The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-05-11

venteen feet from the west abutment OF the railroad
bridge, nearly northeast A the bridge crosses the
channel ats rightangle, nearly so, tho road from
that point TO the bridge necessarily curves very much
Along the line OF that curve there buildings which
hide the bridge and ball from view heretofore stated
Inc express train TO which this accident happened
does not stop at Norwa-all the other trains do This
train left New York st eight o'clock its usual hour. At
Stamford 1t was about eight minutes behind the tme
Little any time could be gained between Stamford and
Norwa On account of the grades and was about the
same number of minutes behind time at Norwalk Il was
uncer the management Of Charles H. Comstock as con-
ductor, and Edward W. Tucker as engineer. The rules
and regulations Of the company do not mako It the dnty
OF the conductor to observe the signals or look out for
danger the road but that responsibility rests upon
the engineer who has charge of the locomotive The en-
gneer Is however, subordinate to the authority of the
conductor, in relation to the time and in which
the train shall be run.
When this train emerged from the cut aforesaid the
absence Of the ball from tho pole upon the bridge was
and could be observed most Of the distance of
thirteen hundred feet from that point as heretofore
stated. The engineer at his post the conductor in
the second passenger car and unoccuped the taking of
fare between Stamford and Bridgeport the only places
which the train stopped being the work of few minutes
only The absence of the ball. signal noticed,
or, If noticed, not needed. The train descended
the grade and passed the depot around the curve
the Of which the absence the bail
again observable for the distance afy feet at the
rate Of not less than twenty miles per hour and OBJ
viously without any regard to the condition of the
bridge When had reached within three hundred and
sixty nine feet of the draw and in sight of it, two sud
den, sharp alarms Of the whistle blown the eng
neer, fireman and brakemen eaped from the tran and
it rushed on with unbroken speed into the OPEN
ing at the draw. There not sufficient time
IN hrea nm fha
the engineer and brakeman jumped Off indicate that 1t
was mIerfectly attempted, if at all From the time
when the whistle blown to the time when the loco
motive entered the opening, there could not have been
interval of more than eleven 1) seconds The engine
and tender were about forty feet long, weighed about
twenty TONS and passed in its descent quite across
the opening of sixty feet striking against the pier on the
other side The tender followed its after end being
thrown by the momentum and forward, so that it
fell bottom up the engine and against the pier The
brought against the pier the top
of the tender all being thrown to the opposite side the
opening The second baggage which contained smok
ing apartment in which several passengers fol-
lowed next, but got cant, and being strongly built,
fell off, little broken to the north side of the draw and
most of them in 1t were saved.
The first passenger plunged into the opening its
forward end crushing in it FELL and struck upon the
baggage car and its after end falling into the water
passenger
buIyng in the fragments and in the water the occupants
Of the first passenger About third OF the third
passenger broken of and hung the edge of
the bridge the other part remaining upon the track and
staying the of the two which were behind
In the confusion cdent to the OCCASION and in
sequence Of the departure Of those who able to
leave 1t has not been possible to the number Of
those who thus in instant buried in the water
and broken fragments of the cars but supposed that
over one hundred must have been plunged into the open
ing including those in the smoking car.
We find that all the dead herein before named were of
the uumr; SH ~ have not been able from the nature
Of the case to nd and have deemed it necessary to
ind which Of them were killed and which drowned
We further find that every engineer and conductor
this road Is Furnished by the company with private
timetable and instructions applicable to the same And
find that the engineer and conductor this train had
been SO furnished The instructions particularly appn
cable to this bridge are fellows -
GAN trains must with care in approaching Nor
walk River Bridge Trains going easf Norwak Sta
tion will move around the with exceeding care and
conductors Of trains, out of time cautioned about
crossing the bridge. They will be hei responsible for
the safety Of their trains"
The immediate cause Of this disaster the negli.
gencc and recklessness of the said engineer.
1st In running around the at a rate not less
certainly, than twenty miles hour, when under no
circumstances should 1t have been half that.
I'd. In not discovering that the ball was down i'm
mediatey after emerging from the cut
3D. In no looking for the ball the highway crossing
| east Of the depot.
4th In relying as he he did, upon the flags of the
switch tenders when he well knew that they were not in
sight Of the draw, and had nothing to do With it.
5th In not running slower than usual when the
tra.k wet and slippery.
In addition to all this he vel knew that the draw was
required to be very frequently opened.
In not discovering that the bali down. think he
guilty Of gross negligence In running around the
curve at such rapid rate, and under such circum.
stances think him guilty Of the most criminal reck
| lessness.
At the same time, do not think the entire respon
| sibity Of this disaster rests upon him.
As have before observed the rules of the company
do not make 1t the duty Of the conductor to observe
the signals We prepared to that they should
His other duties and his position in the such
that the duty, if imposed upon him. would probably be
very imrerecty performed and may well be doubted
whether anything would be gained by way of safety
the passengers the engineer could feel that there
another with whom he might divide the e,ponsibity.
At the time cannot forbear the expression Of
our opinion that careful and prudent conductor
WILL whsn not otherwise necessarily occupied cndeayor
to whether the signals down or not In this in
stance he admits that he did not though otherwise
particularly occupied. Blu! he must have known that
the train this occasion. and habituslly driven
round the west of the bridge utter violation ef
the rules of the company and this he might and should
have put stop to.
Nor do we think the responsibility of this occurrence
| stops here.
The proof before the jury was abundant that the ord
nary speed that train the curve has never been
less than twenty miles hour and IL incredible that
the officers Of the company should not have
known that the train did not, in the language OF their
rules "move around the with exceeding carc'r
We further find that fer the protection of trains
preaching from the east and Of all trains the west
stopping at Norwalk the ball signal was sufficient mas
much trains starting from the depot in Norwak will
not attain much speed before coming in sight of the
bridge that they cannot be easily stopped the draw