Salt Lake Telegram | 1933-09-08 | Page 12 | Engineer Holds Wrong Signal Wreck Cause

S ENGINEER HOLDS WRONG SIGNAL 1 WRECK CAUSE I 1 r. r Veteran Declines to Take All AI c Blame for Death of 14 People J a x r Associated Press jf t en Dr o t BINGHAMTON N. N Y Sept 8 M. M M H. H King veteran engineer has declined declined declined de de- to take all aU the bl blame me for the wreck of ot the Atlantic Flier In which 14 people died The ye 62 old year old r-old Eric Erie railroad em em- told investigators last night It wouldn't have happened if it I had been properly flagged nagged King was at the tire throttle of ot a milk train which ripped into the rear of the crack passenger train Tuesday night He said he every signal but the last one as he neared the pla place e where the passenger express had stopped to wait for a string of freight cars carsto to get off oU the track ack As he approached the BD BD tower he be said the call caU on signal was flashed SIGNAL MEANING l What did the ea call l on on signal mean mean to you asked J. J W W. Graves superintendent superintendent of the Susquehanna division in charge of the semiofficial investigation investigation gation aided by representatives of ot the interstate commerce commission and the state public service commission The rule says to be prepared to stop top in the distance I could see King replied W Were re you so operating the train Not after alter reaching the curve an and from there there- thereto to the point of collision I am informed Gr Graves ve said aid that you gradually opened the throttle and picked up speed after after leaving BD DD tower lOwer Is that correct Yes A. A F. F Duffy Duff representing the Interstate interstate interstate inter inter- state commerce commission int interrupted inter interrupted r. r here ASSUMED TOO l MUCH The accident was cause caused because because e eyou you were assuming t too iri much ch chrid and rid hot not living up to the signals given you he asked Everyday service led me to assume assume assume as as- sume King replied It made me mea a little bold Taking a chance was a cause of ot the collision Well WeH It wouldn't have happened if I had been properly flagged d. d The report says that you o were about half halfway way around the curve when yo you saw the signal b bf No flagman Duffy continued Is OIls that correct Yes At the same time I saw the taillight of No 8 8 I applied the br brakes brakes' k i and opened the sand A. A C. C Morris flagman on the flier said that when his train stopped he and heard the milk train saw approaching ap ap- He said he ran back along the track as fast ibl s swinging his lanterns and yelling L