New-York tribune., 1883-06-06
BRIDGE OFFICERS CENSURED
VERDICT IN REGARD TO THE ACCIDENT

VERDICT IN REGARD TO THE ACCIDENT.
TESTIMONY OF Mr.. KINGSLEY BEFORE THE coRo-
NERs JURY-THE BRIDGE NOT PROPERLY
POLICED.
The inquest conducted by Coroner Martin into
the death of the twelve persons who were killed on
the Bridge last week was concluded yesterday. The
principal witness was w. c. Kingsley, acting pres-
dent Of the Bridge trustees. He said that he was
| out Of town when the accident occurred, and did
| not hear of it until the following morning. He
| added:
Regarding the cause Of the panic only know what
haze Learned since % my return @ There were twenty two
consider competent for their position They receive s2
iected most Of them from the several hundred men
in the employ of the trustees We were all surprised at
the whole matter s Was proOemstos We never tSoasSt
that the number would exceed $4,000 or G0000 day,
in one day On the day Of the accident there only
10000 To have employed more policemen would have
there been fifty more policemen on the Bridge last We'd
nesda they could not have averted the panic 1t must
made ma to do the work Of two or three Perhaps the
promenade should be WIDER and If we were building
another bridge, with present experience we might
| make many improvements.
| Mr. Kingsley then explained the necessity of the
stairs and gave it as his judgment, after the sad
history of last week, that they both necessary
| and the best method that can be devised to make
the rise of ten feet for which they were built. he
| said 1t was possible to increase the width of the
roadway but lie was not prepared to say that II
either feasible or advisable. The weight of the
| Bridge he said, was about $4,000 tons, while it
was estimated that should the footway, roadways
and railways be filled with people the additional
| weight would be 5000 tons. while the strength of
| the Bridge in its weakest part-the anchorage-was
| $4,000 tons.
Coroner Mastn-Mr Kingsley; was everything in
Mr.. Kingsey-We certainly thought so or we should
| Coroner Martin-Before the cars were prt in use
should the promenade have been subjected TO such
Mr. Kingsley-That question OF personal judgm
The people were clamoroIs to cross the Bridge we
| would be so many desirous Of crossing 1t.
Juror Hilgenburg-f three days before. single man
prevented panic why could 1t not have been prevented
Mr. KingsIey-Becapsc that man discovered that there
an unusual crowd and opened the roadway for the
surplus passengers.
Detective-Sergeant Charles O'Connor, who was
detailed on the Bridge on Decoration Day. was
when the panic occurred He said that he thought
| ten uniformed policemen could have prevented the
| crush. j. B Birchuf of No 52 Sandsst., Brook
lyn, who on the promenade with two little
children detailed his experience, stating that he
| was convinced that the policemen near him did
moro to increase the sense OF danger and to cause
the crowd to rush on toward the stairway than any
one else on the Bridge. Testimony was read from
Charles Wetling. of No $50 Grsnd-st of this city,
and John j. Hcnnessy, OF No. 100 Unionave.
Brooklyn.
Coroner Martin, in giving his charge to the jury
stated that he had subpenaed several witnesses,
engineers and others competent to testify TO the
safety of the footway, who had not appeared. Con-
tinuine his address, he said:
The testimony OF superintendent Martin proves con-
b. my su o1essd 5es ine on Dse @ x' Sv NP n
opened then am sure don't know There was no
teegaphc communication between the two cities and
the police force was inadequate. And, then the men
only receive ~ day IL cannot be that men OF ntell
accept such pay If they would people OF New-York
and Brooklyn don't want such salaries paid [slght
applause by two three nror The proa enadc is not
sufficiently wide. II should inmy judgment. be twenty
fvo feet wide. And there should be railroad the
jnrynen There Will fear, De another calamity. The
2 grk hat nf gs and ey .RS be pro
teced Unless sOmeing IS done the people should rise
OF the Jury feel confident that you will render q
diet which will be satisfactory both 10 the people OIL
Nsw-York and those OF Brooklyn.
The Jury were out about an hour and returned
the following verdict, when they were discharged
by the Coroner:
We the jury in the OF George Smith and eleven
Others who lost their lives The New York and Brook
yn Bridge. on May 3o 1888, hnd that they came tC
their death through sufocaton by being tramped upon
In view the above fact nd the trustees and officers
were repehensibo In not having the Bridge and its ap
proaches properly polced, and particularly at the steps
Had this Important matter received tue care
fu attention OF the managers OF the Bridge, TO which
Was entitled the vast throng upon the struc
resstnS in the death Of twelve persons averted
And lind that the construction OF the ootway anC
steps OF sufficient capacity for the accommodation
OF passengers The trustees should not pass tt
disaster over special dispeusation and not likely e
repeated but give their serious attention To the prop
! lem Of making the promenade absolutely SAFE
; Fewer persons crossed the Bridge yesterday ac
cordng 20 the statements of the gatekeepers thar
ON any previous day. The few who did cross In the
afternoon were mostly visitors from the country
!: No mistakes were reported. The policemen wer
made happy by the announcement that after TO-DAY
their days would be shortened from twelve to eigh
| hours. 90 -,
: | Twenty-firstst, the young woman who suffered
nervous shock In the panic on the bridge. was mucl
. | improved last night. She has entirely recovered
n consciousness, and her physician says there Is u
q doubt of her speedy c0nvalescence.
+ Workmen were putting mating on the steps OF
the New York approach of the Bridge last night
There was q large crowd on the Bridge enjoying th
. | delightful breeze.
WHAT MR.. KINGSLEY AND MR.. MARTIN SAY
Mr. Kingsley said last evening OF the verdict: :"
. have nothing to add to what have already said.
WAS examined for an hour and half this Afternoon
and covered all the points brought out in the find
n ing of the jury. had supposed that Coroner Mar
. tin would have experts placed OH the stand-peop'
other than the Bridge authorties-n order to ascer
tain their opinion of the structure. etc have nc
h fault to find with the coroner, but that was m.
supposition have no opinion to express Oh tn
nature of the verdict"
g Superintendent Martin said: g anticipated SOM
such verdict yet still adhere TO my original views
, | Had | the police arrangements TO make again,
| should do as | did. The same men who were OF
duty at tho time Of the panic passed l60 600 peop
over the Bridge on Sunday. and over lo0oOo oi
O Tho dav before was on the Bridge both days ant
| watched the crowds carefully aud made the bes
Z arrangements knew how to make. could do N
more now. II had known that panic on was 10 oc
nocemen on hand. AstOrthe capacity or the Drlug