Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co. v. Shaw

182 S.W. 653, 168 Ky. 537, 1916 Ky. LEXIS 593
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedFebruary 17, 1916
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 182 S.W. 653 (Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co. v. Shaw) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co. v. Shaw, 182 S.W. 653, 168 Ky. 537, 1916 Ky. LEXIS 593 (Ky. Ct. App. 1916).

Opinion

Opinion of the Couet by

Chief Justice Milleb — -

Affirming.

This is an appeal from a judgment awarding the ap-pellee, John B. Shaw, $10,000.00 damages for injuries sustained as the result of having been run over by one of appellant’s trains in its yards at Maysville.’

At the time of the accident Shaw was in the service of the appellant as baggage-master on one of its passenger trains running between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Mays1 ville, Kentucky, and known as the “Maysville Accommodation.” This train left Cincinnati about six o’clock on Saturday evening, June 4th, 1913, and, according to its. schedule time, it should have arrived at Maysville about eight o’clock. It was, however, about five minutes late on this occasion. According to its custom, after stopping at the principal depot at Maysville and discharging such of its passengers as desired to alight there, the. train would proceed- about half a mile east to' what is known as the Market Street Depot, where the remaining passen[539]*539gers would be discharged; and the train would,then he hacked to the yards immediately west of the principal depot, where the engine would he placed on a turn-table and turned around preparatory to the trip hack to Cincinnati on the next morning — the entire train remaining in the yard during the night.

In making this backward movement from the Market Street station it was customary for Shaw to act as rear brakeman, while the train was hacked from Market street to the yards, and while it was doing the necessary switching in the yards. On the day of the accident, before the train left Cincinnati, orders were given its crew that after reaching Maysville the train was to- take on another coach and then proceed eastwardly as an “ extra, ’ ’ No. 73, to Eussell, Kentucky, and return to Maysville the next morning, which was Sunday. The object of this extra trip was to bring down from Portsmouth to Mays-ville the Portsmouth base ball team and an excursion crowd, to be picked up at South Portsmouth, Kentucky, a station a few miles west of Eussell, and between Ens-sell and Maysville.

On the night of the accident, when the “Maysville Accommodation” reached the Maysville depot, a part of the passengers and all of the baggage were unloaded, and the train then proceeded east to Market street, where the remaining passengers were unloaded. When this had been done, it was about eight o ’clock in the evening, and about five minutes later than the schedule time.

The appellant’s fast eastbound passenger train, No, 6, was due at Maysville about eight o ’clock, and in order to permit this fast train to pass, the “Maysville Accommodation” train was backed down to the yards, the ap-pellee, Shaw, taking his position on the rear of the train, as usual.

The Maysville yard contains a “lead” track, which connects with the eastbound main track at a point west of the depot, and runs in a south-westwardly direction to a turn-table, a distance of about 500 feet, and four switch tracks which branch off westwardly from the “lead” track and run parallel with each other. Beginning with the one nearest the eastbound main track, these switch tracks- are known as switch tracks No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4, respectively. There is a switch stand located between the two main tracks, about opposite the point where the “lead” track begins. This switch stand is used to [540]*540operate the switch connecting the “lead” track with the eastbound main track. There are also switches connecting the fonr switch tracks with the “lead” track, each of these switches being operated by switch stands located at the point of intersection between the switch track and the “lead” track, and known as switch stands Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. These switch stands are all located on the south side of the “lead” track in order that they may be seen by the engineer, for the purpose of receiving signals.

There is also a “derail” switch, about half-way between the turn-table and switch No. 4. This “derail” switch is used to operate both the “derail” and the connection between the “lead” track and the turn-table.

After the train had backed from the East Market station to the depot, it moved backward on the ‘£ lead ’ ’ track and on to switch track No. 1, for the purpose of letting the fast train pass; to get another coach that was on that track; and also to clear the “lead” track so as to enable the dining car to be taken off the fast train and placed on track No. 2, as was customary.

■ Shaw was standing on the rear of the train, controlling its backward movement by a bell-corcl connected with the engine. However, after the train had started in on switch track No. 1, Shaw ascertained there would not-be sufficient room for his train upon that track, because of the presence of other cars there. ■ Accordingly, he stopped the train, jumped off the car, and gave Jones, the engineer, a signal to pnll east out of switch No. 1, which was done. About the same time the conductor jumped off the train. Shaw then threw the switch connecting the £ £ lead ’ ’ track with switch track No. 1 so the train could pass on down the “lead” track, it being his evident purpose to run the train back on the “lead” track until the fast train had passed.

After throwing switch No. 1 Shaw signalled the engineer to back the train down the “lead” track, Shaw walking or running ahead, evidently for the purpose of throwing switches Nos. 2, 3, and 4, and the “derail” switch, so as to keep the train on the “lead” track until it had cleared track No. 2. In obedience to the signal given by Shaw, the train began backing slowly, at the rate of- about three miles an hour, Shaw running ahead of it throwing switches 2. 3, and 4, as he passed them.

[541]*541Up to this point there is no material conflict in the testimony of the several witnesses; but, as to what happened after switch No. 4 was thrown, the testimony is conflicting.

According to Shaw’s version, after throwing switch No. 4, and when he started to go directly across to the sonth side of the “lead” track for the purpose of reaching the “derail” switch, his feet were caught in a hole or opening between one of the ties and the rod which runs across the track and below the rails, connecting switch No. 4 with the switch stand; and while held in that position he was struck and knocked down by the train,which cut off his right leg and the larger part of his left foot.

Shaw testified that the conductor told him to “hurry up ’ ’ and throw the switches on the ‘ ‘ lead ’ ’ track without waiting for the signals to continue backing, which, usually, were given after each switch had been thrown; and, that the engineer continued to back the train without waiting for the usual signals.

The conductor contradicts Shaw in this respect; but the engineer testified that he continued to back the train until he lost sight of Shaw’s lantern, and that he then stopped the train and told the conductor something must be wrong at Shaw’s end of the train.

According to the company’s version of the accident, Shaw was struck and run over at a point about 37 feet west of switch No. 4, while either walking or running beside the track, and trying to cross over the track; that he was not struck at switch No. 4, and that his injury was not and could not have been the result of his foot catching between the switch rod and the tie, as he claimed.

The action was brought under the federal employers’ liability act.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
182 S.W. 653, 168 Ky. 537, 1916 Ky. LEXIS 593, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chesapeake-ohio-railway-co-v-shaw-kyctapp-1916.