Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-01-29
they Censnre the Brakesmsn and
Conductor Of the Express Train.
TuI PaEtIeuIars Of the COLLISION.

We have already given to the public all
the facts which we were able to obtain in re-
gard to the terrible accident Of the l 9!h inst,
on the Lake Shore road, which resulted in
the death of seven victims and il severe in
juries to as many more. These facts, how
ever, did not justify US in expressing any
opinion as to the person or persons on whose
shoulders the responsibility really rested.
That question has been examined and dscid-
ed upon by the legally constituted authority,
the COroners Jury. Coroner Parker called
G jury together on the 2Oth-the day after the
secident-and it has been in session almost
constantly since then, agreeing upon YER
dict late Wednesday evening, after complete
ly sitting all the evidence within their grasp
That verdic. was first made known, in
PaiuesVille, yesterday and We are enabled
t. lay before our readers this morning a
60 true copy" Of it, in advance of its publ
cation in any other paper. We have also OBJ
tanned copies of all the important documents
which throw light uDon the ssd catastrophe,
~ -nz-i-I :--EAs nF fna
evidence before the jury condensed ab-
stract of which is appended.
PROoEEDIxGs OF THE ooRoxER's JURY.
The jury we're called to hold an Inquest
over " the dead bodies of Elisha Harmon,
Henry Coffin and two persons unknown"
and met at the Wsre-rOom of Milo Harris,
in Painesville, on Wednesday, January 2O:h,
Coroner Franklin Parker presiding. They
examined the bodies, visited the scene of
the disaster, and took the testimony of many
witnesses, an abstract of which, condensed
from the official record, is here given.
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE JURY.
Stephen II. Nsad-SWorn. Am conductor
Of the accommodation train on the Cleveland,
Painesville and Ashtabula Railroad. The
collision was caused by the accommodation
train running into night express train. Ny
train left Erie thirty minutes late, found
much snoz at Ashtabula and ran slower.
Was an hour late, at Perry warned, at Co.
nsVa, Of freight train at Madison passed it
at Perry, at ten o'clock, A. N, the card time
being eight o'clock and fifty minutes. The
night express was due at Perry at five o'clock
an thirty ssven minutes. We had two en-
gines, one baggage and one passenger car,
and we're running abOut twenty miles an
hour. The first warning I had of the col
lision was at the instant of running into the
express train. My train ran through the
sleeping car, and stopped at the end Of the
next car. James Townsend was engineer on
The first, and Henry Sherman on the second
engine. went back to flag the freight train
behind me and was gone about twenty min
utes. II was pretty clustering and quite
difficult to see any flag or signal. L think,
il the position of the express train, it would |
have been impossible to have seen the train |
but very short distance, as the windows |
we're covered with snow and ice. think the
storm was considerably the worst I have |
seen since on the road.
The arrival and departure Of trains arc |
noted by the operator. I do not know that |
they are sent TO the head office. There is an |
operator at Perry. Could lot say whether |
he was there the morning Of the collision. 1 |
should expect if any train was in trouble |
ahead of me to be notified by fag-signal or |
1t is not customary to enquire |
at stations as to trains ahead. II is usually |
Prsetlced, yet il is not required.
Within ten minutes after the collision / |
went back with q flag fifty rods. Saw no /
one coming back with signals who had been |
sent out by Murray. After returning saw
Foster, Murray's man. II signal man had
been back of me he would naturally have
come on the track bat 1 saw none.
J. @. Nc McDondld-Sworn. live in Ashta-
buls and do mason work by contract. Came
out on the train at the time of tho collision.
Weather very stormy. They were making
about twenty-five miles an hour, and run
ming as fast as the weather would permit. |
At Geneva had notice of trouble with freight |
-
think, when we went into the snow drift, |
about thirty rods from the place of collision, |
,h lat We were going not over twenty miles an |
nour. Saw Mr.. Coffin first in the wreck of |
the second car. Assisted Mr.. Enders and /
him out. Have had some experience in NOV
ing trains. Should net think an engineer |
could see any distance at the time of the col /
lision, IS we had just passed through & snow
drift. signal man should be sent back so |
rods. The train could be stopped in 40 rods. |
II the train had been tagged l think it could /
have been stopped. The weather would not |
have prevented q hag-man from staying out. /
II has been the practice on this road to move /
trains by telegraph when out Of time and |
not entitled to the road. There is a telegraph |
station at Perry. Passed there about 10 A. |
N. Between there and the snoW-drift were /
going about twenty-five miles an hour. Al |
ways supposed that the operator reported |
the arrival and departure Of trains, but do |
not know. Moving trains by telegraph does
net relieve the conductor from sending back /
and forward the usual signals in case Of an
accident. The rules Of the road require q
man to be sent mile and half from the
train. It is the duty Of each engineer
to look out for trouble. The engineers are
good men and mead 8 competent and careful
,ondrctor. Should have expected notice at
Perry that the night express had not reaehad