New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-05-11
T the COrOner,s Jury.

and after twenty hours deiberatOn returned the
following Verdict
Verdict Of the Coroner's Jury.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY, IS.
NORWALK, Tuesday, May 10, 1853.
The undersg ned Jurors being duly empaneed and sworn
according law TO inquire Of the and manner ohe
death of Sam Beach Jno Gray Walter Fren H. Norman
Parker lthanl Ring jr Michael Reardon Mrs A L. Des
angue Francis W. Sayles T. NJ. Hutchinson Arch Id WEIGH
Ann Greene Butler Wlmsrth, Sam'l Hassard, -liU
ley female infant aged about months Oliver Barr ID w
Dimmock Emene Sheppard, Mary Tame, Ellen Goss Ellen
s. Bacon Jacob Vandeventer VIM c. Dwight Jos NJ Ill.,
John Henry Lehrs, Mrs. }. NJ Fluent, Anna r. Lang,
John Moss Francis Harley Beverly Parker Miss Mary f.
Robbins James NJ. Smith, Robert SOnham, Alice CARR
gan Sarah j. X. Hannah, Susan Pomeroy, Mrs Mary T.
Robbins Mrs G. r. Sparks, Josiah Bartlett, Abel L.
Person Isaac r. Goliath Martin Tame Julia Anderson'
David b Newell and f Lozier the oeah of which said
persons was sudden and untimey, and the cause and
manner Of which unknown. Having viewed the
bodies Of the persons above named and considered the
evidence given u.s. do oahs say that all the per
sons herein before named drowned in the harbor of
Norwak at the west opening of the draw in the Railroad
Bridge at South Norwak killed by injuries there recev
ed on Friday the 9Th day of May A. d. 1853, in
quence of the falling the engine and tender and two bag
gage cars passenger and part of another Of the
clock A. NJ express train from New York. into the har
Dor that place they and each of them being passengers
in said train.
Having thus found upon oaths the and manner
Of the death of the persons above named the duty imposed
upon us by the law under which act may perhaps be
considered end. But event which has thus sud
denly launched so many of our innocent fellow beings into
eternity without a moments warning and which has
ried desoaton and anguish into many households,
seems to require that the details of investigation be
stated more at length We find therefore the following
facts;
The New York and New Haven Railroad crosses the hsr
Dor Of Norwak at South Norwsk thousand and egh
y six feet of the depot upon bridge In the bridge
over the channel Of the harbOr and one hundred and fifty
three feet from the next abutment there is draw, which
revolveS horizontally upon central abutment and leaves
when Open two passages of sixty feet EACH This bridge
was under the care of William Hartford who was in the
employment of the Company as bridge tender. By the
regulations Of the Company it his duty to open the
draw for the passage of boats and vessels when they de-
sired TO pass without reference to the time when trains
were due This being supposed to be in accordance with
the paramount rights of those in the legitimate of
navigabe waters, and equally the duty of those
having the management of trains upon the road to
certain before attempting to pass the bridge and be
fore they approached that the train could not be
stopped whether the draw in condition for them to
pass or not To enable those who have the management
of trains to ascertain this fact pole erected upon
the draw about forty feet in hight with piece
upon the top to which to be hosed and kept red
ball about two feet in diameter, containing red light IN
the night The regulations of the Company required this
ball TO be kept up whenever the draw was in condi
ton to be passed by the trains, and lowered be
fore the draw was opened or in case of accden,
to the bridge, so that when the trains were ap.
preaching from the east or west and those having their
management saw the ball in its place, they would know
that all right and the other hand if they should
not see the ball in its place they might know that the
bridge was not in q condition to be passed
This ball is visible to those running trains and approach
ing from the east all the time after they have arrive
within half mile or of the bridge-the grade descend
ing TO the bridge the rate of from forty to fifty feet to tbs
mile But it is when the train is approaching from
the west
As the train energies from the cut at the north end of the
east abutment Of the prote wall which thirty three
hundred and thirty feet southwest of the west abutmen
of the railroad bridge the ball is visible and can be
clearly for the distance Of three hundred feet it is then
partially obscured by intervening tree and cannot be
again clearly from the train for the distance of about
one hundred eet is then fairly for three hundred
feet urher-,hen obscured by for the distance
OF one hundred fee-it is then visible for the fur
Their distance Of four hundred feet. being twelve /
hundred feet from the place where it is first vi !
sibe From this point remains obscured until the
train has passed the depot and upon the highway,
where nay be again for the distance of fifty feet
This point nine hundred and ninety nine feet from the
draw The ball does not again become visible until the
train point five hundred and sxtyfour fee, from
III draw from this point it remains in view until the draw
is reached
Ii the draw is open the north end Of the draw be
fifty At the time OF this occurrence the
draw was Open and the drawtender just about to
close it, had been open about IS minutes before for the
passage Of the Pacific The ball lowered be-
iore the draw opened was down when the train |
emerged from the cut where its absence could and should
have been nOtedand remained down until the train
rived and plungedn.
The tram was due at the time Of the occurrence,
abos eight minutes but the drswtender acting
pursuant TO his directions do not find that any blame
attach to him and inAsmuch as the regulations Of
the Company in this respect in accordance with the
paramount rights Of those engaged in navigation we do
not find that any blame attach to the Company |
from the mere fact that the draw was open when |
rain was due. The channel Of the harbor of Norwak