New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-04
THE LONG ISLAND COLLISION.
A CONDUCTOR AND A BRAKEMAN BLAMED.


The bodies of the two victims of the fatal COLL
sion on the Long Island Railroad at Springfield on
Sunday lay in J. B. Everitt's undertakers shop
at Jamaica yesterday morning. Coroner d.
F. Everitt, of jamaica empanelled
jury and visited the scene OF the
disaster with the jurors at early hour. Then an
examination of the two dead bodies made. Before
noon Thomas Hart arrived at Jamaica from new
York identified one of the bodies that of his son.
John Hart of No. 924 Thirdave and took 1t 10 Now
York at once Early in the afternoon tho otnel
body was identified by III. b. Bolte, OF NO. o'o
Water-st as that of his son Henry. Mr. Bolte Is
milk dealer and his son. who was twenty-one years
old. delivered milk for his father. The young
man was near the door Of the teescoped car on tno
Far Rockaway train when the accident happeheu:
He was thrown forward among the broken seal'
and debris of the wreck and his body was fright
fully mangled His left leg was shattered IN TWO
places, his right ankle crushed into shapeiess
mass and his left hand cut oil at the wrist. De
died from the shock and from loss of blood MI
Bolte brought his sons body to the city for Durla
The inquest on the disaster will take place AZ
the Town Hall in Jamaica this evening. Coronei
Evertt could find no one yesterday who was near
the conductor of the Far Rockaway train ana tne
passenger with whom he was quarrelling wheh ho
stopped the train. The Coroner hopes, however
that somo of tho other passengers VINO
saw the affair will communicate with him and DO
present at the inquest.
CONDUCTOR AND TRAINMAN ARRESTED
The conductor of the Far Rockaway train, Oeorse
Johnston. lives at Jamaica He was arrested at his
home early yesterday morning on warrant issued
| by the Coroner and admitted TO bail IN
| So OOO his father being bis bondsman johnston
| refused to mako any statement in regard 10
the accident when he was arrested, Dut
on the night before shortly after the COLLISION ne
asserted that he had sent the tranman OF the rear
| car back to signal any following train This state
mept is contradlced by several persons passengers
| and railroad employees, who saw tho COLLISION.
| Johnston has been employed by the Long Isahd
Railroad for about three years. He served al hrst
| a. a ward man and for two years he has been
| freight train conductor. On Sundays ana specia'
| days he has taken charge OF passenger trains
Hi, superiors have considered HIM intelligent
| and Trustworthy. Coroner Everitt also Issued
| warrant for the arrest OF James Mccain III the
| morning McCann was the rear tranman OF the
Far Rockavay traiu and 1t was his duty to go BACK
with a red lantern and torpedocs to stop following
| trains 1t is asserted by those who saw the catas-
trophe that McCann did not go more than sixty ieel
| from the rear of his train The trainman lives at
Far Rockaway and he was arrested last night.
WHAT SUPERINTENDENT BARTON SAYS
| reporter OF The TRIBUNE found l. ID. Barton,
superlnteDdent of the Long Island Railroad, IN MS
office in Long Island City in the afternoon ana
| askod him who he thought was responsible for the
| accident.
| without any doubt Conductor Johnston Of the
Far Rockaway train is responsible for IT," Mr. Bar
| TON repled, land the tranmau, Mccain. shares IN
| the responsibility. l will tell you the story
| of tho catastrophe as l have 1t alter
careful investigation. The Far Rockaway
train which lett that place at 1880 o'clock Sunday
evening was made up of the engine and eight cars.
the last one of which was baggage and smoking car
| combined All tho cars were crowded. Not long
before the train reached Valley Stream, where the
| Rockaway branch of the road joins tbs main line
| Conductor Johnson got into Il quarrel with pas
| sopg.r about his fare The conductor sent train.
| man forward TO the engine with au order to nave
tbe engineer stop the train at Springfield which is
abont three miles and half beyond the junction ut
| vallev Stream. The conductor was entirely
| wrong In doing this because Springfield IS not
| rcoular stopping place for his tram aud he knew
| that the train from Long Beach would 1910" MS
train only four minutes behind him on the main
line. Besides johnson was one minute late, ana IL
| tina Ioug Beach train had been on time there would
have been only three minutes between the trains.
| All this he should have thought OF. HIS engineer.
Isaac Carleton, stopped the tram at Sprihgheld
Station The conductor should have seen 10 IL that
L,a rear trainmau went back with signals at
once Instead Of that. the station agent at Spring
sd tolls mo he kept Oh quarrelIng with tho unruly
ua,seuger. NcCaun. the rear tralnman' went Dack
Of his own accord about sixty feet. 1t was his duty
to RIM hack as far rs he could without waiting for
orders There is sharp curve just before Springfield
| station is reached and the brakeman should have
gone nj least 300 feet TO let his light SHINE around
| the curve. . -.... to.,io1 o,rs cor,c
rushing along one minute behind time from the
| innctlon at Valley Stream, where tho wnile sRhhi
was displayed, which showed that the hocka"ay
| train had gone ahead just ~ tho sharp curve Al
Springfield was reached Engineer ChafeS Claesgens.
OF the Long Beach train. saw across the curve lho
lights in the roofs OF the cars on tno lam LID
ia air brakes and whstled twice. The engineer on
Tho Far Rockaway train heard the warning whistle
| and without waiting for signal ifoh JVhhst0n'
nhicb did not come, he throw the throttle OF his
engine wide open and started his Tram. III 1au pis,
got under way when the crash came WIN tne nnta
~ mind the disaster would nave been vastly worse
than 1t was You know the result. :, The
/ smoklng-car was struck by the Long behcn
s enane was te!e,coped by the tender and baby
smashed but no ono Injured IN IT, me sihohIne
car ON The Far Rockaway train was hardly pr9iSou
o the end which was struck, but ITS front end te
escoped with the passenger car before ana III UNI.
car the deaths aud the M of about
~ 900 None of the trucks et the tracx. ram n1
G nnipjdred part of the Far h0cHaway Tram
o MS sent on TO Long Island Clly
| Tie injured passengers Wero put Oh
| hoard the trains which followed Immediately aho
were brought here. We had them taken 10 tnei
" homes 10 carriages. There was no delay 70 trane.
. nS tyo nsed the old South Side branch from Spring
4 | Geld 70 Jamaica The tender OF the Long Beact
engine was wedged 80 tightly into The wrecked ca
behind il that they couid not be pulled apart ano
var. J,apped here together We run 547 trains II
and out Of the Long Island CITY ana flat
| Lush Avenue Stations daily. many y
| them run on only three minutes Roadway ana al
| twenty -iive miles hour. do not consider tn "a
J, | d"vneyons We have 10 do it TO connect with TN
| ferry bOats."
y STORIES OF PASSENGERS.