New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-05
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
NE rATAI. IOcOMoTIvE Explosion.

THE FATAL LOCOMOTIVE EXPLOSION.
TESTIMONY AT THE CoRoNERs INQUEsT-THE JURY
FIND THEMSELVES IGNORANT OF THE CAUSE
AND NOBODY TO BLAME.
The Coroner's inquest into the cause OF the
explosion OF ito locomotive engine Centralia on the
E,ston and Amboy Railroad. whereby five men we've
killed and over thirty wounded last Monday was held
Yesterday N Bound Brook. ". J. Coroners Bush ana
Hunt nsssted by ctAttorney J. " voorhees,, con-
duced the examir alton, and III. NJ Castor appeared AS
counsel for the Railrosd Company. Elias Scott VINO mao
been a brakeman and assistant fireman ON the engine
Centraa testified that he had seen the engineer NIL te
boiler with water from tank before starting out ON the
morning OF the explosion. Jacob Hccht. night watch
man. who had charge Of the engine testified that he had
turned it out in good condition the morning OF the
accident with the steam gauge indicating pressure OF
10 pounds.
Frederick Sheelman. railroad brideebuiider tesV-
ned that left the train about Is inmates before the
explosion While doing so he saw the engineer Try the
middle steam gauge and nothing but steam issued from
IT, the engineer then tried the lower gauge and imme-
diately Let water into the boiler This was shown ny
subsequent Witnesses to have been hazardous thng 10
do since the water have boon almost exhausted IN
the boiler under those circumstances.
John Careing. the former engineer OF the Centrala'
testified that the onginc in good condition when he
ran it, and denIed that he had warned Mr. Copie the
engineer killed by the explosion, against It, Mr. Cope
ho said. old engineer. very careful EXPERIENCED
sober, ana attentive to his duties.
John Davis, practical machinit or Newark, teslhtu
that he had examined the exploded boiler after the acc-
dent The witness had submitted the iron Of tho boiler
10 severe test and found 1t to be tough and
sound Tue break seemed to be new one In tie wit
o,s,s ud gment of the explosion was tue want
Of watcr IN the boiler.
Augustus Tinman, an engineer; George Il. Mann, a
practioli InachiniSt, aud John Holden, q master
mechanic corroberated sir. Davis's testimony
Mr.. Hedden found the crOwn-shSet perlectiy cieah
which showed that IL must have been dry prCVio 10 me
explosion the boiler, Ire said might nave beer iu Ten
minutes previously but II tho pumps had not been kept
at work The water could easily have become exhausted
George Jenkins testified that he HAD heard the engineer
Comic o Tie SATURDAY night preceding the accident, say
that he lad told to TO AmOOy villa the Ceht;ai
in the morning for Oaed train and that Iathet than
90 with l engine he would reSign because IL was uhn
10 take "a heavy train about two weeks before tue eA-
pson fine witness had heard CJpio that the engine
ought 20 into the shop that II might DOW up az any
moment, and was unsafe. -, ,,, WI
i ~ kinzie Master Mechanic OF the Lehigh Valley
Railroad, including the Easton and Ainl'Oy DIVISION;
an en- ue rs any ON road, and the witness DeeNcd
IL to nave good condition before Jhe eAp!"soh
had been In the SHOP wltAih mOhtL anu WSS Incu
without defect MIR. Copie always regarded as very
good engineer. William Stevenson ALSO tcs'ih0u W
COPIES competence eng neer.
CASTOR for tie railroad company Calineu tnaI tus
engine was shown to have been IN good cOnaon ana
that the accident resulted from c1rccssess or tie mis-
taken Judgment Of tie engineer The
said be had no theory offer The jury thon retired ana
returned in minutes with the vefdlct tit me we
tinis NJ the accident had come to their death ny TIE e-
plOSOn the Ceutraa, " tno cause OF shch t4iOsi'n
being unknown this jury ana the jury 1urlLeilIOIe
attach TO amy person or persons rms hhd'hs
created considerable SURPRISE ana comments were .ho
that the cause h8d sufficiently shOwE ANA tat inc
conduc, OF tue jury was mexp licaDlo