Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-03-16

| in the luinbeE business, sworn.
Question by Coroner. Have you
ever examined the tiulbers of Marrow
Passage bridge prior and subsequent to
the accident?
| Answer Not before, but since have
and noticed great deal Of rotten
timber and sap wood in the wreck.
| Q.-Do YOU know Of what kind Of
timber this bFidge was constrneted-2.sss
A-Mos Of it came from M neigh
borhood, and is what is called about
here ''yellow pine, but is really not; it
was. green and pnttup as fast as cnt.. l
90 not think such timber would last
long the sap,wqod | think from three
| to FIVE years; the heart ten or twelve
years.
/ J. w. Wood, of Hawkinstown,
Shenandoah county, bridge builder
for over twenty FIVE years, sworn;
| Odd you ever notice this bridge
prior to the accident, and have yon the
debris, since. if so give us your views
as to it? ~ asf ~
A. Have often noticed it before aud
have seen it, aud examined since.a J.
have thought for some, time the timbers
| i'll tits bridge We're not sound, and have
been expecting a smash up, and have
SO told. my wife dozen times; never
would ride over it lately; use other
| modes Of conveyance. o., t-4-...a
Q.-Why did You regard It as un-
safe ?
| A-The ,iinbers had been standing
| for nine OF ten,years, and graea tiDbers
standing this length OF lime uncovered
and not painted, will not be sound.
Most Of the timber used in this bridge
were green pine, made and framed
| green, Though in it was some very ex~
| cellent timber. f
Clio long will green timber ex-
posed a. this. was last? %; ed,
A.-Eight or ten years some longer +;
butt-cuts lasting longest, not being SO
porous. 's''i+
Q.-a1n your opinion, was this acct
dent oecasioped by rotten .timbers being
III the structure !? ;r.. .r..
A-Not entirely. I think the iron
truss over the near pier at the breach
gave way, the engine falling on the
new pier, then turned over aad struck
the next truss in the rear Of ii and
knocked that down, which caused that
entire portion Of the bridge to fall IN.
| Qt-In your opinion, what caused
I the iron trnss to- give away? Is ,a@
! Al think the arms of the truss
gave away /; the truss was supported by
iron bars attached to the beams. My
impression is had the woodwork Of the
truss given away in the centre Of the
span the engine would not be- in its
present position, bat would have faced
the way it was running, and also think
had not the iron truss gRen away the
wood, notwithstanding .Ns unsoundness,
would have let the train pass over
safely / think the defect was in the
iron itself. f.r......r.. -....... 80 /
W. H, Ruby testified that he had exs
amined the tinibers since the accident
and said they were unsound and many
of the lemons rotten.
G. w. WinaIe testified he thought
this a very dangerous bridge, and in
passing over it two or three weeks ago
NOTICED the timbers were dotted and
rotten Frequently wanted 20 go below,
and was fearful Of this bridge, and the
tcompanys kept patching it, which caused
me to think it unsafe, / have not for
some time thought 1t safe for heavy
trains" Since the accident have noticed
the timbers, and think many of them
have lost three~fourths Of their strength.
Drs Carter and Campbell, who were
examined, merely testified as to render
ing assistance to wounded &c.
DIR. George ". Magruder, of Woods
stock, Va, physician who was called
to the bridge or the night of the acci-
dent TO attend the wounded, testified
and said: My Instructions from Mr..
Averill were to make The wounded as
comfortable as possible and spare. no
EXPENSE was kept busy during the
night attending wounded; l heard
Cunning, the tifman say, i thought
something about the train had broken
when the accident occurred.
J. Meredith, the company's sgent at
Edinburg, Va, was next called. He
said he did not see the train as it
passed on Monday night; was asleep;
never heard Mir. Heskett or other rail
road officials say the Narrow Passage
bridge was unsafe or that it had been
condemned; heard outside parties,
who knew no more Off than I, say
that Mr.. Eeskett had said month ago
that he would be responsible for the
bridge no longer.
@. S. Kemp testified: s'T reside at
Harper's Ferry, and am bridge foreman
OF The B. & Q. Railroad Company IN
der Mr.. Heskett; have been acting
foreman about twelve years; when /
first came on this branch of the road
was assistant TO Mr. Heskett, and
merely went oyer the road to examine
bridges and works | inspected this
bridge about three months ago; there
WIS some rotten timber about the
bridge, bat did not apprehehd any im
mediate danger; considered it safe for
trains we were passing over it | think
the bridge broke in about thirty feet
from the new pier in the second span;
my impression is a broken axle or
something aboUt the truck caused the
accident, and my reason for thinking SO
is that ties found in the wreck were
marked with the fanges of the wheels.
CIV ould falling engine or break
of the bridge throw car off the rear
end Of the train2
Al do not think SO.
Odd you notice the lemons of
the timber in the wreck? aud if SO,