The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1922-08-07
To Probe
Cause of
Wreck


Of Missouri Pacific passengcr
trains at Sulphur Springs Sat 4.
day night, in which "a persons
were killed and more than 100
injured, was begun today by
Coroner George w Elders Of
Jefferson county.
Responsibility for the wreck
has been placed hy Missouri
Pacific railroad Officials upon
Matthew Glenn, engineer Of the
Texas Express train, No. 4,
uorth.bound, which crashed into
the rear Of local No. 81 as that
train stood on the main track
near sulphur Spripgs. Glenn,
who jumped at the moment Of
the crash, was killed.
Coroner Elders said that the
surviving crews Of both trains.
the train dispatcher who gave the
orders, and any officers Of the
road who could throw light on
the matter. would be summoned
as witnesses In the inquest.
Inquests may be held by the
coroner az st. Louis in the eases
of some who died after being
brought to that city, but TIE in.
ouests here will be only perfume
tory. and the task Of fixing the
responsibility win be left 70 the
jefferson comfy authority.
Identification Of the dead was
completed Yesterday.
The railroad officers hold that
Engineer Glenn should have
stopped before reaching the other
train. because the block signal, y
sufficient distance south, was set
against him. Circumstances in-
icatc that Glenn failed TO observe
the block signal because he was
reading an ords&. which he had
snatehed Ia passing through
Riverside. three miles below, aud
which pcrtained to a stop he WAS
10 make at a point farther north !.
The block signal system Is az"
emergency precAution, designed
10 protect trains wien other pre-.
cautions fail. 1t II not intended
10 do away with other prccau-
tions. But it appeared, in adj
vance Of the official inquiry,
that other precautions were neg
lected ID this ease and every
thing was left to the block signal,
which then was not Needed.
/, seems that observance OF the
signal would have pcycnted tue
disaste. At the same time, II has
not been explained why the local
train was on the main track at p
time when the express was over
due. Had number 32 taken the
sidetrack at sulphur Springs ana
waited until the passing OF NO. :
before going on the nam track
"a take water. II weuld have
mad, 4 safe. though much beia'-
ed. arrival in ST. Louis.
The events immediately pre-,
cedinr tue wreck were related
by the telegraph operator a'
Riverside, which il three miles
south Of sulphur Springs, show, (,
;ng that every precaution had
been taken to prevent what oc'
Cured.
train. the daily schedule OF which
makes Il due in Sulphur Springs
AZ 5 :07 p. m. and in st, LOUIS : q. az
& As arrived at Riverside at 7 40
y. m. There were no orders ior
il AS il makes all stops. y ae-
parted inmate later for sui
phur Springs.
Number 4. the fast express
from Fort Worth. was dpc daily
in sulphur Springs at 6;59 and
II 81. Louis at sos. y reached
Riverside at Z :13 and did not
stou- passing there at a rate Of
about As miles an hour, the en-
v;neer snatching orders for ms
train as he passed.
These orders were for HIM 70
mass through sulphur Springs
which il not d stop for his train,
and reach the double track at
Wicks. four and a half miles
north Of sulphur Springs, or
Whitehouse. six and half miles
north. and wait there 70 permit
NJ. 1. d fast passenger train from
ST. Louis, to pass him.
Number 32 made its acclstom-
ed stop at sulphur Springs
reaching there about 7 az, or M two
hours and 10 minutes late the
locomotive was stopped at =
water tank about 200 feet south
WEATHER