The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-07-07
LAY BLAME
FOR WRECK
On SOLDIER

BUFFALO. y. Y. July 6.-Blamc for
the New York Central wreck at DunkirK
Tuesday costing the lives of IL persons
and injuring many others. rests on
George Schiller. the eX-soldier, who was
riding blind baggage on train and
whose body was found crushed between
the tender and the baggage car
The investigation at Eric yesterday
proved this according TO John \. Tally.
equipment inspector Of the public ser
! vice commission who was present at the
probe.
Schiller must have tempered with
the airbrnkcs." said Tally today.
Testimony taken at the investigation
showed:
That the angle cock Of the airbrake
system at the rear Of the tender had
been shut off by some human hand.
THAT the shutting of Of the anglo
cock left the engineer powcrlcss as Tar
as applying the brakes to the cars De-
| hind the tender was concerned.
That the engineer gave sharp snort
tout warning the train conductor 10 use
their emergency brakes.
That the emergency brakes were not
used because the members OF the train
crew did not get the signal.
That there was ample reason why
the signal could not he heard, because
the passing trains and the engineer
probably gave the signal so often that
| the signal was mistaken for some other.
| when tho train left the Scott street
yards it had been thoroughly examined
I and the brakes were found TO be in cx-
! ccllent condition. This was proved by
two dead stops that the train made near
! buffalo Each time the brakes WORKED
perfectly.
There was only one conclusion o
rcach-Sclillcr wanted to get OF at
Dunkirk and he figured that he could
bring the train to stop by shutting OH
the angle cock.
| He did not bring the train TO st'p.
but he did cut off control OF the a'r
brake system for tho eleven cars pehlnd
the tender from the engineer.
"All that the engineer had to s''<
the train with was the brakes on the
drive wheels. They would have stoppcd
1t eventually. but nc did not have sur
ficicnt distance.
III the conductors had gotten tho sig
nal for brakes they could have applied
the emergency brakes on each car ana
thcy would have offset the loss OF con-
troll OF the air brake system by the en-
ginccr."
Tally explained that the closing OF
the angle cock. which was IN tho rear
OF the tender and tch fist valve OF tho
air brake system. meant that tho engi'
nccr had at his disposal only one
twclfthSf tho pressure tn stop the train
that he would have had had it not been
tempered with.
Tho flaEman who was sent out from
train Al. which was stationary. TO STOP
train went out far enough 10 give
the oncoming train chance TO stop
but with the air brak" system working
as It did could not have stopped in less
than three or four miles" said Tally.
witnesses testified that Schiller mad
been an cmployc of Il locomotive works
and know something about the work
ing of an air brake. Where he probably
figured wrong was in thinkin that there
would he leak in tho air brake system
II II had been so the closing OF the
angle cock would have stopped the train
by automatically clamping on the
brakes
W. J. Corlss. chief boiler inspector
Of the commission. also attended the in
vest cation.
Their findings will he compiled and
then submitted to the commission for
its action.
The investigation - complete except
for tho examination Of some equipment
which will probably not throw any moro
light on the wreck.