Bisbee daily review., 1921-03-01
Eye Witness Tells
 Version Of Wreck


 CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE) the speed at which trains passed the crossing.
 Though this is the greatest disaster Porter ever has had, it lies within lone of the busiest railroad sections in the country. and almost at Porter's doors an even greater wreck occurred 15 years ago. This was the destruc- tion of a Baltimore X Ohio emigrant train which ran head-On into freight train and took fire three miles east of here,
 Failure of fire to break out last night was a saving boon. The town marshal had placed his fire depart ments hose on one side. Chesterton's department soon appeared on the other. But identification of the train lighting probably prevented this, or ficials said
 Charles Whitehead. telegraph oper- ator in the signal tower which regu- lates the passage of the trains over the crossing where the New York Central smashed into the Michigan Central train. substantiatsd the state ment of Joe Cook. signal operator that the signals were set against the Michigan Central train and eXonerat- ed Cook of blame.
 Thanks God For Escape Whitehead tonight was back at ms iob. outwardly calm. His eyes. deep set from loss of sleep, daTted from one track to the other and many times | he paced the floor To railroad off cials he said he thanked God for his narrow escape and was feeling fine, ! although his appetite was gone -I send and receive all messages | telling when various trains will ar rive" he said "I have nothing to do with the operation of the signals. "Ordinarily Piering runs the levers. but he wanted to take night oft and hired Joe Cook, who is substl- { ute operator. to work | Because of the mass of switches detours and the intersection, both Of us must be on our toes, and We were : last night.
 Far down each track is an appli- ance which rings bell in the tower ! when a train hits 1t. Last night. we were waiting for No. 151. the New York Central train. We heard the | bell and looked up at the recorder, seeing it was the New York Central. About 90 seconds later the Michigan Central bell rung. Joe set the sig nals against the Michigan Central and i opening the track for the New York 2, Central. We sat peering down the New York Central tracks, watching the headlight grow larger and larger. We hadn't noticed the Michigan Cen trai
 ! The New York Central engine gradually grew larger and finally its outlines were visible. Suddenly heard Joe shout:
 1 My God, Charley, the NJ. C. IS coming through the block ''I can still hear that shouted warn .ing.
 a Saw Train Crashing Ahead
 ''i turned quickly and there, not 15O feet away. was the Michigan Central No. 20. crashing down at 60 miles an hour. It was so close I could see the spaces between the fender bars. Joe jumped for the door and I jumped after him. Something made LIS realize that to go downstairs would be fatal.
 We grabbed the dCor and held on
 We heard terrific grinding
 smash. There was hiss of steam. .
 red glare lighted up the tower anC
 our little building shook. The crash
 ing of glass-the tower window.
 breaking mingled in my ears anC the tower continued to rock. We lay against the door for a mo ment and then collapsed 4 few sec
 onds later. Joe got up and dashed 5 downstairs. I followed. When | reached the ground. Jo was running full speed up the roat to Chesterton. two miles away. I an told that he never stopped until h.
 reached there
 went to the wreckage d conduC tor came up and tried to ask me som thing. He couldn't talk. he was shak ing so. and l guess I wouldn't hay | answered. l don't remember mucI | after that I went home. but couldn' | sleep. l kept seeing those two glal ing headishts-th seemed giganti | rushing down on me [ dreamed O
 them.
 I'm all right now. but thank Go
 for my escape. Fortunately the car
 fell away from the tower Going 50 Miles An Hour Whitehead explained, that the sil
 nal system was interlocking so tha
 both tracks could not have been ope
 at once. He said that the Michiga
 Central train probably was maxim
 50 miles an hour but that the Ne'
 York Central was travelling slower probably 40 miles
 H They always travel nearly fu