Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-03-01
siGNAL-TOWEn TELEGIlAI'HER
GIVES VERSION nI. >SItt.s...

frhl train anI .SDncratvd Cook Of
any blan" for In. disaster
Whitehead. too unetrnns 10 tan,
connected: last night. tonight Mas
back at his job. outwardly calm
His cyes. deep set from loss ot sleep
repeatedly dart-d back and forth
from one track 10 the other. and
many times h. paced the floor.
Il send and receive ALI messages
telling when various trains w!ll ar
rive" he said. Il have nothing 10
DO with tn" operation Of tn. signals
and am not considered in any way
responsible for them
'prdinarily, man named picring
runs the levers. hut he wanted TO
take "A nigh, on, and hired 10. Cook.
who is "A substitute operator. 10 work
FOR him.
Must he ON watch.
because OF the mass OF switches.
d.,ours ana the intersection. both OF
u must bc on our toes all the time.
and We were last night. Far down
each track is an appliance which
rings bel! in the. tower when a
train hits ii. Las, night when We
heard the bell We saw IL was the New
York Central About thirty seconds
later the Michigan Central hell rang.
Joe set the signals agains, the Mich
iSan Central and opened the track
for the New York Central. We sat
peer!ng down the New York Central
tracks. watching the headlight grad
uaily grow larger and larger. we
hadn't noticed the Michigan Central.
The New York Central engine
gradually grew larger and larger.
and finally its outlines were plainly
visible. suddenly ! heard Joe shout:
My God. Charley, the VI. &. is
coming through the block
Il can still hear that shouted
warning. turned quickly 10 the
right and there. not $50 feet away.
was the Michigan Central. number
20 twenty crashing down. al sixty
miles an hour. l, was so close
could see the spaces between the
fender bar. Joe jumped for the door
and / jumped after hum.
"We heard a terrific grinding
smash. There was a hiss OF steam. a
brilliant, red glare lighted up the
tower. and our little building shook
All over. The crashing OF Elass-;he
tower windows breakins-tinEled in
my ears, and the tower continued to
rock.
I'VE lay against the door for a
moment and then collapsed TO the
floor. Later. few seconds later. !
suppose, Joe got up and dashed down
stairs. l followed him.
When | reached the ground. Joe
was running full speed up the road
TO Chcstcr;own, two miles away. ]
am told that he never stopped until
he reached there. although severa!
persons tried to halt him.
t:oes io wrecknEr.
Il went down TO the wrcckaGe,
The conductor OF one OF the trains
came up and tried to ask me some
thing. He couldn't talk. he was
shaking so, and I guess ! couldn't
have answered. don't remember
much after that. | went home, bat
could not sleep. I kept seeing those
two giaring headiights-they seemed
misunderstanding down on me.
dreamed OF them and must have
tossed lot for several times picked
the he'd clothes of the floor.
I'm all right now, In. thank God
for my escape Fortunately the cars
r-ll away from the tower otherwise
I wouldn't he telling you this.
Whitehead explained that the sig
nal system was iuter.ockinG so hoth
tracks could not have been open AZ
the same time. Closing the tracks 70
the Michigan Central automatically
il 10 the New York Central.
and vice versa. he said.
Whitehead said the Michigan Cen
trail probably was making sixty miles
an hour. but that the New York Cen
trial was travelling slower-probablyI
forty miles an hour.
They always travel nearly full
speed. but last night the New York |
Central seemed to be coming slower
than usual. Perhaps the engineer
saw the other train and tried TO STOP"
Whitehead said.
Cook was unable to work tonight,
but was not needed. Every train on
both roads was ordered 10 stop be-
fore reaching the wreckagc and -
proceed only by hand signal. Al! de- |
railing switches wcRe locked. and all
blocks were set against oncoinins |
trains.
y special crew OF signni< men
guided the trains in their slow prog
ross over the crossing.
Last night was the first night off |
the regular towerman has taken in |
over month. His job is seven
day onn piarInr NO. bo.,. -. , |