Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-01-21
THE nArnHoAD rro unsr ENDED,


More Testimony Given By various
Railroad OfficimlN-The Inability
10 See and Hear signals ON Acc
count OF the Storm.
The jnry of inquest in the case Of
Alyan i. Jones, George W. Black, George
W. Brinton and Henry w. Ahrens, who
were fatally injured by the collision on
the p, w. IL b. railroad In front of the
works of the Harlan & Hollingsworth
Company, on January 9th, concluded its
labors Monday evening.
Additional testimony was given by
Edward H. Coyle, engineer Of No. 10
engine; Oscar II. Mount, brakeman;
Frank Carlisle, trainmaster; e. M. Carter,
assistant yardmaster; Thomas b. Brison,
assistant stationmaster; Asa o. DEMO,
road foreman of engines, and Joseph III.
Virgins, fireman.
Mr.. Coyle reiterated his testimony that
he received orders to go ahead from
Assistant Yardmaster Cory, who said
that MIR. Carlisle had requested them TO
break through the drifts. He was sure
CORY gave orders to GO ahead and he
asked Hitchings whether he had gotten
his checks. Hitchins said he had not.
CORY then got on the engine and asked
was positive that Hitehings heard Gorry's
order. CORY said go ahead. He did not
say go to the west yard.
Mr.. Carlisle said CORY did not ask
orders from him after he got of the engine
nor did he give him any.
Mr.. Carter stated that CORY did not
come to him for orders and that he, too,
did not give him any to go ahead. When
i n..x1, mt safs nm m cd
him to go with the pay car.
Mr.. Mount said he heard the order for
engine No. 16 to go ahead. 1t was given
by Asa o. DEMO. He said he wanted the
engines to 90 out TO the yard. Witness
did not know to whom the order was
given. Mr.. Brison had asked MIR. DEMO
what he wanted done with the engines,
and MIR. DEMO had replied that he wanted
them to 90 out TO the yard. DEMO had
asked, Are you ready TO go?" and some-
body on the engine answered, yes"
DEMO then said, go aheadlh Mount
thought it was on the strength of this
order that the engine was taken out.
Mr.. Brison declared that he did not ask
Mr.. DEMO what he wanted done with the
engines and that Mr.. DEMO had said to
him that he wanted them to 60 out to the
yard. He did not think that Mr.. DEMO
gave any such order and could not see
why he would.
Mr.. DEMO testified that he put Engi-
neer Coyle and Fireman Virgins on
engine No. 16 at Z O'Clock, and that he
did not speak to them again that morn
ing, and that he had had nopreyious con-
versation with them as to where they
were to go. He denied Mounts accusation
and said he had no business to give any
such order.
Fireman Mount said he heard somebody
on the ground give orders to go out where
the derailed cars were and put them on
the track, but he did not know whom the
person was. He was positive that Mr..
DEMO had not given the orders, nor did
he hear an order TO go TO the yard.
DR.. Maui sent letter regarding the
condition of Cory, which was read. He
stated that the injured man Is slowly inn
proving but that nobody has been per-
mitted to talk with him about the disaster
as yet. For him TO appear before coro.
ner's jury at present he thought mightre.
suit disastrously. It would probably be
three or four weeks before he would be
sufficiently recovered to undergo such IN
ordeal.
attti hohboihui6 ieetitJ wv ho"tp VAN
jury unanimously adopted the following
1--WE find that Alvan L. Jones, George w
Brinton, Henry W. Ahrens and George
Black came to their deaths in collision
on the south.bound track of the P, W. q
h. railroad, between West and Justisor
streets, in the city of Wilmington, between
7.4O aud 7.50 u. m, on Saturday, January
9th, 1886. The cause of the collision cal
only be traced to conflicting orders giyeI
to Engineer Coyle of shifter No. 16. Con
ductor Hitchings having ordered him t.
Third street and Assistant Yardmastel
CORY, evidently unaware that the W. q
N. train was coming in on the south
bound track instead Of the north-boun
track ms customary giving the order to g
south ward as is the daily custom, AMI
that owing to the terrible storm of SNOW
and wind the engineers were unable Z
see or hear the signals given TO stop tn
south-bound engines"