The Connecticut labor news., 1924-11-22
PASSENGER TRAIN DISASTERS FROM
 UNUSUAL CAUSES
Auto Parts Get Wedged i'm Engine Trucks; Oil and Water
 Tender Rocks.
Tender Rocks

All accidents in the operation of trains resulting in death or serious in jury to employees or patrons are re- ported to the Interstate Commerce Com of safety. A finding is made by Direc- tor w. F. Borland wherever possible of the cause of such accident.
 Some unique and interesting facts de- velop from these investigations, which rarely reach the public. Two are here with given as illustrating unusual cir cumstances found from time to time.
 On September 24, 1924, there was a derailment of passenger train on the Michigan Central railroad near kala- mazoo which resulted in the death of one employe, the injury of two others employees and 25 passengers. The train consisted of one mail car, one club car, five Pullman and two coaches, all of steel construction.
 At the hearing it was disclosed that the accident occurred at a private cross ing near a paper mill 2 miles east of the station at Kalamazoo. The engine and the cars were derailed and partly overturned It was caused by hitting an automobile driven by an employe of the paper mill which had stalled on the track Engineman Adams was killed
 The train was travelling at a speed of 60 miles an hour. The automobile was demolished but the driver escaped in jury. He testified that in passing over the crossing the left wheel dropped off the ends of. the crossing blanks between the rails.
 According to the report made to the l. C. C. following the investigation '.some part of the automobile went un- der the engine truck wheels, causing them to become derailed and finally to result in the derailment of the train" :"
 No crossing watchman was on duty at time of the accident.
 Director Borland reports another un- usual case of derai1n1ent on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway which occurred near Harrell, Ark, on Septem- Der P, 1924, resulting in the death of one passenger, and injury of one pas senger. three employees and one news agent
 The train, consisting of one baggage car, one coach and two chair cars, all \of wooden construction, was derailed while travelling at speed of 30 to 40 miles an hour. The engine stopped about 1,020 feet east of the first marks of derailment upright and on the rails, undamaged: the tender and all the cars were deraiIed; the last two cars and the tender remaining upright on the road bed. The first and second cars were de- railed to the left The first car remained coupled to the tendtr, with its rear end down the fill about 2 feet from the track; the second car came to rest on its left side at the bottom of the fill, or embanl1ment, parallel with and about 2 feet from the track.
 The engine, an oil burner, had weight of 800 pounds without tender, and examination showed it to be in good condition. The tender, of rectang- ular type, having been converted from coal-carrying tender, had capacity of 1000 gallons of water and 32OO gall Ions of oil, weighing 136,500 pounds when loaded
 An investigation disclosed that the ac- cident was caused by "the rocking of the tender as result of the lateral surge of water and fuel oil due to the nneveness in the track and the speed at which the train was being operated. Examination of the equipment failed to disclose any condition which it is be- ieyed could have caused the derail- ment"