Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-11-30

would not be able 10 see ahead afterwards.
The engine was in good order. We got
up about ten rounds more Of steam after
the collision and that took the engine 10
Wilmington. / know train of nine cars
could not have been started by that engine
with thirty pounds of steam. have been
an engineer Ave years, and nave served
the company nine years. / was promoted
from trem IN. Am familiar with the road
between Chester and Wilmington. l sup
pose 1t would take a train running down
grade 80 or 35 miles an hour with the rails
In the condition they were that morning,
nearly mile 10 stop.
Chas. W. Davis, sworn Left Phila-
delphia last night as conductor of the
ll.45 rain on the Darby improvement.
| ran to Chester aud there met Mr.. Rue,
conductor Of the II 30 train, who IN
formed me his train was standing above
Ridley Bridge, and that h. had asked for
orders TO take my engine. told him
would 90 TO Lamokln ard put away my
cars aud return to Chester with the en-
gine. He said be had not received any
orders. told him to take the engine and
20 and get his train. He did so. ran
down to Chester, set of the disabled en-
glne, coupled up the train and started.
rhe engine at that time had about 1875 or
100 pounds of steam. ] concluded to 20
% Wilmington with the engineer as be
had to return to Lamokm with the empty
eugine. Kept ahead Of other trains time
without difficulty I'LL We came to Bellevue,
wten the steam went down rapidly. The
speed of the train was slackenod to about
. or miles an hour ia the distance of two
miles. The engineer had steam to get
down through Rcd Cut near Elersie sta
ton and he, knowing we intended to stop
ut the station, supposed she would gain
enough to go GU. (corroborated last wit
nesse5 les lmony up to time Of train stop
ping) then pushed OIL train and called to
the eonduc-or to stop the following train
and get /. to push him into Wilmington.
lie was coming toward the engine when
saw him. four or FIVE minutes nfterward
the collision occurred. ! immediatly got
out a red light TO stop north bound trains
aud being relieved Of that, | took the loco.
motive aud went into Wilmington TO n-
form the Oiliceri Of the road OF the acci-
dent. | went back with locomoire and
two cars to III. wreck, picked up the
wounded and Brought them to the city.
Not being an engineer | cannot account
for the sudden loss of steam.
Walter Lackey, sworn; Was engineer
of the New York train known as train
No. l. Left Gray's Ferry seven minutes
late and made abaut ,,:he usual time till
we got to Red Cut. The first lntimati IN |
had that anything was wrong / felt the
engineer reverse his engine. | was on the
back car and did not hear him blow for
brakes, but l felt the brakes put on that
car. ! jumped up to see what was the
matter, and don't suppose it was more
than Il minute TIL we struck. We were
gong ut from thirty 10 thirty-fye miles
an hour when the engine was reversed.
The engine was reversed before we got
to the curve, and judge the engine was
signal d by the engineer of the north
bound lraln. As soon Hs we struck sent u
man back to signal tue freight train which
was following me. There were nine cars
in my train three sleeping cars, one chair
car, two thOroughfAre cars, one baggage,
one express and one mail car. l do not
think il possible TO stop such a train in
less tine that we did. The train had not
air brakes. Do not know whether it would
have stopped sooner if Il had had them,
having no experience with air brakes. The
engine of my train was not detached from
the cars There are no air brakes on any
through train On this road.
John Orem, sworn.-WGs engineer of
the New York train. As l entered Red
Cut the engineer on the train running north
signalled me with his light. 1 shut off,
whistied for brakes and reversed my en-
ginei l supposed The north bound train
mad struck som' thing and thrown II On
my track. As l ran past the north bound
tram saw the red light OF tue train ran
into. The north bound tram was stand
still when 1t slgnalled mt. This was
aboat three quarters Of Il mile from
Ellers'ie.
bloHed for brakes before reversed the
the engine. Messenger for II 30 train was
about 200 feet from his train l should sup
pose. lie was Just about the crossing al
the station. Impossible TO stop sucha train
rs ours under tho circumstances sooner.
We were going at about 10 or 10 miles an
hour when we struck. When a uaiu Is
running on another trains time man Is
always sent to ilag the following train.
Thirty pouuds OF steam is not enough to
enable Il locomotive to move train on to
"a siding. My ilreu au is under nly control.
Tic best o. iircuca Will sometimes gel
deceived IN their iile at might. | have
been deceived many a timc NY elf, | can
not look into The fire and afterwards see
ahead of the engine.
+. NJ. Sargent, engineer Of the north
bound train, testified that hc passed the
south bOuud rim just as il vas leaving
Ellerslie, moving very slowly. | was
about IL 1860 yards north Of Ellerslie sta
ton, in the cut, when siguaIed No | train.
J stopped there because saw No. lT's
red light. ! did not think IL WAS for me.
hut it being q danger signal had no right
TO pass il. The man with the red light
was standing ON the platform at lersllc.
II he had run hemisht huyu got about 400
y1ids up the rotd. They could not have
seen him any hcltcrthough il .hc had gone
than where be- was. | a'Uppcl my engine
right IN the curve. ! WAS satisfied there
was something wrong with the half.past
IL train. was able to stop sooner III IN
the New York train because was running
slower, slightly up grade, and have an air
brake on my tender. | do not think No.
train could have been stopped after my
signal b fore it struck the otlcg train.
II. y. L. Pyle sworn: | was a passcu-
ger on the ll.3O uain from Philadelphia,
Thursday night. When our train Was
strdck | was in the smoking car. Ran
back to the wreck and was lifted into one
of the cars by two men and commenced
work at getting OUT tho wounded. Saw
Henry c. Fritz in TIE wrecked rear car.
He was handed out the wintog 10 MIR.
Pier-on and myself | thought he was
dead tbln. Was halt asleep until the
accident occurred. Everything was done
afer@arls for the comfort Of the passen
gers, aad ,he work Of reicuing them pro
ceeded very systematically afer Mr.: Lggg
came out.
Geo IL. Marple, sworn Was pas
eenger On thls Train. My wife and !
were IN the rear car. AMER we passed
Eilersie station, was standing ut the