Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-01-14

@-~N%-
then left my position in front Of the
engines, which were then standing at the
water plug at Poplar street and had just
finished taking water. / left there with
the intention of going into the dis.
patcher's Office 20 make arrangements for
the w. & N. train to come in. When /
got TO the top of the stairs leading
10 the dispatcher's office l met
Assistant Trainmaster Pettyjohn. He
said. stNed, I've let the W. & N. train
come in,n Every we'll" / said, 81 was
Just coming to make arrangements about
it.n / then turned to come down stairs,
when heard the two engines pass. 1
knew there was something wrong, some
thing going on that | had no knowledge
of. leaped down the stairs, and when
/ got to the bottom or the stairs the rear
engine No. /, was just in front Of the
United States Hotel steps. called to
them as loud as 1 could, throwed
my arms up, made every effort
in my power TO stop them, but un-
fortunately the engineer wasn't locking
my way. / followe.l them right out the
street, and before had hardly passed the
United States Hotel it was impossible for
me to see them. The snow blinded me,
the steam from the engines made things
so indistinct that / don't think l could
see scarcely 10 feet. followed them ont
in the street, heard the crash, and then
went on and rendered all the assistance 1
could. was the first man on the scene.
Curtis Kirk, one of the train-dis-
patchers, was then examined. He testi-
fed that his hours of duty ore from HOB
d. m. until 7.30 o. m. He continued:
/ have the general supervision of the
movements of trains over the road while
/ am ON duty. We had been blocked all
night. A blockade had occurred and the
night lines had 10 use one track. About
7.2O in the morning the w. N. asked
over the wire from the west yard if we
could allow them to come in to Whining
ton; that they were waiting there. / in-
structed the operator to tell them that
they would have to see the yard-master;
that he was handling the trains
in the yard. A few minutes after this
asked the question what was being done.
The operator at the west yard answered
that the W. u N. train had left and gone
up the track somewhere he couldn't see
1t. In few minutes he again called us
and said that the w. q N. was there and
wanted to know if something couldn't be
done to get them in. told them to see
the yard-master and get permission from
him. / algo told the yard.master to let
us know when they were ready to come
in. Mr.. Pettyjohn, assistant train master,
was in the office at this time. / spoke to
him about the matter; told him that
thought he had better go down stairs
and make arrangements aboutthe w. " N,
and see that they were gotten in properly.
| My relief, Mr.. Aydon, came in about this
time. We consulted together about the
| trains and the condition of the road, and
then turned the office over to him. ALI
| this was between 7.15 and 7.30. Aydon
came in about 7.20 or 7.25. After that /
| took a seat in the office and remained
| there until about or $50 in the fore
| noon. This was done to answer any
question Aydon might wish to ask in
reference to trains which had been given
orders before he came ON duty. But l
| did not take any part in the movement of
| trains at this time.
John w. Aydon, train-dispatcher, was
next examined. He said: L am on the
| day turn. My hours are from $50 Il. m.
till $50 p. M. Saturday morning 1 came
| to the office about 7.20 or 1875. Shortly
after came in telegram came
/ from the west yard, which said ; "West
| yard wishes to know what you are going
| to do with the w. & N. train" Kinks
answer was, "Tell west yard to arrange
| with them to come In, and let us know
| when ready" A short time after that,
while l was getting the general run OF
trains on the road, which were late,
/ Operator Norris, in the train-dispatcher's
office, who was working with west YARD
/ at the time over the wire, said
1.-THE w. q N. train is ready tc
come in" That was addressed to Assist
ant Train-inaster Pettyjohn. Pettyjohr
said to Morris, ''Tell west yard to let the
w. & N. come in" overheard the re
mark and said, Hold on!" and started
for the tube which runs from the train
dispatcher's office to that of the station
master, Mr.. Gookin. said, "Doei
Gookin understand to hold trains p
Pettyiohn said, 'John, that's all right
it's understood Gookin understands
am going down stairs myself" and snit
to Operator Morris, "Tell west yard Il
let the train come" which he did. Petty
John started out of the office and don
think he had been gone NOR,
than minute, If that long
when he came back and said .See if tn
w. u N. train has left west yard; tw,
shifting engines have gone out ON TIL
south-bound track" Operator Norri
called up west yard and asked the ques
!, ton, and they told him that the train ha,
left. 1t was about TAO n. IN. when tn
engines passed French street. gave N
, orders whatever in regard to the move
J ment of the w. & N. train.
l naNIrt,. knC4ffsad, am ctntinr
! master at the depot. 1 came to the sta
tion between and 7.30 i'll the mornin
! and went at once to starting out the az
commodation trains. Mr.. Carlisle sal
; | to me that the w. Il N. would use tn
e south-bonnd track between the passenge
r station and the west yard. Then / n
I. ceived an order from the dispatcher
0 hold all south-bound trains for orders.
was then near the north end of the shet
: The storm was very severe, an
+ when / received that order l starte
S toward the passenger station an
e turned near the baggage-room to go
e my office to get into communication wit
the train-despatcher through the speal
i ing tube for the w. e. N. train. At tn
n moment heard the two engines cominl
y They started from Poplar street or mel
e there. went to the southwest corn
8 of the shed and made the usual signal
1t hold on, shouting, "The W. d N. train
Ie on that track / raised my hand in til
G. way Cillustrating) and never have know
D. it to be disobeyed. They were about &
10 length of car from me. was about
1t feet from the track. l repeated Il
he signal until they passed m
e. kept my hand up all t
m time. The smoke, exhaust steam al
ie snow was beating down and didn't s
st them after they had passed French stree
Y. / heard the collision. The wind W
ne blowing toward me. saw the head e
rs gineer from the side window. l dol
ne think he could have seen me, for if
in had he would have stopped. thi
at there was too much noise for them
ur hear me holler. think the engine v
NJ slipping at the time, and there was &C
ed siderable noise. / have been static
re master since 1862, and never saw al
as thing worse in the way of storm
xix Wilmington.
he Roy Hitchings was then examined a
at testified: / am a conductor of shift
at engines,I came on duty about 40 Sat
TO day morning, and met L. NJ. Carter,
eft yard-master, Mt the Third street yard.
EN- told me to go down to the depot and
an lieye Conductor Sidwell, who had been
of duty all night. went down as ordel
I've and saw Mr.. DEMO working with
he engines, running backward and forwi
in. on the south-bound track, trying
the break the snow in front of the depot
out tween French and Poplar, l went up
the MIR. DEMO and told him that
'ok orders to take engine 16,
zen 90 70 Third street for