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Show FIX BLAME ON FLAGMAN Report Made on Burlington Burling-ton Wreck Thirteen Killed .Washington, Aug. 31 Responsibility Responsi-bility for the accident on the Chicago, Chi-cago, Burlington and Qulncy railroad at Western Springs, 111., July 14, by whioh eleven passengers and two employes em-ployes were killed and twenty-six passengers and two employes were injured, was placed by tho interstate Commerce commission today upon Flagman Woodworth. "But says Chief Inspector H. W. Bclnap's re-poft re-poft to tho commission, "It lies wholly whol-ly within the power of the railroad managers virtually to put an end to from 75 to 80 per cent of these harrowing har-rowing dlsaatera" Mr. Belnap Bays the accident, which was a rear end collision, must have been prevented had the flagman flag-man exercised proper precautions in watching tho oncoming traint "A contributing cause of the accident," acci-dent," reports Inspector Bolnap, "was the failure of Englneman Browneon properly to control the speed of his train and to obey the Indications of fixed Blgnala. This Investigation disclosed dis-closed the fact that It was not an uncommon occurrence for trains to run paBt signals in tho stop position during foggy or Btormy weather." Sharp criticism also 1b mado in tho report of tho high rate of speed at which the train was being run, particularly par-ticularly as the weather was foggy and heavy, Ono of the officials of the line, F. C. Rice, Inspector of transportation, teBtlficd that "excessive "exces-sive Bpeed is tho cauBO of about 75 to 80 per cent of tho catastrophes In the last few years. Inspector' Bolnap points out that if this Is true tho railroad managers can prevent "75 to 80 per cent" of the wrecks. |