Interstate Commerce Commission, Report of the Accident Investigation Occurring on the NEW YORK, NEW HAVEN AND HARTFORD RAILROAD, TOUISSET, R. I

1919
Haven & Hartford Hailroad near Touisset, B.I., whioh resulted in the death of 1 employee end the Injury of 25 passengers and 8 employees. One of the injured passengers afterwards died. After investigation of this aocident, the Chief of the Bureau of Safety submits the following report. Providence Division, Is an electrically operated road and ie single traok from Pall River to Warren and double track from Warren to Providence. Khe aooident ooourred on the singletraok line at a point a little
more » ... r 1 mile west of Touisset, wit ion ie 5 allies from Fall Biver. Trains are operated by time table and train orders with a manual bio ok system in us© whioh affords protection to following movements only, Approaoiling the point of aooident from the east, there ia about 3,100 feet of tangent traok, followed by a curve to the left of 2°30* about 600 feet in length. The collision ooourred on this ourve about 100 feet from its western end. Approaching this curve from the west, there is about 2,700 feet of tangent traok. t?he grade is .7% descending for westbound trains. It was raining at the time of the aooident. Westbound passenger train Bo, 23 consisted of motor oar 3714 and 1 trailer, in charge of Conductor Walsh and Hotor-Tho Providence, Bristol and Warren Branch of the -2man Wixon. It left Fall Hlver at 9.00 a.m., passed Touitaet at 9.15 a.m.i 1 minute late, and at about 9.17 a.m. oollided with eastbound wire extra 5$03 while traveling at a speed esti mated to have been about 20 miles an hour. Eastbound wire extra 3903 consisted of wire oar 3903 and was in oharge of Conductor Russell and Motorman foote. At Warren orders were received to work between Warren and Fall River from 8.00 a.m. to 4,30 p.m., not proteoting against extras. An order was also received to close in on train So. 2£ from War ren to Touisset. The flagman was then sent on train Ho. ££ to Touisset with Instructions to hold all trains until the wire extra arrived. The wire extra left Warren at 9.02 a.m., S min utes behind train No. 22 1 made S stops for the purpose of making slight repairs to wires, and then proceeded toward Touisset, colliding with train Bo. 35 at a point about 5,700 feet west of the station. The first oar of the passenger train was telescoped a distanoe of about 12 feet and badly damaged, while the wire oar was also badly damaged, The employee killed was the motorman of the wire extra. Motorman Wixon of train So. S3 stated that when about 500 or 700 feet from the passenger station at Touisset he looked out of the side window and saw the train order board in the olear position. The speed of his train at the time was about 35 miles an hour. He then saw a man coming out of the station with something in his hands. He shut off the power, and on
doi:10.21949/1506765 fatcat:sezf27gmnnajbnksun5lvatw6a