Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-22
EXPLOSIVE CAUSED
WRECK ON A., B. & A.,
MAJORITY REPORTS
Continued From Page ~

self, being to investigate the causes
of the wreck and make true finding
according to the evidence as we de-
duced same, l, after listening care
fully to every matter of eVidenC
produced during a two days hea"i''
and after inspecting the scene of the
wreck and all other things connected
and related thereto, submit the fol-
lowing report: which is minority
report:
sOn September ~. 1921, at about
1880 a. m. the committee proceeded
to the scene of the wreck, and imme-
diately began to examine the locomo-
tive and parts of same, and also the
roadbed at each end of where the
wreck occurred for about a distance
of $50 feet i'll each direction. y,
found the roadbed in bad conditi"
at this point; there is supposed to be
five 90 degree curve, but this curve
vsp,ied from four (4) to six CD &c
grees, and the track gagged fr
tigh to one CD inch open, and the
spikes in ties were in very bad shape,
and 1 would consider this track dam
gerous for a main line track.
81 also made examination of the
engine truck, axle and. wheel from
left front engine truck, and [ found
by using Brown & Sharp's microm-
eters that said wheel was loose on
the axle; in making this test of both
of said wheel was five go and four
hundred and thirty-eight and one-half
thOuSandthS inches on one end, and
five 60 and four hundred and thirty
two thousandths inches on the other
end, which is difference of>six co
and one-half thousandths, and which
should have been straight.
81 also found said axle was five
60 four hundred thirty-three and
one-half thousandths inches on the
outer end; and five (5) and four
hundred and thirty-two thousandths
which should have been straight for
this wheel.
Alleges Loose Wheel
For this wheel to have been tight
enough to be safe, the axle should
have been eleven G1) thousandths of
an inch larger than the bore of the
wheel, and instead, the bore of the
wheel was larger than the axle.
'On September II, 1921, at about
the pressing on of the wheel at the
Southern Wheel works, and said
wheel went on at no pressure at all
until it got up in about one CD and
one-half inch of where it stopped,
and then the pressure went up to
have gone to fifty (50) tons or more
to have been safe.
Then your committee witnessed
pressing off of said wheel and twen-
ty (2O) tons was required to start
it a distance of about one % inch;
then the Indicator dropped to prac-
tically nothing, and this was travel
of about seven Cd inches for the
wheel-fit, and if said wheel had been
properly fit it would have taken 10
tons to have started it, and the pres
sure. decreased until said wheel was
completely off of wheel fit.
Your committee further Witness
and found said axle about five (o)
eighths inches in wheel-fit; and said
axle being bent after said wheel
came off of said axle, and this in
my opinion, this axle dropping down
on the rail, was the cause of said
CINE truck-frame to drop, to drag
on the ties and rail, and derailed said
engine.
"This bend in wheel-fit of axle
caused said wheel to show fifteen
(15) tons pressure. If said axle had
b>an straight, said wheel would have
shown no pressure at all when being
pressed on said axle.
81 am positively convinced with
out a doubt, that this derailment
was caused by the left front en-
gine-truck wheel being loose on axle,
which together with the defective
condition Of the roadbed caused said
wheel to come off rounding the sharp
curve, the derailment being the re-
suit of said wheel coming off of said
axle as above stated.
Disputes Explosion
"In my opinion, it would have been
absolutely impossible for an explo-
SON of any nature or kind to have
blown this wheel off of the axle
without bursting said wheel and fur
Their damaging said locomotive and
the parts thereof, which the evidence
disclosed remained intact.
81 wish to call your special at
tention to the fact that the head
light glass and signal light glasses
directly over the said englne-truck
wheel were not broken. There was no
damage to the cylinder-jack which
was the nearest point to said wheel,
and made of. one-sixteenth inch of
Sheet-irOn bOlted on with one-Quarter
inch stove bolts, and the cylinder
cocks on the bottom of the cylinder
(made of cast iron) were lot damaged
Notwithstanding the fact that they
were of very fragile material, and
could have been broken off with one
blow of q small hand hammer; at
times such cylinder-cocks are broken
off while being screwed into place.
Il also wish to call your special
attention to the fact, that the evil
dence disclosed that said wheel was
cast-iron, and the flange of same
could have easily been broken. as
testified by railroad men of long ex-
perienCe, with a ten-DOund eledge
hammer, and yet not even chip OF
this wheel was broken at ali.
Il also wish to call your special
attention to the fact, that the train
roli Il In ri
engine was derailed upon said curve;
the speed of said train together with
the heavy tonnage of thirtyfiVe cars,
many Of which were heavily loaded,
and the 200, 000-pound engine, aggre-
eating a total tonnage of approx
mately 1900 tons pressing upon said
wheel (Which in my opinion was
loose), yet said wheel came off the
axle and in coming off of said axle
travelled in practically same direC-
ton as the train was travelling in
stead of going directly against the
bank opposite the track.
High Speed Alleged
In my opinion this train was run
ming at a speed of not less than
thirty-five miles per hour as indi-
Gated by the following physical facts:
Thirteen cars were badly derailed
and turned crosS-Wise the track, all
of said cars being directly behind
the engine; the amount Of damage to
the track and the distance the engine
ran after being derailed before turn
ing over on low side of curve.
Il wish to further call your special
attention to the fact, that broken
rails are common occurrences in
wrecks, and this rail was broken off
inside of the rail in question, which
could have very easily been broken
by any one wheel of said engine
| dropping on the base of said rail,