TRAIN WRECK.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1885, 20 October 1913, Page 7

TRAIN WRECK.

-4 SIGNALMAN'S FATAL MISTAKE. THE TELEPHONE BOYi 'AND THE BLOCK INSTRUMENT. By Telccraph—Press Association—Copyrisht London, October 17. At tho Board of Trade inquiry regarding the collision between two trains outsido tho St. James's Station at Liverpool, which resulted in loss of lifo, the signalman, Thompson, confessed to his mistake ill admitting tho second train from Liverpool through misinterpreting what t!ie telephone uooking boy told him. Ho had acted irregularly in allowing the boy to work the block instrument-, but it would havo boon impossible to work tlio box otherwiso. He had v&inly applied for an assistant signalmon twenty years ago, but had not applied lately, being downhearted after his nou-succoss. Edward Chorleston, tho boy, testified that ho had beon working the instrument sending tho half-past two train through. Ho sat on a stool, reading, and asked the signalman at 2.35 whore tho 2.35 Midland train was. The signalman answered: "It has gone." Witness replied: 1 ' The Manchester train has not cleared St. James's yet.", It Is reported (stated a previous message) that a boy at the central signalbox at Liverpool frequently attends to tho telephone. Ho answered a. call on Wednesday, while the signalman was busy with the levers. The signalman, thinkins the message was from tho first train, asking him to clear the way, pulled l the lover admitting tho express. Then, on second thought, ho asked the boy what the messago was, and was told that it referred t» another train. Ho at onco realised his awful mistake, and set the lights in the tunnel against the express, but his effort to prevent disaster failed. WIRELESS FOR SIGNAL BOXES. (Reo. October 19, 5.5 p.m.) London, October 18. On tho Midland Railway, they aro now trying a wireless installation for working bet.veen signal boxes and passing trams.