New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-09
TIE DISASTER on LONG ISLAND.
INVESTIGATION OF THE CAUSE OF THE COL
LISBON


LlSlON
BEGISNiNG OF THE CORoNER's INQUEST AT FAR
RocKAwAY-TEsrIMONy OF SUPERINTENDENT
BARTON CONDUCTOR HOLDRGDGE, THE ENGl-
NErRs OF TIE TWO TRAINS. AND OTHkRs-DEArH
OF TiE FIREMAN, FINN-FUNERAL OF BROOK
LYN VICTIMS.
The corOner'- inquest upon the bodies OF
those who killed the collision on the southern
Railroad Of Long Island on Monday. was held at the
Atlantic Hotel. At Far Rockaway yesterday afternoon
Among those present were Vce-Presldent Iiinsdale,
Superndent Barton. and Train Master Barr When the
names Of jurors called b. C. Mott desired 10 De
excused on the ground that OF the killed was Ills
nephew He was excused. The names OF the jurors are
"a foliows Pny Doughty, Joseph Mchimm' "il'iam
smith. James Mmnaugh, Charles karrol Edwin alahcn
Daniel Mott samuel j. Horton. J. A. Wood Charles
Petit and Dewitt Bouker. Mr. Finn fireman Of the en-
zine Montauk. whose condition had been consi'ierod
critical for some days. having died at $50 p m yest'r-
dav the Jury before listening to the testimony "erc
called upon to view the body. District Attorney Dow
ming then began the examination.
Isaac D. Barton wa- the witness called He testi-
fled that he was the superintendent OF the southern Rail
road OF Long Island. The train No TO- from brookyh'
should have left Valley Stream at l2i p n BAT at that
Sim, Of the day II had ten minutes extra Time IL hu
the right OF way long 1t was not more thah Ten MN
ute ,hind II had been on time 1t should nave paSs'u
tbe train from the beach, No II, at Rockaway at
n.
Rockaway allowing the ten minutes OF extra time; D
fitconld not get there must get out Of the way NO
l3 could not leave Rockaway later imam LOO p III
II had 10 allow five minutes for Variation
Of watches Train No. 10 had lost ten MIN
ute4 and so forfeited the right OF way
Al the tine Of the accident. the witness was on the
Flushing North SIDE. and Central road. of which he was
also s,,n.rntendent II was about p m when ne ar
rived If the scene Of the DISASTER and found the work OF
removing the de0ri- going IL was the duy Oh Int
officers of road. in such time to see 70 'he ua III"
rourded but no verbal or written order had ever been
issurd to that effect. He understood that MT fopP'h
hnsen had tclegraphed for medical assistance IRAN No
IN NJ which Jesse NJ Hubbard conductor Henry
! A.hmead engineer and - Sl0per fireman. had seven
ear, and two brakenen If there had been more oftA
mon the force Of thecoson might have been decreeu
hut witness did not think it could have been avoided IL
was a usual custom for train OF seven ears u o'
,y hr,emen some patent brakes, which the engineer
ould onerte might have lesencd the force ot the cor
,iio, Had the train been according to the rules OF
/ ,b, conpany there would have been no cause ior
/ collision. -,
Henry A.hmead the engineer OF train NO TO- was then
called He testified that the starting tine Oh MS u "
Rusb,rck was rei5 D. H. but that they started seven
or eight minutes late. Al Jamaica ;hey were IL minutes
/ late Al Valley stream they had made up one minute
When they reached Lawrence they were still 10 minutes
behind time. Conductor Hubbard then came l" MN III"
said they had three minutes ON when 10 Sc' 7" NV M
/ way which was "A miles distant. The "a'cH VI INC
vifnass agreed with the conductors When they lelt
Lawrence it was 1:f7 p m The regular time tncn "'
1.2G IN but allowing the extra 10 minutes th'y h'u
three minutes in which tn reach hocKa"ay' t"'9
started when about one-fOurth ol ml' 'i0 &
renee he saw smoke ahead IN the WOODS nc "'i'
/ down brakes three times reversed MS e"S"o' ~
,umned og ,hout 100 Yards from the other tram ne
had had no discussion with the conductor aS 10 c p
n-itv ot leaving Lawrence They had right 10 run 10
| Rockaway at $40 D. m and to be ~ minutes Law
| After the collision he went to Ills eh-iH' '''
SAW that he could not do anything theIe' an" men W."
to the other engine and assisted the engine "''' va"
lifting his fireman Finn. out Of the tender me WITNESS
had been an engineer L. years had run on 'hS lo"u
about .ix months of and had been running ABOUT
Two consecutive weeks az the time OF the "o'e' "o
could run 10 Rockaway from Lawrence III less ''' i'e
minutes he looked at his watch AFTER the coA'on i""
saw that il was 1919 p. IN -
Cornelius sloper called He teStihe" 'i' ne vas
fireman of Mr. Ashmead'- engine; he Kne" ho'hlhs Vi
,h l,ene. Of the train he heard the engineer say tey
wore little late but heard no discussion Win TIE '"
Auctor at woodsburg the engineer Sad they nad zen
/ minutes to make Rockaway in NJ Lawrence III n'''u
Conductor Hbbard tell the engineer thlt tiiy n'u MI
minute. In which reach RoeAa"ay 'he "4'neS' '"u
he tnousnt t4o} rIn Conductor Of Train No 49,
called lie said that his train arrived al horA1 go az
$40 p m. being on time ne trcE ~ w,if
mat h dl not need and went OH the -r lVh' I" ~
fnr No 10 He remained there untll l.1o p ~ sn'u
rJ ,in'e yith the engineer and. as they agreed,
III Pi >, r,,,,n out He ran about two minutes, when
~, ,sinn came He did not compare time WIN any
or. fter thr accident. He had heard thdt so ~ was
would not reaCn the meeting y" ~
H. I "A no regular message stating mat tact he
iI 80, am. az they heard whistle In switching his
l,rs he had sent hagman ahead 10 warn No ~ III use
came The engineer blew four long whistles 10 can III
I'M, nn.,uan There no discussion before STAR AIS
him ginccr After ne started NE Kan
"a rio mn tickets and heard the whistle Tor uoWh DdAt
h. %@nt ihead and reached the front platform when TN.
coIli.inn occurred Before he came on the ROAD ne hau
On an fhe Harlem Railroad for four ears; hdd pten on
ms ront since middle OF June He was DISCHARGED
/ srnu the Harlem Road but was given rtcomih'hui-
.nn vent hack again for one week u htlp during an
s.U,i He was discharged in January, 1873.
| Cenrge Miller testified that lie was the engineer OF
,r,in No IL He arrived nj ROcKaWay ar l.io M anu
ift there M I55 H. IN. The conductor told MIN thdt NO
In as reported be - minutes late he witness hdl
/ hon a railroad man for Il years, ana an engineer
Ear The trains were $50 feet apart when he first saw
| N, the whistle Tor down DfdhtS rcftEscu
| h. engine. and Jumped on .
| Wright testified that he was the operator ~
| " No 10 was Is minutes late" John Goodenough,
oncrat0r n ROckaway, said he had received HOn alley
-feau the report that No 10 Was ID minutes lae ana
shnwrl II to Conductor HOldridge lie attached no I'M
r,,ncr 10 the message, the conductor had no right
t. recognize anything except tram Orucr from net-
| quarters. Mr.. Barton Was lceano"' Du' n"'H'As All
| portant elected.
& n West a brokers clerk In this city, who resides at
called lie testified that he left tram
No al WOosburg the day OF the disaster ana noticed
the time which $40 y. the regular time there
being $50 D. IN ROckaway could have been reached In
! 10 minutes 7. c. LAngirene Testified that he got on
board tram No. 10 at WOOdsDurg and noticed That the
train was eight m.lues Late by an Old timetable which
varied two minutes from the new one Mrs Alice stan
eli ffc the wife Of "A brakeman on train No 10 was next
called she testified that she WAS At the f.ockaway depot
waiting for train July D. sho heard whistle
III. 4 Ma