The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-09
THE RAILROAD CRIME.
Opening Of the Inquest in The Southern
Railroad Disaster.
EVIDENCE OF EMPLOYEES AND OTHERS.
What Eye Witnesses and Passen-
gers Testify To.

The Coroner's investigation into the eircum.
stances which brought about the frightIul acct
dent on the Southern Railroad OF Long Island be-
gan at Far Rockaway yesterday at Mott's Hotel.
within stones throw OF the scene o; the dlsas-
ter, Coroner John r. Hicks and District Attorney
Downing presiding The following gentlemen
constituted the jury:-Pllny Doughty (foreman),
Benjamin q. Mott, James Mmraugh, Daniel Mott
William Smith, E. f. Maner, Charles Petit, Charles
Karoil, Dewitt Barker, Samuel J. Harkins, Joseph
Acklmm and j. a. Wood.
Judging from the conflicting evidence rendered
yesterday afternoon 1t Is probabls that several
days Will elapse before anything like a satisIac-
tory conclusion can be arrived at. 1t will be
from the great discrepancy In the testimony OF
those VINO were called yesterday that tine minds
OF the Jurymen are likely TO be very much con-
FUSED ana that IL Will be only after the most
thorough and rigid cross-examnatio that the
grounds for the final verdict can be ascertained.
Mr.. o, d. Barton having been sworn testhes:-
l am the superintendent OF the South Flushing,
North Side and Central railroads OF Long Island
nave general manager Tor southern Railroad
era business OF the ROAD; any order gwen TO
an employs IS superior 10 my order; John J. Balm
Is train master of the Southern Railroad; his
ttraln maslersl business Is 10 have u general
charge OF the management and arrangement OF
the trainsi TWO copies SpS OF time tables
train NO. 10 should have lett Valley Stream az
twenty-iour minutes past one p. NJ; Lnls tram
should have met at RocEaway at twenty minutes
to and was allowed tn ten minute s TO two 10
meet there II not able to meet there by that time
1t must Keep Clear OF the main track; hve minutes
are allowed Tor variation oil watches but this time
was not 10 be made use OF by either tram; the
tyaln at Rockaway was not allowed leave Tor
The train gong east could, by regula-
ton, have lett Valley Stream at tweny-cne
or twenty minutes 10 two p. M. and no later;
the trains were run by no telegraph orders
LON the two trains regular trains the trains
from Valley stream had TWO stops less on the stu
than on the 30, anu lsuT minutes less to make
that time; the meeting places Of the trans. The
same at Rockaway at tour p. M; was at Pat
cnogue at nallpast Jour; lett there at minutes
OF five p M received intelligence OF the acclaent
at six r. NJ at Babylon; message sent by Mr.. Barr;
Mr.: Garden gained lurtner particulars; arrived at
Valley stream at quarter to eight r. NJ,
r r the place OF the disaster about
two or three damaged cars lt was the duty OF
the employees TO care for the wounded first be-
fore anything else Is done; having found tnis had
been dOue work was begun clearing away the
wreck; ply siciaRs lad been sent for to the neigh
boring villages and some were on the ground;
Mr., Barr, at Bushwlck, AZ the time OF collision,
came down and began making trips TO the beach
to bring up PASSENGERS; the engines were named
respectively Norwood and Aontauk; tram No. 10
had seven cars and was In charge OF Jesse M.
HioDard, under Engineer Harry Asnmead, Fireman
Sloper, with two orakemen; the centre cars were
without Drakemen; In case OF necessity conduc-
tors must act as brakemen; no ACCIDENT could by
any possplhty nave occurred mad Instructions
been adhered to- the train from Rockaway mad
three cars attached to engine Muntauk, under
Augustus Holdrloge, Engineer George miller ana
Fireman Finn, with two Drakemen: Mr.. Poppen
husen, General Manager, was on the tram; he
was there TO exercise a general supervision or
afialrs didn't see him that day, tut have seen
MN since July 8; received Jelegam TO meet aim
az New York, at No. IL Mercer street, but as un-
able 20 find MIN; no brake, in my estimation
could ever nave prevented coiIision; trains are
allowed 10 turn the curve ut about twenty or
twenty-five miles an hour; there is no danger in
running on reversed course when III good con-
ditiOn.
Henry Ashmead testified IL am an engineer,
ON ndtd In Inn. or
10 at time OF collisions the starting time ut BUSH
Wick Is 12:46; we lett seven or eight MINUTES late
arrived at Jamaica eleven minutes late compared
time with Conductor hlboard at Jamaica; mad
gained one minute III reaching Valley Stream aud
accordingly was ten minutes late; al Lawrence
the conductor said we had three minutes To reach
RocKaway, and again compared watches; we LETT
Lawrence station at :47 and having proceeded
about tnree-quarters OF mile, saw smoke In
Motifs woods; The brakes were wnistled down,
and whea within 100 yards OF the otner train
jumped on; wnislled down brakes three times;
could make the distance from Lawrence 10 Rocka-
way In three mnutes-in the time that remained;
could not near the WHISTLE OF the other
own Train, but was unable to do anything there;
went TO the assistance OF the other engineer;
luted tue fireman up and carried MIN into the
woods near ny, ana remained with MIN about
three hours anu until he was removed IN a wagon;
unable TO 40 anything else, | sat down In the
shade arrived at Lawrence station at :46J5:
have been on this line about SIX months; have
never run on the southern Railroad more than
Two weeks consecutivey; alter collision looked at
my waicn ana 1ound time was lao.
Cornelius SlUper testified WAS fireman on
Hlboards train did not know any thing about the
lateness OF the train Ashmead, the engineer, re-
marked at Lawrence that we were lale; at
Woods0urg he said we had ten minutes to
reach Rockaway-she regular running time;
from side track; we compared watches and found
them alike came into collision about nty-seyen
minutes past one p. NJ; ala not compare nv time
with any one alter the accdent received no orders
from general manager; the operator told me he
HAD heard the other train Was at Lawrence; Con-
ductor Hiboard said to Engineer Ashmead,
"We've gos to make RocSaway" (have no DOUBT
a ho ri Ac,ts
that is 80, we've got time enough; )" heard nothing
about telegram having b en- sent from Valley
Stream to Rockaway.
THE CONDUCTOR,
Augustus Holdrldge, sw0rn:-l am o railroad CON
euctor, and have been so Jour years; was con-
ductor OF train No. Ii; came from Neptune House
anu arrived on side track at Kockaway at twenty
minutes to two Z. NJ, having four cars and few
passengers; Mr.. Poppenhusen was ON tue IRAN;
renamed on the soe track until five minutes 10
TWO r. Nj, when 1 sand to the engineer Its i've
minutes to Two; le,'s go,n and We started out;
made no such remark as II DON'T care
1smaaR m ansaa neSd no s1cn
ana putting car away anu taking time OF HiD-
Dara's train by IL nagman named Charles Coates
ahead; had such discussion IN reference to dan
ger oil running before t1e time was up; no one
was present during my discussion with the en-
gtneer about leaving; do not know Stanklin alias
Schenck; starting at :55; l hao p oceeded to COL
Il CT tickets when the engineer put down brakes:
rushed on 'front.' plato. In, and the collision took
place; was thrown under baggage car, and nay
from the wreck and received medical as
ISSUANCE; was told by the operator that
no communication co1ld be mad with headquar-
tets; sent subsequently to Jamaica Tor surgical
a1lendance the nrst train left the wreck at na:I.
past three O'Clock p. M. for Busnwick; do not
know now many cars or passengers let win inns
train nor by whose orders 1t was sent; was on
the Harlem road for Jour years as conductor;
heard NJ. Poppenhusen leave orders with tue
agent Jamaica 10 secure medical ATTENDANCE Tor
the W0unued; nave been on this road three weeks:
l was discharged from Harlem road, out was
Afterwards relnstated; Mr.. Poppeunusen was
slightly injured and was at the W eek when re-
turned from the drug store, where had gone to
get my wounds dressed; do not know why was
discharged rom the Harlem road when 1 re.
III, ned was put on an extra train and renamed
only Tor week.
GEORGE MILLKR,
being duly sworn, testified mat ne was engineer
OF train No. 10; arrived ut Rockaway at forty
minutes past one O'Clock; lett AT nve minutes 10
two O'Clock; Mr.. Hourldge told me the tram was
nfteen minutes late at Valley stream;
nothing was said about starting the
train; could not say whether there were
fifty or $50 passengers on board; after