New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-01
THE CORONER'S INVESTIGATION.

NEER AND OTHER TRAIN OFflClAlS- linz
FOREMAN WHO LAID THE SWITCH sAys-THE
INQUEST NOT YET CONCLUDED.
lFROM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
LONG BRANCH June 30--Ihe Coroners inquest
was begun at IL o'clock this morning, IN Van
Woert's Hotel by Coroner Jehu p. Cooper, OF Mid
dletown. The jury was empanelled yesterday, and
/ had visited the scene of the accident. The names
of she jurymen are Augustus g. W0oley foreman
Cornelius Wilson, Aaron Edwal s, Charles b.
Wooley Charles w. Seller, Edward SlOcum. Joseph
B. Parker Robert f. Durham, }. W.
Lane, and Benjamin Van Brunt. They
are all residents of this village where they do bsl-
ness. They appeared to be deeply interested III the
the case. Messrs, Durham and Wilson asking the
witnesses number of questions. State Senator
John 5 APPLICABLE of Red Bank, was present at the
inquest as counsel for the railway company, but
was no permitted by the Coroner to ask any ques-
tons Charles Haight County Prosecutor, was pres
ent as adviser for the Coroner. Ex-Governor Ran
dolph was a silent spectator but IL was I'M
derstood that he was there TO assist Mr. Apologize.
T. II. Walter of New-YOrk, attended the inquest as
friend of the Bradley family, who intend 10 pros
ecne the company.
Before the examination Of witnesses began, Pres
ident Little OF the NewYork and Long Branch Dyi-
son. addressed the Coroner and the Jury. lie said
am here say the company wishes TO give every
|
viii all witnesses VINO may be required We pro
pose any responsibility that may be Shown 10
be II the responsibility not gu s. we mean 10
ind where 1t does belong II any Of tne officers OF
the road wanted tney will come here at once
TESTIMONY OF THREE TRAIN OFFICIALS.
The engineer. George ". Clickner, was the first
witness called. &se made the following statement :
Weeft Long Branch time About halfway down the
hill, just before coming 10 the Occanpor dIawDridge,
Alter crossing the bridge Increased H. and reached
Parker's Creek gong at about thirty five mics
and l nothing the mater with the
budge. The eltnand driving wheel left TIE TRACK
as We strucA point OF the switch. | did not IL
the nre.uan .Od ne. snut oil ST an, put on the brakes
and reversed the engine The wheel on my SIDE was all
ugnt thai on tue nrelnans side went off. The tender
came Oh after the engine looked DacA ana saw Tue
baggage jumping OH and tnen tue Oter cars et. the
track We nad Westing ouse automatic air brakes ON
tnc train Tue brdg : nearly GOO feet long
saw that the prOr going, ana threw the bar
forward and ahead again. tnus pulling the paIIOr
car up again. II hdd not done 50, my engine would
nave stOppcd sooner t.ah 1t dIl.
V-Wha, 40 you ,hink caused the train To leave the
ra.ls Al think ne rais spread That Is not COM
mon occurrence lid not nOtlcc now many spikes were
IN the rails. Other trains went over before niue ana
may nave sprcal rails. The brakes were Ia good
hour in the length of tue BRIDE; going twenty nye
mics hour IN Its own length have never had to
stOp train gong thnty-nye miles an hour before.
nave been al engineer SINCE ISL could not tel
whether the train heayly loaded nor whether the
rear car disconnected rom the air brakes
AT this point Senator Apologize asked permission
to mterrogate the witness. but was refused by the
Coroner.
Charles S. Tuck, the conductor, was the next wit
ness. lie cOrrOborated the engineers statement in
regard to the speed OF the train Oh reaching the
bridge. lie said further:
was the steps OF the next car to the last
lcf the tracA. think we we're then about two car
lengths bridge The brakes were applied before
steps aud pected would stop. We nearly
stopped when We we1t over was on The west side OF
lie car ana went with it, think ran five
Lengths between the uIle OF going of tack and go
sa nu1la dawn
went into the water and If tue train had held together
thnk II would have stopped before 1t crossed the bridge
1 assisted ia carr lug out the Injured IL Is
my Guly 10 see tnat the brakes are connected
Was leaking and it was left on that account
/ think the train could De Stopped III twice It's own
ee long IL should stop sooner when OF Tue track The
train Vas unusually light that morning. There were
exactly many were III the train have been con-
duetor Tor nfteen years
Charles If. Foster. fireman of the engine said
We were running between thirty and thirty-lve miles
All hour. l sitting IN the cab looking out OF the
window. As We went on the br,se IN back dnyer on
ous sake, sop ner :" do not tnlnk mad hen
more than ten feet on the bridge lie applied he
brakes snut oil steam aud reversed the engine. then
went over TO the nsht SIDE OF the cap;
| lien iluped of aud ran back to tne smOkiug-car,
which was the water helped To pull out two men
Jumped INTO the and hted them ul. 1 heard that
they we're Mr. bradley aud Mr. Woodruff was told
mat one % the helped out OF the window was
(,c.crnl Grant Alr bradley UNCONSCIOUS. MIR.
Wood IN soel,d to nearly drow nod let the place
ON ly Il, zinc whe 1t Dern pat back the track.
nc engine ABOUT twenty ioet beyond the bridge
wien IL stopped
ACCOUNTS GIVEN BY BRAKEMEN.
Henry Combs testified as follows:
am a brakeman the Long Branch Railroad. and
have be, brakeman for seven years Degdn work ON
III VISION June. Was brakeman Oh tue
o. tain yesterday morning. Tue an brakes were
tha car ana wcle snut OH the % Under
leaked aud the air escaped. lie leak was nist |
iounu yesterday morning. heard no wins le ap
pfotcrd Palkrs Creek bridge; II would have Deea
ii-,rss To DOw brakes engineer had them
In ais Mden the alIbFakcs are Ou OF Oruer
n IA cus omar, Tor the engneer brakes but
- y
LOT know whether or not the engineer knew That
the brakes OuE Oh Order. told the
conductor nOrilng, and also That had cut
on The rear lie sand IL was all right me brakes on
tue other ears sufficient to stop the train. do
not know when my car ien s the ""e T.
Train following looked al the rail TO where the
train had le track found one raj broken. had
10 looA hastily. returned To the briAge after putting
our signals III minutes. could not tnat
the rs were taken OFT On irst going over the bridge
tt,,lrht Jaw "A broken rail; the loOK ed Though
the bridge side OF the frog. All along tue bridge the lett
hand raj going north was showed aside
er, spit aud the spikes haa been torn out OF them.
heped gel MT. GarrisOn out OF the water Ny business
called back 10 nag approaching trains lie con
aucJOr orders TO watch coming engines and let
them come the bridge as 40 safe know that
the brakes were applied " tue Train
felt The brake next the rear ear ana IL
WAS light The brakes hard. | told the
conductor Point Pleasant just before started that
the on Under leaked. applied the hand-oake as soon ss
and tnen reached To the brake Of the ahead
see the arDraKe Tne uistancs FROM one brake
" the other was about Two leeL Inc rear canvas
about one-third aoross the bridge when II went on