Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-08-29
1910.
THE INQUEST.
How the Railroad Murder Occurred In Mas
sachuseits.
The Coroner's Jury investigating the
Matter.

The cOroner's Jury investigating the
Matter.
BosToN, August 27.-The terrible
railroad accident Of Saturday night be-
comes more sickening as the details
are developed. The cause Of the acci-
dent was simply that the engineer on
the express train, Chase, plunged his
train IN one standing at thestatiOn be-
fore him. The Beverly accommo-
datiOn train made several stops to
gst passengers at way. stations, mean
while the express train from Bangor
lett on time, running the highest at
tainable rate OF speed. Before it
started, superintendent Prescott sent
special orders to the engineer to be
careful, as there was a train ahead of
him. The conductor of the accom-
mediation train was warned OF the
train behind him, and he caused two
red lanterns to be put on the plat
form of the rear car; but it seems
no attention was paid to the orders,
and the responsibility of the careless
ness must be somewhere. At the scene
of the disaster there is little to be seen.
In ditch on the side OF the road there
are stisl smoking embers OF the burned
ears. but this is almost ali which tells
OF the disaster. In the town hall at Re-
we're still lie half dozen OF bodies;
they are horrible TO look at; bloody
foam lies uDon their black swollen lips,
their ewes protrude from the sockets,
discOlored patches of flesh hang loose
from their cheeks, and great flaps OF
boiIed skin dangle from their hands.
They have been crushed, cooked, tor
tured; aud deeper than mere physical
Disagreement, one sees something
still more horrible in their iaces-a
haunting look of unspeakable agony.
The officers of the road were almost
crszed by the accident, and did not
know what TO do. The killed and
wounded are nearly all Boston, Salem
and Lynn people.
BOsTON, August 2S.-TwO addition
al deaths by the railroad disaster oc-
cured to-day.
All parties this morning unite in
demanding an investigation into the
cause Of the catastrophe. They urge
that stern justice be passed upon those
found responsible.
An inquest will be held near the
scene Of the slaughter on the bodies Of
those persons killed outright, and an
other Inquest will be held at the City
Hospital on the bodies of those who
nave died there.
THE INVESTIGATION.
BasToN, Aug. 2S.-The COroner's
Jury met this evening, and an investi-
gation was held in the lower hall at
Revere. The first witness called
wss Jno. S. NeWland. conductor on
the Eestern railroad, who testified
that the regular time for starting the
accommodation train was 7:l5. 1t
was very late last Saturday night, it
being 7:45 before starting. It pro-
ceeded without interruption until ar
irving at SOmerville; started and
ran 70 Saugus branch, where l saw
a train coming around curve,
after a delay of minutes at the June
ton, ran down to Everett, ran from
Everett 20 Chelsea, stODped there one
and a half minutes, and ran tOReYere.
After the passengers had alighted,
word was given ''all right" and
swung my lantern to start. l cannot
say whether the train started or not;
some one on the platform said, here
comes the train; l Immediately
Jumped between the track and swung
my lantern, not a minute elapsed
before the crash came. 1t was no time
to do anything more before the COLI
sion occurred. To the best of my
knowledge il was q quarter 10 eight
when l started from Chelsea Station.
The express train not in sight had
three cars and a baggage car; on my
train ! had orders 20 start as soon
as possible; the rule IS to carry
tail lights; they are white in color,
aud are attached burning to the rear
of the cars; when L arrived at
Revere station, a detention at
Sangus Branch Of eight minutes was
oecasioned by the half-past six o'clock
train: | did not discover the express
train until it struck me; / first dis
covered the express train at Everett
the train was approaching at rapid
rate OF speed; / could not tell whether
the steam was shut of or not; the train
appeared to be under full headway;
1 know the engineer Of the express
train: his name is William Brown;
did not hear any whistle from his
train: could not say whether he could
hear or not: call thirty-f five miles per
hour a rapid rate; should Judge il was
running at that rate; he has a right to
.therOad according tOrule;the use Oflan-
terms on the rear OF train is to notify
an approaching train, and the invari-
able rule is to stop when these signals
are seen. 1t is an understood rule
that the train is to be within one half
a mile OF the preceding train, from
the instructions printed. 1t would
require ordinarily one and a half or
two minutes to pass over the distance
Of One-half a mile. / should think il
required p distance of One-fOurth of a
mile to break up a train running at
the rate OF fbirty-five miles per hour. /
The condition of the weather /
being overcast but cloudy i did not see /
light One-half a mile distant; the
right light could be seen a mile on a !
straight line. l was on the rear end !
Of the car before arriving at Revere. /
The first intimatiOn ] had, was a sig
nal from the platform, the "train Is
comingW did not see the man that ten /
ded the switch at the depot; think g
man Jumped in the middle of the
track and showed q light; this man
was at my left hand, some seven feet
in advance, when the train struck; l /
was DELAYED half an hour at the Boston
depot, but could not tell the reason; /
the depot master and assistants make /
train sometimes start on time. There |
have been times when trains don't /
start on time. The camp meeting /
deranged the starting on time. by /
there being heavy trains. 1t has been /
a good deal more 50 in the last ten /
DAYS than usual. Delays occur ia /
Boston more than at any other point; /
have never made complaint of max i
ing up the train or the time of start |
ing; receive orders in running on |
time from fhe Superintendent; start |
when behi0d time ss soon as possible. |
SPORT.