The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-12
THE POUGHKEEPSIE CATASTROPHE.

Investigations COntinued-C0llisl0n Between
C0roners-The Rules OF tho Company
Interesting Case-Vortlict OF the Jury, Sc.
The ures OF inquest met again yesterday at the hour
appointed and continued the examination of Witnesses
CORONER COLLINS INQUIRY.
The investigation presided by Coroner Collins on
the body of Mrs. Green met at the Court House,
Henry Camp the conductor Of the Pcughkeepsie way
train continued his testimonyI not looking out
for signals that is part of my duty; the last car Of
the express train entirely demoshed the side burst
psS se % ws
to work at to lift the off, 1t was the SIDE Of
the car that confined the sufferers and when raised
these we got them out; saw man and a woman dead; ;
did not see any on the engine; Milton station is
mile and halt or two miles from where the collision
stoppsge existed; the distance being great deem
was highly mprudent to stop the train near the
culye the train should have run to where the dis
ceAr the brakes of my train were on
high they could forced before the collision
q Could your engineer have heard the whise it had
been given, that is north of the cu A. doubt whether
he could while on the engine the n,ise of the en-
CINE, think would clash the sound of the whtie if
was on the engine donbt whether, the wind blowing
strong from the west this occasion, could hear
the whistle unless was listening for it; there
three things that might prevent engineer
from seeing The train consider that of my engineers
Lao been over worked, and consequently 30
watchfuy on the alert usual; refer par
tcuary to the engineer Of the Pacific; the grade from
the cut to the place OF the collision la descendiag tue
name Of the engineers were Waiter Dawson on the Mis-
the south end Of the cut not distance enough
TO stay the train In time to avoid the COLLISION
say the agmsn stationed at the north end the cut
at bis post Bishop Sheek the baggage MASTER and
George ". Sergeant, the freight agent, and the en-
neef he .sm,n 'hs can o.nnst better s this
or from all points zee the fsgman nearest him;
there is about one flag station to each mile of road
never had an accident my rum If had at five
miles sn hour should not make my time, and IT did
run train on this line my opinion is that if the dag
man at his post attending his duy and the
gineer watching tor signals there would be fear
OF such collision II both engines had been reversed,
with the tracks in their condition of Wednesday should
think the train might have been stopped <thin five hun
dred feet in the summer season, it is easter
STOP, with as light train as had, should say
stop in two hundred and fifty three hundred feet
had the Pacific and Missouri locomotives with me- the
misfortune, as far as the tagging concerned
that the fsgman left the cut, he says 60 aud tell
the foremoet train to to Milton ferry If the
track was fit to be gene over
Q. WHAT would have prevented this cslamity9 A. The
hsgman in the cut having been at his post 80 thai he
bin; think that all agmen should be required to
understand the time table, hey should be able to read
should have some knowledge Of hgures have had
any conversaton with those men, sometimes when stop
ped would ask what for and would get answer that
might might not understand it my duty to start
the train: in this am directed by the time tabe de-
sire explain that the station master at this station
has got his book that the express train left at 1855 p
NJ, and that the Poughkeepse train left at r. M he
said that was the time when the man had to him
and told him that the trains had lef he had looked at
clock which is not the standard time, and which is
minute slower than the regulator have nothing do
with the time which he look ed at.
Levi Parker, Of Albany, being sworn, says-I
the Ies car OF the express train when noioe was
rushed for the coors; / saw no chAnse of escape in
that way, and SO attempted to dive out OF the
windpW on the east side. when l was landed on top
of the engine Of the accommodation train, which
sdy beoIs the engine Of ts asi train she was dad
AxrI,or
started from Poughkeepsie at O'Clock Wednesday
afternoon; we went 2h miles below the city heard
whistle bell till after the train stopp hag
did not get out of the to what the matter
presume that the Of the death Of this
the effect OF the collision; should think il ten
utes from the time of our stoprage until
into; report said that stepped by l4g it il
three quarters of mile from the south END Of the
the end tf the where the collision took
place. the in charge Of train had time to 90 to
the cut and signal the other train
Asron Leggett of No. al East 21st street, New York
6frmed said-1 left Alba ny at IL o'clock the
ing Of the 9th irst and ia theend car just behind
Messrs Lord and utiDg the right nand side of
about hall hour after leaving Albany pped:
after leaving pse within fourth
OF a mile south of the cut we were stopped sgain
think We were there Eve minutes; the strap
Of the bell gaze way or was pulled VIC.
lently, then the train in backed tte pas
engers rushed to the back end of the car lett
door open; heard .ay jump off, then jum oed
up and back before was a lady with little girl
who was hestAtiDg about jumping. which kept ba k
then we the other train comil through the cut,
and then jumped thiok the comicg ut
the rate Of about thirty miles hour before jumped
the car had ceased moving back and had commenced
the tendon my ancle the rear train was this time
ltO feet behind and almos. instant it struck
car we were all covered with CLOUD of oa,k dust and
cnders. The first saw, after the smoke cleared away
WAS Mr.. Lord bleeding and black endeavored help
him, but found WAS mucn hurt that could not;
got into car rather stood the pla rm, help
ing to take in the injured; there a lady dressed
in a drab dress that appeared to be nearly dead;
the one before us was brought in and laid inside:
and her ficaW
uch disfgured ard black had sta pped five or ten
minutes before the collision took olace red ag
through the open door in rear attached to train
had back towards the cut there four v, Of
these men; when saw it the flag about half way to
the cut; think had moved trihe before the
engine came in sight it could not have fhan
ten minutes from the time Of starting till pped
think that this nifty occurred through thoughess
ness in not sending flag back to signal the coming train
we could have sent the flag Mt the south end Of the
cut the coming train might have been stopped
Charles II. Van Wycke, of Newourg, n. Y, sworn,
says-I got the express train poughkeepsie
O'Clock the 9th; the Pougakeepsie up
At the time, and ready to go it consisted o. two and
two engines and had no baggage hsd gone Two
and half lies and then were stopped afterwards
commenced TO back little noticed the signal and whs
tie OF train before stopped the whistle seemed to be
leisui ely blown that did not experience of i'm
mediate danger three years ago there collision
the same spot and also happened that train then
the whistle was blown sharp; IT was not 70 TINS time:
sat In the centre of the last directly beside the stove
then TO that the Poughkeepse train would
sooA be along; thought would just get out and
THAT the matter; just At that moment the locomo
tive Of train sgnsed to start the train;
whistles blown; they different sound coming
from two separate organs; the-e then sudden jerk
of our trti in; shortly after struck by coming
train when the car was either raised up or we were
raised up and all went to pieces; struck the ice
was propelled forward some forty or fifty feet went and
helped to relieve the wounded behind the engine which
into discovered the entrais OF human oeiog
and then forward found parts OF BODY both engines
must have gone through our rear car; went into
other aud there deceased she seemed to be suf
frng very much asked if could do any thing for her.
she said 'Oh, no. no, no--i am desd; she had gold
chain round her neck, fastened to watch 10 ,ket
the engines of the hind at great speed; If
they had not been thrown of the track, oink they
would have gone through all the of train; it
rot more than mint tes after leaving Pougi
keepse that stopped IN sgmsn could goue t, the
cut he had heen Immediately despatched, but ne would
not bave bad time to come back again; when the
engine Of our trBn it detached thereffom before
stopped running ut about % or 80 mites
hour; had the Pouehkeepsie train start cd 20
after the express the collision could not have occurred
heard two whiatleH blow stopped, and two more
just started; had whistle been blown ali the time
it might have been heard mile from the train; had