Morning journal and courier., 1886-09-18
THE CRASH AT SILVER CREEK.
A Plain Case of D1sobedience of
 Orders.

BUFFALO, Sept. 1.-The jury empanelled by Coroner Blood to investigate the cause of the accident at Silver Greek by which so many unfortunates were killed began their labors at o'clock this morning at Dunkirk. w. c. Bryant, c. E. Benjamin, train dis patchers; Henry Dow, operator at Dunkirk; Robert Gardner, operator at Angola; J. G. Cooper, conductor, and William Harris, en- gineer of the freight train, and J. c. Reed, fagman of another freight, were examined by District Attorney Ottoway- Their testi- mony tended to prove conclusively that proper orders were given the trains to pass each other at Silver Creek and that it was disobedience of these orders by the excur- sion train which led to the collision.
 William Harrison, the conductor of the excursion train, testified as follows: ''I was in charge of section of train 36 on the der received was at Dunkerth. I signed it and so did my engineer. Train F did not make it's time order at Sheriden. We met it at Summit. The conductor was standing at the Summit station and said would get layout, that No. 40 was broken and was east of Fernham. I supposed they were joking. When half down the siding pulling slowly looked at my watch to see whether the five minutes variation was up and could go ahead. They were due at 9:3O and we :. could not go until 9:35. A moment later I turned at tap on the shoulder and saw Flagman Reed of train fl. I asked him how he got there. He replied that he had come from Al to flag us. That freight he said had broken down east of Fernham in 'the hole.' They will hold you at Irving siding not any longer than they can help, he said. He said he was sent to flag us to hold up until they got there The impression was that they |. T l. 1oh had formed MT. Brewer, the engineer, and he said he had. We went ahead to Silver Creek. I went to the telegraph operator and asked if he had any orders for me- He had none. I do not know whether I gave sign to go ahead or not. I cannot remember. It was my intention to go ahead to Irving siding. Whether or not did give an order it was Engineer Brewers duty not to go ahead un- less he understood things the same as mine. I understood that the hagman was from train No. fl and that both train Al and train 19 were at Irving. He had no business at Summit. There was where the trouble came in. He should have been pose he had any orders from train No. 29. had no conversation with anyone at Silver Creek as to the propriety of going ahead. did not make any remark to anyone to the effect that l would go on and risk it. No. 29 had certainly right to pass No. Al, which it did, but l understood that No. Al had notified 29 not to do so. This it appears was not done, as the con ductor of fl did not think his fagman had gone farther than Irving siding. Reed did not tell me that he was unable to get off at Irving. I do not know where Engineer Brewer is at present." In answer to ques- ton witness said he went on from Silver Creek in violation of his "meet and pass" order, relying on the authority of having mo- tifed 29 not to proceed. After hearing some further testimony the hearing was adjourned until next Wednesday in order to have the evidence of the conductor of train fl and of 37, the train on which Reed, the missing fagman, rode to Summit.