The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-11-05
AN ACCIDENT"
THE BOUND BROOK IN. ~ RAILROAD Ex-
PLosIoN-"A VERDICT AS Is A VERDICT

THE BOUND BROOK IN. ~ RAILROAD tx
PLosIoN-"A VERDICT AS IS VERDICT
FOR THE RAILROAD PEOPLE.
An inquest held yesterday by Justice and Acting
Coroner James P. Bush at Union Hall, Bound Brook,
n j. touching the OF death Of the victims Of tho
explosion OF the boiler Of the locomotive Centraia ON
the New Jersey Division of the Lehigh Valley Railroad,
which took place last Monday morning.
The hall nlled with citizens during
the best part OF the day, all OF whom
took the deepest interest In the proceedings Mr..
John " Voorhees,, Prosecutor OF the Pleas for Somer
county N j. present the part Of the State,
and Mr. H. ~ CASTOR behalf Of the legal interests OF
the Lehgh Valley Railroad The Coroner OF the county
Dr. Hunt was also present did havc charge OF
the The following is full synopsis OF tho EVIL
dence taken:-
rHR EVIDENCE
The first witness called for the State boy
named John Conley, eighteen years old-the "water
boy"-who testified that no stood in the end of the
caboose next the engine. II had Its roof blown on
partly and part OF the sde by the explosion that be
was only slightly injured, but five men among
those the train who died from the result OF the ex-
plosion.
Jacob Heck, the night Waterman, who had charge
OF the engine during the night before the explosion.
next testified His evidence went to show that when
the "Ccntraa" left his charge in the morning II was
all right, IN good condition, also his water
injector tho engine took in water from the tank at
about twenty minutes past six A. NJ, and about ten
minutes later had up TO where the explosion took
place Upon being recalled this witness testified that
the engine had Ito pounds Of steam when she eft the
engine house, II would blow of at no. he understood
the engine nine years old
Peter Gaspy Gillespie laoorer, was called next,
but all his evidence OF hearsay character. He
had heard Mr. Hill, the canal bridge tender, say that
ENGINE CONDEMNED ONE;
she stood twenty I'VE thirty minutes on the "sd-
ing" before she blew up; could blow Off steam when
standing.
Frederick Shefieman, a bridge builder OF the Del-
and Bound Brook Railroad testified that he rode
upon the train in the caboosc, from Bound Brook;
the engine stopped to let him off before 1t reached
It's destination Just as he was being let of he saw
gauges steam came out OF the second,
WATER.
The engineer then, said this witness put the water,
and in about two minutes ufterward while on his way
to the bridge which he was helping TO build, he heard
the explosion
tralia for ten months since August 1874 testified that
gravel the usual load, but she could pull
many and could carry from ITO TO l25 pounds of
On being recalled CARING testified that Cope,
the engineer, very careful man. that he twitness)
fired for him eighteen months. Cope, he added, n
first class man, had some property was not compelled
labor and had TO this road from the Bcvidere
and Delaware Railroad to take charge Of the Centraa
John Davis, machnist of Rarltan, who works IN
an iron foundry, who had examined the wreck of the
engine gave description of what he and said that
he satisfied the boiler was made OF good, tough
iron, the plate especially His opinion that
it required great force to have torn the plate
against its grain, as had been done
Augustus Tilman, practical engineer employed In
the Agricultural Works ut Raritan, also called
an expert he testified to having examined the wreck
he corroboraed the testimony of John Davis and
said that he had his engine in the Agricultural
Works for eighteen years. and 1t was as good as ever,
George B. Mum, still another expert, q machinist,
from New Brunswick Nj, testified that the iron of
which the boiler was made was good. The
CAUSE
was, undoubtedly, IN his mind, the want OF water
John Hedden, yet another expert, formerly master
mechanic in the employ of tho New Jersey Railroad
company, was called He, too had examined the
boiler The sheet was bare at the time of the
explosion and that the OF It, No explosion
would have taken place If the water had not been IN
jected.
George sharra, additional expert engineer like
wise examined the boiler and said he found the
sheet clear of scale which could not have been the
had ii been covered with water.
George Jenkins, slater residing in Bound Brook,
testified that Mr. Cope the engineer told him the Sat
having him Cope) go down to Amboy to bring up coal
with the Centralia but that he Cope declared
emphatcaly that he would not do it; he would resign
FIRST as
to take heavy train witness said he heard Cope say
three times that the engine hardly SAFE and
that she ought to have been pacedin the shop month
before that, as he Cope said he couldn't tell how
soon the old thing might blow up"
This closed the evidence the part of the State
DEFENCE
l.
Lehleh Valley Road and OF the Easton and Anboy who
testified that the company purchased the Centrala in
1854 that she made in Taunton, Mass, and, far
as he knew, was in perfect orders the engine was
there fear OF her than OF any other engine
the road.
William Stevenson the transportation agent at
Bound Brook Of the Easton and Amboy Road testified
that Cope about forty years old sober and indus
trious, and always ready 10 do his work.
Elias Scott Richard Inman witnesses OF the ex-
plosion were called by the state but they simply
do ihed yvhn saw he waE uoivp IN
the jury The latter, after hours elaboration,
returned with tho following
That W. W. Provost, foreman; Z. II. Redaeld. John
Lair Daniel Coroner, John b. Van Doran, John d. Elk
metz Ephraim Merlettc jeremiah l. Stats, Abraham
Whteand, John Case William w. Teetcr and Oscar
Bush, good and lawful men, do say upon their oath
that Palmer Thompson, Allen King Patrick Feeney
Thomas G. Cope and Henry Mickoocke came TO their
deaths by the explosion Of the locomotive Centraia
Railroad, at the Rartan siding, near Gravel Ill., about
three miles west Of Bound Brook and that the OF
said explosion is to the jury unknown and the jury
further attach no blame TO any person or persons
The reading OF the verdict caused quito sensation
1t openly denounced, as is the entire inquest, a
sided affair and complete mockery of Jersey
justice John p. Martini boiler maker, who said no
had been employed in the New York Novelty Works
other places the HERALD reporter after
the inquest and in presence OF Acting Coroner Bush
and others, that he had been subpGnacd a witness
by the State, but not called. He declared that
from personal examination he satisfied the :
boiler old out and unfit for use; and
in every way he corroborated the statement
made by Cope to Jenkins. He exhibited
a scrap OF the boiler which he had broken of. II
measured lve-sxteenths of an inch In thickness He
insisted that the entire examination In the interest
of the railroad people.
Mr. "Curt Barkaow assured tho reporter that Mar
tin drunk; but tho reporter considered Martin
quite as sober as his accuser Prosecutor Voorhees,
also expresses dissatisfaction with the verdict.