic sig
nal as required by rule, and as was
entirely feasible, and to failure of
+
E. F. Quinn, who was also on rear by
instructions of conductor, to afford
proper protection to train as required
by rules. and to failure of Conductor
]. E. Price to see personally that pro
lection was afforded as required.
which was also entirely feasible.
"Engineman Townsend OF the tenth
section has testified that he did not
see signal (stop indicationl, located
2,264 feet from point of accident, un-
- - =
that his vision was obscured by fog.
which admittedly prevailed on the
morning of the accident, and by escap-
ing steam from the right piston of his
engine. Engfneman c. w. Disney.
who ran the engine from Washington
man of Engines Joseph ]. Cook. who
especially tested the engine in order
to determine whether escaping steam
was such as to obscure the vision.
testify that leaks obtained. but that
steam did not escape sufficiently to
obscure the vision.
IF the conditions were as described
by Townsend, 1t was his duty to have
exercised such precaution as would
have insured safety. Although he is
qualified on and thoroughly familiar
with the physical characteristics of
the division upon which the accident
occurred, his testimony clearly indi-
Gates that he did not know of his
whereabouts at the time the accident
occurred; that he failed to discern
signal No. 349 altogether. and thought
that the accident occurred at Magno-
liza instead of near Elwood.
As to Equipment.
AS to equipment used In these trains.
It did not develop until Friday. August
32-two days prior to the excursion
that 1T would be necessary to use
about eighty tourist sleepers, which
were obtained from the troop-move-
ment section. The Washington Ter
minal people and Pullman car lines
equipment in the best possible con-
dition. The cars were thoroughly
cleaned. equipped with lights and
water, but two Pennsylvania railroad
steel coaches used in local suburban
service were not equipped with water
the fourth section out of Washington
and not In either of the trains con-
oerned in the accident. To insure
adequate gas supply the number OF
burners for service in tourist cars
used in troop movement had been re-
lighted leaving Washington. Tour
list cars lighted by electricity had
such equipment removed and were
lighted by from four to seven or
binary hand oil lanterns attached to
specially designed holders on ceilings
and walls of the cars; The reports
show that several of the lights were
put out by passengers on leaving
Washington so they could sleep. Con-
ductor Price stated to the coroner's
jury at Atlantic City that he had
reported bad lighting to station of
fcers at Washington, but careful
check shows he made no such report.
Every effort, therefore. was made to
condition these coaches to handle the
very unusual traffic"