New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-05-19
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dict of tho jury.

The ooroner's jury, empanneled to inquire
into all the facts concerning the railroad mas
sacre at Norwalk, have made long and inter-
estng report. After detailing various facts
brought before them, they proceed to declare
| that the . immediate cause Of this disaster was
| the negligence and recklessness of said engi
neer,' and they add the following reasons
L. In running around the curve at n rate not
less, certainly, than twenty miles an hour, when,
under no circumstances, should it have been half
| that.
| . In not discovering that the ball was down
Immediately after emerging from the cut.
3. In not looking for the ball at the highway
| crossing east of the depot.
| 4. In relying, as he says he did, upon the
lags Of the switch tenders, when he we'll knew
that they were not in sight of the draw, and had
nothing TO do with it.
s. In not running even slower than u.ual
when the track was wet and slippery
In addition to all this, they say, he well knew
that the draw was required to be very frequent
ly opened
In not discovering that the ball was down, We
think he was guilty of gross negligence. lnrun-
ming around the curve at such rapid rate, and
under such circumstances, we think him guilty
of the most criminal recklessness.
At the same time we do not think the entire
responsibility of this disaster rests upon him.
As we have before observed, the rules of the
company do not make it the duty of the conduc-
tor to observe the signals, nor are we prepared
to say that they should His other duties and
his position in the cars are SUCH that the duty,
if imposed upon him, would probably be very
imperfectly performed and it may well be
doubted whether anything would be gained by
way of safety to the passengers, if the engineer
could feel that there was another with whom he
might divide the responsibility
AT the same time we cannot forbear the ex
preston of our opinion, that every careful and
prudent conductor will, when not otherwise ne
cessarily occupied, endeavor to see whether the
signals are down or not In this instance, he
admits that he did not, though not otherwise
particularly occupied. Buthe must have known
that the train was on this occasion, and habitu-
ally, driven round the curve west of the bridge
in utter violation of the rules of the company
and this he might and should have put stop TO.
Nor do we think the responsibility of this oc
eurrence stops here The proof before the jury
was abundant that the ordinary speed of that
train around the curve has never been less than
twenty miles an hour, and it is incredible that
the officers OF the company should not some Of
them have known that the train did not, in the
language of their rules, move around the
curve with exceeding care"
We further find that, for the protection of
trains approaching from the East, and Of all
trains from the West stopping at Norwalk, the
ball signal was sufficient inasmuch as trains
starting from the depot in Norwalk will not at
tain much speed before coming in sight OF
the bridge that they cannot be easily stopped If
the draw should be open; but, for trains coming
from the West, which do not stop at the depot,
the signal was insufficient.
But we do not mean to be understood that the
engineer was excusable in this instance, in not
observing that the ball was down. We would,
however, express the opinion that the signal
ought to be raised above the summit Of the hill,
| on the st that ma lao pl1iulV
and also. that if this train does not hereafter
stop at the depot, man with signal should
be stationed where he can see the draw, and
where lie can be seen by the engineer on the
train from the west, before reaching the depot.
| As the Legislature of Connecticut has APP
pointed a committee to investigate the matter,
the jury refrain from making any recommen-
dations
ANOTHER YtcTm--The NewYork Commercial
Advertiser Of the 18th says
DR. r. W. Griswold, who is on a hurried visit
to the city from Norwalk for medicines required
for his daughter, informs us that Mrs Harvey
died this morning at o'clock yesterday at
, noon the medical gentlemen pronounced hotf
4 Mrs Harvey and Miss Grswold out Of danger
p The adverse result in one case necessarily abate
{ Dr. Griswold's confidence, otherwise his accoun
confirms the favorable report elsewhere noticed
lie speaks in warm terms of the Kindness ghoYI
~ -
The name Of the man whose efforts finally re
suscitated Miss Griswold is LINUS Benedict
} not LHct'ss, rs printed, lie continued his eli
forts three hours after the melieal gentlemen
had declared restoration impossible, and thu
body had been placed among the dead He Is
; stage driver
AZ Ar OF TRUE HEEorSN Among the act
Of heroism by which this catastrophe was dis
tinguished was one deserving particular men
= D. 4 81
saw the train make the fatal plunge, leapel in
to the water and swan n distance Of about
, hundred feet to boat which was noored nea
the bridge. Cutting the rope by which it wa
. held he rowed to one Of the sinking cars, an
saved the lives Of Mr.. Nathan Harris, his thre
4, children and nurse. Then, with a strengt
: which appeared almost Incredible he broke il
the sides and top Of the ear with an axe an
rescued several others His feelings ut the tim
were of the most painful character at the hol
n rible sight presented by the struggling an
dying occupants Of the car, whom he told us h
q could see distinctly endeavoring to force thei
way through the windows or the roof, some wit
their faces horribly mangled by the broke
: fragments. 1t was q scene which might apps
q | the bravest, yet the noble fellow continued
4 even after all attempts to save were useless, t
. remove the bodies in his boat Had he any pei
a son to assist him efficient rs himself n sti
9 larger number would have been saved but h
was the first at the wreck, and the delay Of eve
half minute was sufficient to accomplish tn
$ fatal work. He remained Mt the work until hi
# almost superhumAn eXertions had rendered hi
Z unable to give further assistance, and, in fac
: until assistance was useless, When he LANDED
= MIR, Harris, overcome with gratitude TOWARD
Z his brave delivercr, ran to him, and with teal
+ in his eyes presented his purse as a small rC
# compense for the invaluable service he had rer
dered in saving his life and the lives Of his chi