The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-17
THE ERIE RAILROAD HORROR.
DETAILS Of THE INQUEST YESTERDAY.
A Warrant Issued for the Ar
rest Of the Engineer.
VERDICT OF THE JURY.
corrected List of the Killed and
injured.

here for miles round about cannot be oVeresunlated;
and the probabilities are that warrant VIII at once
be issued for the arrest Of the delinquent engineer
James Griffin, with q view TO make an example Of
the criminal carelessness too alarmingly frequent
Among members Of the craft
The little station OF Mast Hope, where the disaster
occurred, looks desolate indeed. Embowered in
crags, the blackened building of the depot lies CLINT
ing in the sunshine, now the only souvenir OF the
terrible accident which cost eight or eleven human
lives, as the number may be computed, and
wounded more, though happily not seriously The
scenery IL the vicinity Of Carts Rock Is scarcely more
Ippallinsy cragGy Than at this point, but few miles
distant. Wild heights uprear their bold and often
treeess heads, almost shutting out the daylght
while near by, like huge, crawling serpent creeps
between the crags broad and sleepy river. II Is
just the spot for scene OF horror like that which
has been painted, and Just the spot TO induce phan
tasmagorla OF coming disaser-midnght covering
The shadowy heights and hilltops on either side.
TIE debris OF burned cars and burned men hal
been all cleared away YESTERDAY; and yet there were
Dome souvenirs OF the catastrophe. The back
sped depot the scattered bits OF debris, human and
Otherwise could not De erased By single wrecking
parry, though trains whlsXel by yesterday as II
nothing had happened
Superintendent ReidiIg.on, of this division,
heartily seconds the determination OF the authorities
70 bring Grin the Apolyon Of the OCCASION to JUS
Nce, and 1t is hoped that for once criminal negli-
eerce Will pay It's penalty. In fact Grimm has al
ready been arrested by the New York authorities it
ie understood In the vicinity OF Buffalo, and is held
80 await the requisiton Of the State Of Pennsylvania
with the probability of be ing confronted by justice
The delinquent not 10 put harsh point upon it,
viii most likely be placed at the disposal + the
rant issued by Justice O'Don nell. The sensation In
Pike county may be gathered from the rather excited
address OF the Coroner TO the jury, and
perhaps cOroncr's jury never sat whose foreheads
were more frequently corrugated Or lips more fire.
qIently wreathed with sardonic smile at the men,
ton Of a name than that which yesterday declared
with bitter emphasis that James Griffin was anena.
ble TO the laws of the State OF Pennsylvania
The calpable engineer seems TO have made good
his escape after the occurrence Of the deadly col
lision the testimony being that he turned ana
VA ked toward the rear OF the train and was not
afterwards seen, thus ack wledgrng his crimin-
Atty. Hts arrest near Buffalo seems 70 prove tnat
he left the State OF Pennsylvania by way OF the Erie
Raiiroad route, probably smuggling himself off with
rs great rapidly as possible IL Is alleged that he
rclmquisheJ his engine on the SCOT and proceeded
10 look to his personal safety In the shadowy mid
plight, up springng In his very path as he went tall
spectral glboets.
a day or two or at most three. and, though no
glbbe HIM IN the tace the provision OF prison
must pursue HIM day and night
The following are the dispositions developed on
THE INQUEST IN THE CASE.
The inquest In the case Of the Mast Hope disaster
was resumed yesterday a. one o'cock 7: NJ, AZ
lackawaxen. Justice OF Peace Mr.. Nj. 0'Donnen
was in joil Jurisdiction with Coroner c. c. Came
TOD. The following jurymen having been empan-
elicd day before yesterday were sworn By Cofo er
Cameron:-Thomas J. Ridgeway, John NJ Williams,
j. B. Seaman, Isaac Vanderloup, CALVIN J. Miiken
end Warren X. Rldgeway.
Perry Holt was tile first witness callei-Resiei
In Wnllamsborougn. or near there, Oh the New York
hide was present at tGe time OF the accident; knew
nothing Of the atfair until we struck the engine; the
a a
not see whether the freight train was NOV
Ing at al; not was looking ahead at the
standing on the platform al the depot; y.neer OF
retght I. ain had his hand on the tnrotls valve; so
Coffin take his band from the throttle; three cars
were broken up and SIX were burned; saw the de-
HE freight train standing stu at the time; saw
She caDoose as the train passed; supposed Ii was
out OF The way; was hot thrown oN; managed 10
keep hold OF his place; did not NOTICE any body on
the freight train with any lights engineer was hurt
DC engineer Was hu t; Gii not see him alter he gjt
mp; left Port Jeryis at io:55; did not pass Lacsa-
ors s on time GaSeS enr n maas IN late
S,%a spsSI in passing Mast Hope
larger stations 1t customary to slack; train No.
Swas running on the outside OF the curve; engineers
had more diifeul.y in seeing a train on the inside
pf the curve was fireman oil engine OF train No. 3;
asked the engineer what was the cause OF the COLI
non: engneef replied that he Dad run into another
she collision.
Jutlson ID. Brown was next sworn-was n con.
ductor OF first extra freight train No 39 was In the
caboose at The time OF the disaster; left Port Jervs
On Time; left Lackawaxen on time; made q Hope
n lo5; had taken the side track iO:42; was be-
tween No. and No. 3, that Is In the space
OF the west track, where either could pass
No. passed at 1850 or 1881; was ten minutes
Jae was standing In the caboose; heard the whistle
Of No. s. heard the train before 1t came round TIT
curve; No. was about twentyseven minutes late
felt the caboose move just as No. came round thu
curve running at fully thrtynve miles an hour; thu
paMe OF the engineer on No. 80 was. James Griffin
SriDin was good, careful man; knew hun to be
boper man; never saw him drink anything; was no
particularly intimate with him; No 80 was composed
o. fortstwo cars; could not have stopped the traii
lie would Griffin was asleep; had acknowledge,
10 witness that he was asleep; In his opinion tn
cause OF the accident was Griffin waking up AM
opening the throttle valve before he knew what h
was about; supposed the engineer was trying to sc
out before any other xtra could pass II was the flag
mans duty 10 open; nagman's name was Edwar,
smith; thought the engineer was simply pulllns
shead to lie ready TO OIL the valve: they ha,
70 move the engine sometimes TO adjust th,
ecoeatrcs for olling; torce minutes after the trair
was stopped saw the cars burning was under tb
impression that he was OF the track: supposed The
IRE proceeded from the ash pan which was knocked
III bodily; fire was communicated TO the depo
from the ash pan; could not tel what cars OF
IRE when he amp up to TIE depot; IN ght hav
swear positively; staid and gave all the assistance
he conId; when lie found that there was nothing u
be done he drove on with his train: had been raj,
road man for eight years; had been on the Hudso
River Railroad; also ON the New York aud Boston
Gne: Thought the engineer OF train No. 3 nigh
have seen the engine OF No. 80 a hundred Zee
OIL; thought II might have been seen the length O
four freight cars; freight car was from twenty
eight to thirty feet long; engine of No. 80 struc
just In front OF the tender; engineer Of No coul
not hgve stopped his train at that distance; coui
only have had time 90 shut or could not have don
more; engineer had no right TO start the train viii
out signal from the conductor; was custonar
for the engineer to pull out without signal; had
right to pull out after No. 3; was running ON ums
table TIME; did not see the burned at all; ha
two brakemen on the train; names were Patrlc
Callahan and Nike Burns; witness woke up III
brakemen before No. bore down upon him.
was customary for brakenen 10 sleep
Che caboose when the train was lying owe
for an hour; 1t was contrary to rules, however
hwas the order TO keep the brakemen on the trail
al the time when the train was running; did no
know whether the passengers were Killed by tn
collision OF burned afterwards; the collision was tn
frst cause.
Edward Smith sworn-Was fagman on fregh
Rain No. 80; sitting the platfOrm--fron
platform OF the depot; saw train No. coming; ha