St. Paul daily globe., 1888-01-31
Nine Young Republicans Or
ganiZe a Club and Select
More Delegates.
The Chamber of Commerce
Directors Again Discuss
the Jail Site.
Summary Of the Doings Of
Monday Gathered From
All Sources.
THE CAUSE OF THE WRECK.
Beginning of the Inquest on the
Death of NJ. l.. Saunders.

Beginning of the Inquest on the
Death of NJ. l.. Saunders.
Taking of testimony in the coroper's
inquest into the death of NJ. l.. Saun-
ders, killed in the cable line wreck last
Friday, was begun yesterday afternoon
at the undertaking rooms of Quinby 81
Abbott The examination of witnesses
was conducted by Coroner Quinn,
County Attorney Egan and III. j. Horn,
attorney for the street railway CON-
pany. William Caldwell, one of the
gripmen on the fatal train, and seven
passengers, many of whom showed
marks of injuries received in the acci-
dent, gave their testimony. 5. j. Gates,
of 450 Dayton avenue, and a. V. East
man, of 42O Selby avenue, told the story
substantially as published. Nj. u.
Brown, OF AIS Holly avenue, who
boarded the train at the power house,
testified that before the train left for the
down trip men We're at work fixing the
grip. AdOlph Rank, of 6O6 Dayton ave-
nue., who boarded the ear at the same
place, also testified to this fact, and that
one of the wOrkmen complained at
the time that he didn't have tools
to do the work properly. Finally,
the man who was examining the grip
said, Let her 90; guess it's all right"
The witness added: And as he spoke
it occurred to me that it was not quite
right. but | boarded the rear coach and
thought no more of it until we rolled
down the hill"
c. A. Barker, an employe of the Man.
itOba road, who boarded the train in
front of the Blair flats. testified that if
the brakes were applied they did not
produce any effect, and when the cars
PLUNGED DOWN THE HILL
be noticed that the wheels rolled, and
459 Dayton avenue, testified that the
cars stopped at Nina avenue, where
they came up witha sudden jerk, but
that they did not stop again at the top
of the hill. as usual, and he felt alarmed.
He saw the gripman take hold of the
lever which sets the automatic brakes,
but did not think they had any effect.
Assistant City Health Commissioner A.
=. HendrickSOn, who stood on the front
platform of the rear coach with young
Louis Robert. told the story with more
detail. He differed in several state
mentS with the gripman, Caldwell.
He SwOre that the last stop was made
just beyond Nina avenue. less than
halfway between Nina and Summit
avenues. when the cars jerked up sud-
denly, just long enough to admit pas
senger. When they crossed Summit
avenue they were running a little faster
than usual. He stood where he could
see the wheels of the grIp-car, and felt
no application of the brake at all. AS
they plunged down the hill the gripman
threw the brake lever and the car Jared
slightly, but sped on. Conductor North
was just stepping from the grip-car to
the coach when the cars broke away,
and Mr.. Hendrickson had hold of his
arm. The witness SwOre that the con-
ductor called to the gripman and asked
II he should come and help hold the
brake, and the gripman answered ''NO,
l can hold it." He does not know
whether it was Johnson or Caldwell
who replied, but the conductor repeated
his offer again and got the same answer.
The witness saw Caldwell and johnson
working the levers in the grip-bOx, but
is positive that no brakes were applied
to the rear coach, William Caldwell
fed that he had been an engineer for
twenty years, but that he had
NEVER HAD EXPERIENCE
running grip cars until the line opened
a week ago. He had been in the employ
Of the cable construction company since
September as foreman of the iron gang,
regauging the tracks. Johnson had
been employed in splicing the cable
and putting it through. 1t was his sec
Ond trip on the grip car and he was be-
ing coached and instructed by Caldwell.
There are four brakes on the train. The
automatic brake sets Oh every wheel
and is worked by lever from the grip
box. The track brake is also worked
from the grip box. 1t drops block be-
tween the two wheels of the grip car
and causes them to slide. There are also
two hand-brakeS. similar to those on
ordinary street cars. located at the front
and rear of the passenger coach. Mr..
Caldwell testified that he set the track
brake himself and that johnson set the
automatic brake, but for some reason
he did not know, they failed to hold the
train. Juryman Monfort questioned
him very closely regarding the working
of the grip oh the cable, and he was
forced to admit that it must have slipped.
If the grip had held there could have
been no accident. He said it required a
determined effort for one man to set the
grip tight enough so it will hold.
The inquest was adjourned until 80
O'Clock Wednesday afternoon, when eX-
pert witnesses will be sworn in the in
terestS of the cable company. Gripman
Johnson, Conductor North and several
more of the passengers will also be
called.
NOTES.
The funeral services Of the late Mr..
Saunders will be held to-day. Young
Robert is quite weak, but in a fair way
to recovery. All the others are out Of
danger.
Frank J. Meyst, who was injured i'm
the cable wreck, is in such a bad condi-
ton that visitors are not allowed to see
him. His knee-cap was so badly frac-
tured that it took two physicians sew
eral hours to reduce the fracture.