Show CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT operator allows train on a block against the rules lynchburg va nov 30 the accident yesterday morning near lawyers depot on the southern railway in which president samuel spencer and his party lost their lives Is declared by a southern railway official to be due to tho block telegraph rules be ing disregarded by operator 0 D mat boax who was in charge at night at the block station at rangoon four miles from lawyers depot assistant generah superintendent E A capman of the today gave out the following statement investigation so tar made ot the accident develops the fact that operator mattoax at rangoon let train no 33 into the block and disregarding the rules tailed to notify the operator at lawyers depot of this fact when the first section ot train no 37 the washington southwestern limited approached rangoon operator asked the operator at lawyers for the block on no 37 this wap given by tho operator at lawyers who did not know thai no 33 bad gone in upon the block no 33 bro keown at the south end of a curve and as soon as the train stopped the flagman ran back to protect his train As far as we learn the flagman flag man had proceeded about yards when no 37 was in view on the curve engineer mckenley saw the signal and applied the emergence brakes but he did not have time to leave his scat before the collision toot place an s inspection of the ph sheets in each of the block stations substantiates this belief the sheet at rangoon shows thai no 33 was given the block by operator mattoax anc the sheet at lawyers shows that mat boax had not notified the operator there that no 33 was on the block and entitled to it A fuller investigation will be made as speedily as possible but we do not expect to additional facts the company has a number of men scouring the country in the hope of locating operator mattoax Matto ax but up to a late hour this forenoon we have been able to ascertain absolutely nothing as to his whereabouts |