The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-03-04
WHAT AN AWFUL CRASH WHEN
TRAINS MET SAYS OPERATOR
Telegrapher in Signal Tower and Pas
senger on Wrecked Flyer Give
Description Of Smash Up
(3y the Associated Press

Porter, Ind, Feb. 2S.-Charles
Whitehead, telegrapher in the signal
tower which regulates the passage OF
the trains over the crossing where
New York Central train last night
smashed into the side Of a Michigan
Central tarin, killing more than thir-
ty-fve, tonight for the first time gave
his version of the events preceding
and during the collision.
He substantiated the story Of Joe
Cook, operator Of the ffty-six levers
in the tower, that the signals were
set against the Michigan Central train
and exonerated Cook of any blame
for the disaster.
Whitehead, too unstrung to talk
connectedly last night, tonight was
back at his job, outwardly calm.
81 send and receive all messages
telling when various trains will ar
rive" he said "but have nothing to
do with the operation of the signals
and am not considered ia any way re-
sponsible for them.
Ordinarily man named Piering
runs the levers but he wanted to take
a night off and hired Joe Cook, who
is Sub-operator, to work for him.
Says Joe Set Signals
Because of the mass of switches
detours and the intersection both of
US must be on our toes all the time,
and we were last night. Far down
each track is an appliance which
rings a bell in the tower when train
hits it. Last night when we heard
the bell we saw it was the New York
Central. About thirty seconds later
the Michigan Central bell rang. Joe
set the signals against the Michigan
Central and opening the tracks for
the New York Central. We sat peer
ing down the New York Central
tracks watching the headlight grad
ually growing larger and larger. We
hadn't noticed the Michigan Central.
''The New York Central gradually
drew nearer and larger and finally its
outlines were plainly visible. Sudden
ly heard Joe shout:
My God, Charley, the NJ. C. is !!
coming through the block
81 can still hear the shouted warn
ing. / turned quickly to the right and
there not $50 feet away was the
Michigan Central No. 20 crashing
down at sixty miles an hour It was
so close could see the spaces be !
tween the fender bars. Joe jumped
for the door and I Jumped after him. !
Terrific Grinding Smash
"We heard a terrific grinding
smash. There was hiss of steam, a !
brilliant red glare lighted up the
tower and our little building shook |
all over, the crashing glass-the +;
tower windows breakiEg-tingled in ]
my ears and the tower continued to
rock.
"We lay against the door for . !
moment and then collapsed to the ::
floor Later, a few seconds later, I i
suppose, Joe got up and dashed down
stairs. l followed him.
when l reached Inc ground Joe
was running full speed up the road to
Chesterton, two miles away. I am
told that he never stopped unt;! ne
reached there, although sevcf@i per
sons tried to halt him. !
81 went down to The wreckage. The !
conductor of one Of the trains came
up and tried to ask me something. i
He couldn't talk he was shaking SO,
and / guess couldn't have answered. :
/ don't remember much after that"
Automatically Closed
Whitehead explained that the sig |
nal system was interlocking so both
tracks could not have been open at
the same time. Closing the tracks !
to the Michigan Central automatically !
opened it to the New York Central
and vice versa, he said.
Whitehead said the Michigan Gen.
tral probably was making sixty miles !
an hour but that the New York Gen.
trail was travelling slower-probably
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