New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-04-29
THEL 7. RAILROAD DISASTER

IiCI IN THE sTAND-THE BROKEN RAIL
rsbo Coroner's Jury at Jamaica resumed yes
10, nornipe at 10 O'Clock, in the Knickerbocker han
V vs IJoteI their Investigation into the cause OF
tel accident on the Long Island Railroad and
-, obont syo hours in taking testimony but arrived
- 40 verdict The examination was conducted by MI
Iovnng District Attorney Of Queens county ana duilnk
me last two hours by Mr. Hagner, one OF the Jnynen
ar ODonnen editor of The JamGcd Journal ana lore
an Of the Jury acted prosecuting counsel and Coro
,ar Hepdrickson administered the oath Very rev
,sectators we're present and, although the proceeu
tros were quite animated at times, at least ONO
,aror found opportunity to indulge 'h ~
nan while the examination was IN Pioe
rbree pieces of the broken rail- one IL OF ~ ee Hs'
other about IS inches and third about 50 hches in
sc, wore produced before the jury, ana CONCERNING
me- tere vvas no dispute But fourth suspicious ana
ocmeptarv niece about inches long, introduced oy
NJ O'Donne as a part OF the broken ran was par
s,ular bone OF contention On the one hahn tue repre-
ntatyes Of the road positively testified that THIS piece
ver formed part Of the fatal rail- and on the other,
a. ysrs H. oDonnel and Hagner labored strenuousy TO
seak down the testimony on this point stout ana IN
81, urod chair apparently almost new, introduced,
Id identified asthe one in on the Joint nearest
g. the break at the time OF the accident
I'D an old fragment Of chair introduced by tue
q y was silently thrown ASIDE as having nothing
do with the catastrophe. The inquest was ADJOURNED
. ais D. m, to 9 O'Clock next Wednesday morning. May
cd ali OF whom desired that the investigation be con
ucd without delay But the Coroner desreu 'no
scnce of the strictAHOrney, and that gentleman
nd not conveniently attend TO the case AGAIN pe4oio
ct Wednesday. The evidence given yesterday Is SUP
iantially as follows:
william Rurtis sworn reside in the town Of jamaica
4 East Jamaica tOlcate, directly opposite the pace
where the accident occurred at the tune OF the aecuen1
was front OF the gate sweeping ana saw the cars CON-
ing aud noticed that the hind ran very unsteady;
looked again. and thought the car was Upset 9ut a sns
ooaiu and
he screeches and ado Of tho passengers ana tou my
out 100 yards approached the unnjured portion OF
train first and then went down 70 the other end and
wtwo dead bodies lying on the side OF the track ara
king as though the cars had passed over them; saw
number with bloody faces, and they asked me
tinesme,s well and then returned; the track was
rn up considerably. and there was good deal OF drt
e car had reached the broken rail before Isaw Il run
1g unsteady; do not know whom II was saw ging
A the car seemed webbing from side TO SIDE Wnen
rat saw &C. the roof toward me for few moments
en- rghted; thought 1t was lower ana tnen tne
ash when the car rolled toward me; inc IRAN am Vas
pretty fast LITTLE jd ,be t1 1an Is Slammed It two
ears ago; 1t then in bad conditions eonsaeraDe re-
oms new ties and rails have been put in; first noticed
ne peculiar s,Res6 MOTION % chaPmans house and the
nay O where the car was finally wrecked.
A. Reeves, Member of Congress, sworn I reside at
accident arrived there about three hours afervard
the train was on came over without eetehuOni ane
track having been repaired think II was little after
o'clock examined the track and all that pertained to
he accident first looked at the broken , car 0S ae
;irey gone; looked also at the broken trucks ana
,%gh' fhe IheS ee Walked up the track Slowly 70
where the rail was hroken looking at tue ras ana
none that seemed much worn or decayed; observed on
two the marks OF the car waee oe now
only two or three ties; don't know whether IL made
MARI 5 GSS down ~ e embsnEmen few ee
went down and looked at IT. thought the fracture saw
was clear ean one across sne nn ued yefv long
-hink any could Judge TO certain extent Oh tn
" the rail was shown the fracture looked like tAe one
shown dead had been removed the car Was on re
Al WORK securing the ties few rods OF where the
car Law on It's side and east Of the b,eaR Iont KNOW
place where the rail brokers' sad thought the te on
which it rested at the DrOAe1 Tho emu sars tie
s nd had Vi' not been rG1aced by a new one;
some Of the employees and another one pu in did not
ran mao Ten Sr the west Of the rail critically
but thought nyeTed with Mr White the Conductor Of
he Wreccd train; he said the train was running about
sbont minutes in all; didn't examine the chair TO see
Il was new one or ~ IL had been atey 81, sPiHea
presented an ordinary appearance; am not an
befor eeiieye the long piece shown me is
Iew DOW think, after examining II again. that part
Oh the fracture Is an old one
joseph 8 Craig sworn; have been in the employ OF
tn Long Island Railroad Company since the 2Cth OK last
Trcember assistant road master up 70 the st OF APRIL
and since then road MASTER the duty OF roadnaster
Is that the road kept IN running ORDER TO 20 over
the Oad personally and what repairs are needed and
then have them made; the main road from Hunters
Point 10 GreenpOint under my care, and also the Syos
Hempstead Branch ana the road from Jamaica East
Hew-YOrk; have over 100 men under my lInmedate
six each foreman and q foremeD we have re-
ports from the foremen 70 me but 10 regular @
seId 1t possible, without consultation with
anyone: IL have material consult with the Superln
Il udgn I'M
x mime the section personally before sending the sup
plies; at the time Of the accident l was at
ii. .ksville, going over the road on train;
ae, dent arrived at the place about minutes past
two found there Mr. Olmstead, the master mech mic OF
Tie Long Island road, with hs men mem the yard ana
thr trackruan Thomas RIDDEN, with his gang OF men
NJ omsead had 10 or u men there were abont 20 men
my duty, after arriving 20 1eternine what ties
Nh RudeIs duty; when arrived the track was spiked
~ and fixed that trains could run over ~ after ar
n zen rail and the eatilepass distance of about IT,
Il took out were left on the bank That night ana
y cattle pass; there were other old ties lying there
before took out any am certain OF lt inc urst
was feet from the west end OF the ran that
oke; "A feet further east there were two more put ~
the other two were so or 80 fect i1rntr down
oken rail than 20 feet; think the strain on the ties
as not Greatest al the point where the ran gave way
. SO took ont were somewhat decayed aud bruised,
were not what YOU would cal r0ltcn ono ehalr aiOng
300 feet was replaced joints east OF the west end
81 fe broken rail DO other chairs that know OF were
replaced; II there rad been any, think should nave
xnovvu ID think the jury viewed the place while was
Sbere measured the space occupied by tho bfokn ran
vRs 24foot rail have not measured me pieces IynS
4rOtd here there the witness measured theml; ma
he ene OF the three longest pieces % feet inches and
le length Il the smallest piece I'VE inches II the pieces
rCe close together, rs they were originally,
'ght make half inch difference; as general thng
Dot rails arc q feet long 10 Is common thing Tor
to vary very slightly IN Len 9Th, sometimes as mneh
inch Or half an inch measured the space occu-
bY the broken ran IN the presence aud az the request
c. ne jury, and found IL 10 beal feet; said one chair
replaced examined the chair at the west end OF
tte broken rail don't think the chair shown 1.-THE old