New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-03
the NEU-HAuBCRGH DI>5>IEE


TIE LEGISLATIVE NNEsTIGATION-SlPihIN
DLNT TuUCY Examined.
ALBANY, March 3-At the session of the
Joint Legislative Committee this y. M, 10 investigate
the New Hamburger disaster the first witness called
Isaac Toucy, superintendent Of the Hudson River Raj
road Company. lie notified Of the accident 20 min
utes before u O'clock midnight and arrived 20 minutes
before g. The witness described the condition Of affairs
whon he arrived lie also handed the Committee copy
OF the printed instructions 10 all the employees Oh the
road He said find frequently that the rules are yio
lated; don't know Of any Of them having been violated
i'm this CASE t not in accordance with Instructions
November last an order for freight trains 10 carry bell
cords; think the hrakemen who said they had not
time 10 put on IN" brakes dd nave timei thought
would take from 1900 10 100 feet distance with
all the appliances IN operation 20 stop the Train.
This train not stopped IN that distance. freight
train If the brakomcu IN their proper places, could
be stopped in from 300 to 300 - less distance than when
they are IN position Tie numner OF bfakcnien on ms
train in the cab00-e and one the engine. Pas
sengcr supplied with safety chains; freight ears
are not ~ the latter had had ihe,e chas tnal Nod
not have prevented this accident II the oil tram had
been running OH the road bed the probability J. that the
broken axle would not have thrown the train Oh the track
also, II the bridge had had sohd ho0ng tc axle,
probably, would not have been thrown OF By flooring
our bridges, We add to the dangers OF hrng them from
locomotive ash pane.
The witness said he had in his mind plan for signals
which would inform an engineer mile distant OF me
danger; to use electricity; from his conversation
with the fireman 81 the express train that night ne was
asfed that he thought OF saving his life than OF
putting the brakes he also learned that Simmons, tho
engineer sounded MS Whlstr tnftt times ifloit NJ put
on his patent brakes whereas his duty Is O put the
patent brakes before H. sounded his whistle: did not
think the fireman made proper effort 10 put on the
brakes; these trains If on time, would have passed each
other at Milton Ferry tiye miles fIon Hamburger wit
ness Thought from what lac learned that night, that the
train ought To have been stopped with the means
at hand and notice given; had no recollection
OF another serious accident by the break ng OF axle
such accidents were not frequent. lie continued: We
allow pdsseneerear aAlo TO run only thr'c years thy
become brittle by that time on IRE tcaT We run them
without regard to lime think they are APT to become
dangerous as soon - those Oh ptsseDgercars II cOu-
saHtly used; don't test the wheels on The feightcsrs
between Albany and Ncw-YOrk; W. test those ~ the
pasSc ngcrcaTs twice In that distance - h not nccc-
saIy freghtcars il this frgbttran had been tested
perhaps the defect wOdd have beea discovered The
hight the tower placed there particularly Ia show
the position of the draw emplOye would have been
justified in using any signal the dangrri ho
would not have been Ccnsurcd for changing that hght;
did not think the Oran could be stopped before reach
ing bridge, II the bell cords tI. train
requreds MI IOucy the stand about three hours
Reuer yam SlCkland and j. H. Van sickland Orutherrl
Of New Hamburger witnessed the accident and related
the circumstances attending it, Both said thai from Ave
To light minutes elapsed between the time O The break
down ~ the oiltran and the collision.