Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-03
OFFICIALS BUSY
TRYING To PLACE
BLAME FOR WRECK

PORTER, Ind, March 1.-Investi-
cations by Indiana state officials and
officers of the Michigan Central and
New York Central railroads were
continued today to determine the
cause of the wreck here Sunday
night fatal to thirty-eight passen-
gers on the Michigan Central train.
Members of the Michigan Central
crew were closeted all day yester-
day with General superintendent J.
L. Mckee, but no statement of the
information obtained was given out
The inquiry was conducted at Niles
Mich, a few miles east of the scene
Of the wreck, and early today the Of
ficials returned to Porter for further
Investigation.
Henry link and J. Q. Martin, of
the Indiana public service commits
sion, were on the scene making a
survey for the state, but gave no
indication of the nature of their
inquiry.
County officials of Porter county
early today took steps to have Cor
oner II. 0. Seipel. of Porter county,
call an inquest. Most of the state
ments so far obtained from railroad
men connected WIFI tnG WItCh I'D Z
been statements to the press repre-
sentatives and Robert H. Moore,
deputy prosecuting attorney of Por-
ter county, declared he would start
mandamus proceedings against the
coroner unless an inquest was open
ed at once, to take official testimony.
Both TOWerman Joseph Cook and
Operator Charles Whitehead insisted
that the New York Central train was
given the right of way, and that the
Michigan Central track signals were
set to stop that train.
New York Central officials declared
the fact that the New York Central
did not leave the rails. proved that
the clear signal had been given that
chanicaiIy impossible to give both
trains clear signal.
Engineer w. f. Long and Fireman
George Block, of the Michigan Cen
trail train, were still secreted by
Michigan Central officials, but in a
statement given out by New York
Central officials, they declared they
clear track. Their statement added
that the proof of the clear signal lay
in the fact that the engine and one
coach passed over the derail and
continued on the rails. New York
Central officials declared, however,
IndL the engine IldU DttH Vel StllCNt
and had jumped back on the rails
when the front trucks struck the
guard rails at the diamond crossing
Of the thirty-five bodies taken to
the Chesterton morgue, a mile from
the wreck. identification had been
made of all except two, but some Of
these were regarded by Coroner Sell
pei as unveriied. The coroner de-
clared the death total would not eX-
coed thirty-seven or thirty-eight, but
information from relatives and
friends showed half a dozen persons
still unaccounted for early today. All
of the wreckage had been searched
early today except beneath the bat
tered New York Central engine, and
a heavy wrecking crane was expect
ed to arrive today to lift it from
the pit where it buried itself.
Eight of the bodies had been
claimed by relatives and removed
for burial, but acknowledgment of
some made it difficult to determine
the exact total and likewise to COM
plete some of the identitications. One
or two more may be beneath the en-
CINE, the coroner said, but he be-
lieved the death roster was complete
Bodies of four women and one
man remained today unidentified, but
some of them could only be recog-
nized bv relatives, officials said.