New Britain herald., 1921-02-25
SIGNAL WAS LIGHTED
 PASSENGER SAYS
Bridgeport Crew in Shelton Wreck Had Done Duty,
 Mailman TestifieS.

Bridgeport. Conn.,, Feb. 25.-Fur- ther evidence that the crew of the Bridgeport car. northbound, turned on the signal light at Cooks Switch as they entered the block Tuesday. just prior to the collision in which eight lives were lost and many per sons injured. was introduced at to- days hearing before Coroner John J. Phelan and public utilities com mission engineers.
 ' Burton c. Canfield of this city, a letter carrier, who was a passenger on the northbound car, said: "I am positive about the motorman of our car approaching the signal box and lighting the light. I saw the light go on with my own eyes. There is no question in my mind about that fact. Just where the conductor was when ho turned on the light wouldn't swear to. I do remember the conductor giving two bells to go ahead after the light had been lighted.
 "I was looking out of the car win dow toward the river a few minutes later when I heard some one say: Whats this7' Then a shout Look out At that I looked toward the front of the car. I saw the other car just a few feet away coming to- ward us. Then came the crash. After the crash came the flames. It all happened so suddenly it Is hard to remember any further details.'
 This mornings session was given up for the most part to trying to esta blish the exact time which elapsed after the sOuthbound car. Derby to Bridgeport. left the South shelton switch. until the light at the switch was discovered out by the crew Of the snowploy standing near the switch. and to get at the facts relative to the numerous reports and telephone messages between crews and dispatchers in the Derby and Bridgeport divisions. All the early i morning testimony was corroborative or explanatory of that given by witnesses yesterday. In the course of the hearing it was brought out that the watch used by the Shelton dispatcher in keep ing his records Of advancements of cars generally ran slow about a min ute a day. making it necessary to re- set the watch every morning.
 The charred body of the eighth vic- tim of the trolley collision and fire in Shelton on Tuesday was identified today as William waldron, 57, of Sey- mour. The other seven dead in the wreck had previously been identified. Waldron's body was identified by his son. Chester Waldron, who came to the morgue here and established iden- tity by examining the teeth of the dead man. The son also obtained from Chief of Police Donovan of Shelton a watch and knife which had been found at the scene of the collis- ion. He was able to describe the arti- cles as ones he had given his father the day before the accident.
 Under cross examination by E. I. Rpdd, chief engineer for the public utilities commission. MT. Canfield said that from his personal knowledge the signal system on the Derby line was practically the same sixteen years ago as now.
 1 George Mills of Stratford. conduct or of the northbound car. was the next witness. He told the coroner he call cd tho dispatcher three times between Bridgeport and Cooks switch, as in structed by Inspector Baker before leaving Bridgeport at 1920 o'clock. At Cooks Switch. Mills said, there was no light against his car and when the key was turned in the signal box a light appeared which would give him the right of way to South Shelton.