The New York herald., 1872-07-12
THE SOUTHSZjE RAILROAD DISASTER.


The Inquest In Williamsburg Over the
| Remaiy.s OF Mrs. Nelson Row and Her
| Son Eranklin-Testimony Of Superin-
tentRent Douglass, Conductor Lynch and
Others.
Coroner whtehill and jury yesterday afternoon
resumed the inquisition In the case OF Mrs. Row
and her son Franklin W., who died from the effects
OF injuries sustained by the collision on the South.
side Railroad on the evening of the 4th OF July.
The inquest was held In the court room Of Justice
Elliott, Williamsburg.
THE TESTIMONY
Charles W. Douglass sworn, depOsed-I am
superintendent OF the -Southside Railroad: on the
day of the accident we had special time table; 1t
was issued to the conductors and engineers two
days previously; there were two extra trains put
on the road that day; the train that started from
Williamsburg and cOlided with the Rockaway train
was regular train; the time OF it's starting from
the foot Of South Eighth street was q quar-.
ter to five p. NJ. 1t was train No. 16, with John
RathbOne as conductor and James Scott as en-
gineer; its time Of starting from the Bushwick de-
dnctor did not have time to reach the double track
before the Rockaway train arrived 1t was hts duty
to remain at the depot twenty.four minutes; If the
conductor and engineer thought they had time to
reach that point II was their duty to go on; they
e eastern Rde ampe
reach the double track before the western bound
was on the road over two years ago. when took
charge OF it, considered him as good conductor
ts Startling with his train on the
the accident told him nat Conductor Lynch Sa was
Eighth street ONCE; knew that Lynch's train was
time from sSs ssvsa % @ G an Ss
% SoRs knew & that he was Al tee9 3ns minutes Ras,s
Eighth street depot and knew that Lynch was on
time when he reached Richmond Hill; this was suf-
Of the company; It was his duty to remain at the
Bushwick depot until the western bound train came
Minutes IS pas aSs e II It had 1 not arrived arrive ~
Mr.. M J. Lynch, conductor OF the RockaWay
minutes past four p M. and reached the double
track on time at thirteen minutes past five; my
time of arriving at the Bushwlck depot was seven
teen minutes past five; had the right OF way
with twenty minutes to spare; ! was on the
steps of the rear cal, when heard my engineer
whistle to put down the brakes; hurried to the
engineer and asked him what was the matter; he
answered that he heard boy say, Here comes the
nag to be sent ahead and called to the engineer to
back up which he was already trying to do; at that
moment the fireman jumped down and threw gravel
man running down the track with nag In his
hand; nnding that our train could not be backed
hand han and shouting to the coming train but it shot
by me while was standing on the embankment;
sesn in order asTe u R" ve% o
both trains jumped distance of about fifteen
about four hundred feet ahead OF my engine wav-
ing a large red nag; he remained there until the
to my orders his Nag could be seen down the track
distance o: about quarter OF me from the
time heard that the other train was coming until
the collision about two minutes elapsed; the west
ern bound train passed the fagman before the
whistle TO brake up was given; 1t was then too late
to stop the train at the rate OF speed 1t going
about twenty-eight miles an hour; was on the
Erie Railroad for seven years; have been on the
southside road over two years. and have been rail-
DOVhOOu.
AT seven O'Clock the Jury took recess until
eight
The Jury reassembled at eight O'Clock and En-.
gineer Thomas Cody, OF the ROckaway train, was
the first witness called He testified that the en-
gineer of train going East could see train stand
ing on the switch where the accident occurred
nearly half mile Off, His testimony cOrrObOrated
that of Conductor Lynch.
Adam Eiser testified that he was acting as nag
man at the scene of the disaster: my watch was
three minutes fast by the railroad time; when I
saw the eastern-bOund train coming toward the
Rockaway train held up my hands in warning,
and ran for red nag: this gave TO another man,
who ran down the road and nourshed it while /
attended to the switch when the collision occurred
/ gave all the aid could to the injured.
Newton Schofied testified that he was the tele.
graph operator OF the road at the Bushwick Depot;
was on duty there on H. the NSg evening Of the Attn
reached there about quarter past five; he left
@ there "a at eighteen minutes past I'VE; told him Sn
that the other train was on tfrne and that was the
James Scott testified that he was engineer Of
train No. 16 OF the SOuthside Railroad. of which
Mr. Rathbone was conductor; at eleven and half
minutes past five O'Clock the evening OF
the 4th Of July Mr.. Rathbone took out his
proper proper i% time OF Of starting from @ that po!S.
(Bushwick depot) three minutes past five; we
started at greater speed than usual, because we
wanted to reach the double track and had only a
minute and half to do il in; was running at the
rate Of between twenty-five aud thirty miles an
hour and would have run faster II ] could; ]
thought could reach the double track in minute
and half but feared that might have to use a
half minute of the iOur minutes that are allowed
for variations in time: consider myself as much
responsible for the disaster as Conductor Ratl
bone; can only account for the collision by be-
lieving that Conductor LynCh's time differed from
Rathbone's; could have made the time that l
attempted to make IL had a heavier engine.
John Rathbone testified that on the evening OF the
fourth OF July ne was conductor on train No 16 OF
the Southsde Railroad; when took my train ont
from the South Eighth street depot at three minutes
before five O'Clock on that evening, superintendent
Douglas told me TO hurry up as Lynch was on time
when reached the Bushwick station saw the tele-
graphic operator there, but had no conversation
with him; Lad no way OF telling when the ROcka-
way train reached the switch except by guessing
when left the Bushwick depot calculated that
| had five minutes in which to reach the double
track, including the four minutes allowed for
variations in time; I had right to use my own
Judgment In that case, as there was no positive
order to the contrary; knew that | was running
at my own risk: the time that elapsed from the
time heard the alarm OF danger to the collision
was not over half a minute: scarcely had time to
think believe that II had made my connection
successfully the superintendent would have justi-
fed me In using portion OF the variation time !;
Conductor Baldwin told me that he used portion
OF the four minute variation time about two months
ago. that superintendent Douglas knew IL and that
nothing was said about 1t; the superintendent was
not present at this conversation; this was not my
regular train 1t was the first time that ever had
occasion to act on the four minute rule
At midnight the investigation was still going on
taff f1n hatn ll.s..it t.A fha