The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-07
What a Regular SWitchman
Might Have Prevented.
Throwing All the Blame on
the Dead Conductor.
PROOFS OF OFFICIAL MISMANAGEMENT.
Remarkable Statements by En-
ployes and Others.

The dreadful accident on the Southern Rail
road OF Long Island on Monday afternoon, BY
which seven people were killed aud fortY-two
MANNED, as already announced in the HERALD.
continued yesterday TO be tho principal topic OF
conversation. In this city the disaster made deep
Impression, while in Brooklyn, where nearly all
OF the victims belonged, much excitement was
manifested.
THE WHOLE STORY
Of the disaster is tale OF suffering and narrowing
sights, having the culpable Encouragement OF
somebody as Its sole cause The greatest diver.
sity OF opinion exists as TO where this respon-
sibility rests. The vast majority outside the In
nuence Of the railroad company identity
the name Of prominent o11cial OF
that corporation with the calamity. On she other
hand. the officers OF the clmpanY-in a manner
fully worthy OF corporation that neglected TO
provide even shelter for the dead or surgeons
and oandages for the dying and wounded-place
the onus OF tne blame upon the dead conductor,
Hiboard who Is powerless 10 refute the charge.
But the engineer Miller, clears the cloud from
the memory OF poor Hiboard when he says
that au official OF the Southern Railroad Company,
whom he names, cried out to the conductor words
equivalent to "All right go aheadp' The respon-
noility for the calamity can rest In only one
place, and that Is upon rhe heads Of an lncompe-
lent, reckless ana inefficient railroad manage
ment. The Coroner's jury yesterday impsnelled
ut Far Rockaway Will, 1t Is believed sift The whole
subject to the bottom and place the crime where
lt belongs. The company have so covered up the
traces Of Negligent telegraph operators, incom-
prehenslols delays OF the trains and reprenensibe
responsibility OF everybody connected in
any way with the accident, that 1t is impossible to
reach the reasons for the accident. The plain
facts OF the tragic occurrence are simple enough,
and may be retold In more detail than they APP
peared in the HERALD OF yesterday.
THE STORY OF THE ACCIDENT.
There are frequent changes OF management,
employees and Time tables upon the South SIDE
Railroad OF Long Island, and however much pubic
opinion may be divided as 10 the feasibility
Of king alterations IN the train schedules on
holidays 1t is certain that the oclals Of this COM
pany are satisfied as TO It's propriety. About
three years ago they tried the experiment and
serious accident was the result. Experience
taught them nothing; for on the DAY celebrated
this year as the great national holiday they re-
peated the experiment. Look oct for the
harper who always blunders on the same string"
SAID Horace. Beware OF railways that are
always mismanaged when their carrying capacity
Is overtaxed," is the modern rendering OF the old
poets maxim.
THE REGULAR TRAIN
on the road for Williamsburg left the beach az
Rockaway on Il ne st halfpast one on Monday
afternoon. The long and narrow neck OF land be-
tween the beach and the station at Far RocKaway
was traversed N safety. IL consisted Of the
engine Montauk and tender, baggage, smoking
and passenger car. three In all. TIE conductor
was jesse Hlbbard, resident OF Far Rockaway,
and as his train came TO a stop on the side rack
at the depot his wife and two children, VINO re-
sided near by, came alongside the cars and said
''goodoy" 10 him.
A large and heavily loaded excursion train from
Williamsburg, running upon new lime schedule,
was Tue and momentariy expected. Ten minutes
we're passed in waiting and yet another I'VE
minutes did the conductor wait to allow Tor differ
pnce In watches. At the end or hlteen minutes
the bell rang and the train moved slowly forward
toward the end OF the switch which would trans
Ter 1t to the main line.
THE THEORY OF FATALITY.
And here comes IN the element OF fatality and
further Illustration IS IN nlsned or the effects OF
the most trivial circumstances upon the lives and
fortunes OF men. On TINS particular occasion
there was no switchman in attendance, and tile
conductor Of the Inflated train was compelled 10
drop of a brakeman to close the switch after The
train passed and to 'slow up" Tor the purpose OF
taxing him on tie cars again. But for this APP
parently rriiing fact the accident would
not have happened all probability. 1nis
detention involved tile loss OF one mortal
minute Of time and cost eight men their lives.
The telegraph 0t1cials deny mat a telegram was
sent from Woodbury., but they seem to tnlnk that
DO vital point as TINS concerns no one outside the
management. on the testimony OF Engineer Mil
Ter II would appear that some sucn Information
must have been in the possession OF MT. Poppen.
husen, a director OF the company, or he would
never have FASTENED 70 the 'front.' platform Of the
baggage car to say, ''Al's right ahead"
nj
contradicteo by the conductor he pulled the
Norwood's throttle wide open, IN order tnat
not a moment should be lost In getting
to the station at which the other tram was TO he
passed. In the middle OF the FIRST quarter OF a
mile there was a sharp curve IN the road, beyond
which there was straight sretcn OF road along
winch the engineer could nave seen the track Tor
more tnan a MILE Had the one minutes time
before referred to not been lost the curve would
have been passed and the loss OF life at least pre-
vented.
A BRAKEMAN's STATEMENT.
The statement OF Brakeman stanclln as 10
the actual occurrence is Notwithstanding It's
brevity, one OF the most graphic pieces OF nara
tive ever uttered. Told IN the simple style Of an
uneducated man, 10 Jet gives the whole story.
"From between the cars | saw another train
cohIng down upon us, and before could spring
back 10 put on the brakes some thing strucG me
on the side OF the head, and while after 1 WOKE
on the grass"
h This is a great deal more in the way OF real
ization OF the coming DANGER than the great ma
Jorty OF the 400 persons on the tram experienced.
The day was gala occasion. Tine people VINO
were crowded into the nine dusty cars OF the
cast.bound excursion train were wiling to en-
dure all the discomlorts Of the journey for the
sake OF the pure air and the cooling baths they
were TO enjoy at its termination. MANY were I'M
abe TO obtain seats Snd we're forced to stand up
in the cars and on the patlorRs wltput II there
vas mucn or JOY and happiness IA the
a acbss euraG the journey it WAS lateut
ssaa uademonstrmive. Certain IL is. there was
NAoaGdexahla grWmklfn9 and much opanlY-sx-