Interstate Commerce Commission in Re

INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION IN RE INVESTIGATION OF AM" ACCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED ON THE DENVER & INTERURBAN RAILROAD, NEAR GLOBEVILLE, COLO , ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1920 November 17, 1920 To the Commission On September G, 1920, there was a hoad-end collision between two passenger tiams on the Denvei & Intemiban Railioad neai Globe ville, Colo , which lesulted m the death of 11 passengeis and 2 em ployees, and the injury of 209 passengers and 5 employees This accident was investigated jointly with the Public Utilities Commis sion of Coloiado, and as a result of this investigation I lespectfully submit the following lepoit The Dem ei & Interurban Railioacl is a bianch of the Coloiado & Southern Railway, the rules of which govern Denver & Interurban trains Donvei & Intemiban tiains aie opeiated between Denvei and Bouldei, 31 miles noith of Denvei, over the Denvei Tiamway Co's tiacks between Denvei and Globeville and ovei Denvei & In temiban tiacks between Globeville and Denver & Inteiuiban Junc tion, at which point the line blanches, one line extending to Louis ville Junction and the othei to Webb Junction, and between these two junctions and Bouldei the trains of the Denvei & Inteiuiban j.»,ailroad opeiate over the tiacks of the Colorado & Southern Kail- way From Marshall, between Louisville Junction and Bouldei, a bianch line .extends to Eldorado Spimgs, this is also used jointly by the tiams of the two laihoads On this line Denvei & Intel urban employees aie ordinarily re lieved by Denver Tiamway employees at Globeville, the tiamway employees opeiating the mteiurban cars between that point and the city loop m Denvei and return, but on account of a strike of the Denver Tiamway employes at the time of this accident it was the piactice foi the motoimen and flagmen of the Denvei & Interurban cais to opeiate them into the city as far as the Denver & Interurban car bams and to turn them theie, the conductois in the meantime remaining at Globeville At Globeville theie m a shoit section of double track extending about 400 feet noith of the station between this point and Denver 20661—20 2 INII'ESTATE OOMMl'KCE COMMISSION & Inteiiuban Junction, within which temtory this accident oc cur led, the line is single track, oier which trams, aie operated by time-tab]e and tram ordcis, which aie handled by Colorado & Southern dispatchers and opeiatois, theie is no block-signal system in use Undei a footnote in the time-table noithbound tiams aie foiipenor to southbound trains m the same class The accident occuned appioximately 3,000 feet noitli of Grlobe- ville Station Appioachmg this point fiom the end of double tiack at Globevillc, the track is tangent ior a distance of about 1,000 feet, followed by a 3-degrec curve to the light, 755 feet in length, then theie is a tangent 27b ieet long and a 2-degree cuive to the left 1,115 feet long, m about the centei of which the accident occuned Approaching this curve fiom the north there is a tangent about 1,200 feet in length The grade at the point of accident is 1 pel cent ascending for noithbound trains Illustiation No 1 is a view 1 it. 1 —View ippionthlng pomt of. acciflent fiom Hie s,ouUi appioachmg the point of accident fiom the south, taken fiom about the point where the motoiman of the northbound tram first saw the southbound tiam, the distance to the appioximate pomt of accident where the people are shown standing on the tiack, is about 360 feet Illustration No 2 is a view approaching from the north, taken fiom the tangent tiack immediately noith of the curve on which the acci dent occuned, while illustiation No 3 is taken from a pomt opposite the laige tree shown on the nght of the track rn illustration No 2, the man standing m the center of the track is at the approximate point of accident The weathei at the time of the accident was clear Southbound passenger tram No 308 consrsted of motor 153, and was rn charge of Conductoi Gienamyie and Motoiman Stevens This tram was dire at Globeville at 11 30 a m It left Bouldei June- ACCIDENT NEAR GLOBEVILLE, COLO 3 fcion at 10 41 a m , passed Westminster, the last open telegiaph sta tion north of the point of accident and approximately 2 miles there from, at 11 24 a m , 6 minutes late,1 and at about 11 34 a m , while FIG 2—VIPW ippi duelling curve from the north traveling at a speed estimated to have been about 35 miles an hour, collided with extra 158 Northbound passenger train extia 158, consisting of motoi 158 and a trailer, was in charge of Conductoi Schnlze and Motoiman FIG d—Vlen o£ cuive ippiaaclung flora the north, taken opposite tice shown in Fig 2 Cripps This was an excursion tiam in service between Denvei and Eldoiado Springs, and on the day of the accident had made one lound trip between these points befoie the trip on which the accident occuired On its second lound trip extra 158 ailived at ACCIDENT 5TBAE GLOBE VILLI!,, COLO 5 GlobeviUe at 11 27 a m The conductoi and motorman leceived a clearance card and copies of two tiam orders, Nos 52 and 8 Tram oi dei No 8 was a slow order and did not apply to the section of track on which the accident occuned Tram order No 52, Form 19, leads as follows Motois 158 and 152 inn as 2 passi extias Globeville to Maishall on 2nd tup mill uglit ovei-exa 703 south Louisville Jet Lo Maishall Passi exa M 158 noith and No 309 may lun on a 5 min block Passi exa 158 and 152 noitli mi Louisville Jet Extia 158 left Globeville about 11 30 a m , passed fiom double tiack to single track, and while tiavelmg at a speed estimated to have been fiom 25 to 30 miles an hour collided with tram No 308 at a point about one-half mile noith of Globeville Motor 153, of tram No 308, was telescoped a distance of about 15 feet by motor 158, of extia 158, all of those killed were udmg m motoi 153 Both of these motor cais were badly damaged Illus tiation No 4 shows these two cars befoie they had been removed fiom the scene of the accident The employees killed weie the con ductor of tram No 308 and a section foreman Motorman Stevens, of tram No 308, said the speed of his tram was about 35 miles an hour when he saw extia 158 appioachmg, about 450 or 500 feet distant, he at once opened the sanders, applied the air brakes m emeigency, and sounded one long blast on the whistle When extia 158 airived at Globeville on its second northbound trip to Eldorado Springs, Conductor Scliultz went into the office and ob tained the two tram oiders previously mentioned, together with a cleaiance caid On going to the register he found that the operatoi had already registered for him, and after giving copies of the ordeis to Motorman Cripps, and reading them, they left the office, boarded then tram, and proceeded, no check of the tram register having been made Conductor Schulze said he had not foigottcn tram No 308, but at this time was under the impiession that it was due at Globe ville at 12 30 p m , instead of at 11 30 a m After boarding the tram Conductor Schulze gave his oiders to Flagman Muiphy and after telling him to watch the trolley, it being necessary to change from a low-tension trolley to a high-tension pantogiaph just beyond the end of double track, collected some tickets and then went forwai d to the front vestibule for the puipose of asking the motoiman what trams weie due and where they would go foi them, not having any time table of his own Before having time to make these inquiries the motoi man saw train No 308 approaching and told him to jump While Motorman Cupps was leading his ordeis at Globeville, he had heard a noise as of a passing truck or cai, and when the con ductoi of noithbound tiam No 309, which was following his train 20661—20 2 6 INTl'YRSTATE C0MM13RCI1 COMMISSION tame into the office, Motoiman Cupiis thought he was the conductoi ot tiam No 308 anrl assumed that that tiam had amvecl, he said his tiam left Globeville between 11 29 a m and 1130 a m When he saw tiam No 308 appioaching, Motoiman Cupps sounded one blast on the whistle, applied the an biakes, opened the sandeis, and jumped Aftei Flagman Mmphy leceived the olders fiom Conduc- toi Schulze, he put them m his pocket and then gave his attention to changing the tiolley, no stop being made at the end of double tiack and he had not lead the oideis at the time the accident occuned When exLia 158 staited to leave Globeville, Opeiatoi Obland thought it was going only as lar as the end of double tiack, and that it would stop theie to await the airival of tiam No 308 When tiam No 309 pulled ahead and stopped wheie cxtia 158 had been stand ing, the opeiatoi mquned if tiain No 308 had ai lived, and about this time lealwed that extia 158 was pioceedmg without waiting foi the anival of tiain No 308 He then lan out of the office, m an effoit to stop ejktia 158, but by that time it had passed beyond the end of double tiack, and he was unable to attiact the attention of the ciew Eules 83 and 83A lead as follows 83 "A tiain must not leave its initial station on finy distncl, oi a junction, oi pass fiom double to single titiclr, until it lias been a&cei Lamed whethei all tiams due, which aie supenoi, oi ot the same class, have amved oi left" 83A "A tiam must not lea\e its initial station on any distnct without a cleaiauce caul, Ifoim A (leviacd) "A liain must not leave a legisteied slalion until the conductoi has checked the legislei, tilled out Foini 1514—levised and peibnnallv delneied copy to each of Ins engmemen " Not only did Conductoi Schulze fail to check the tiam legister, as leqimed by these lules, but he failed to fill out and delivei to Motoi man Cupps

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