Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-14

WITNESa.
The inquest on the body Of James Jamison,
the engineer who was killed in the accident on
the Baltimore and Potomac road last night, was
held today in Lieut. kelley's room in the sixth
precinct station house. Coroner Patterson
arrived shortly before 2 O'Clock and few
minutes later the jury, composed Of W. A. Pea
cock, z. E. Wheat, W. II. Sleeper, Pat. Cusick,
j. b. Hunt, and W. II. whaley, was sworn in
over the body Of the deceased, which was in
the morgue.
THE FIRST WITNESS
was George W. Anderson Of 923 Biddle street,
Baltimore. He was the conductor in charge OF
the freight train which was in the collision. He
testified to having been stopped by red light,
or block as he termed it, at the Navy Yard,
where he laid until S:37, when the white light
WAS shown him and he went ahead. lie
knew nothing more until the collision
occurred, although he saw the headlight
OF the passenger train as il came toward him.
He supposed, however, that the two trains
were Oh their respective tracks. He was sent
out by the yard master, but had no orders
as to the incoming train. 1t was an
unusual thing for trains to come in on the
track on which the freight train was running.
The signal to go ahead was given him by the
operator at the Navy Yard.
The operator at the Navy Yard is named
Kramer. There is another signal tower at the
Is. and 0. junction just across the Eastern
branch, IN charge Of an operator named Ritter
busch, but as to the signals from that tower
witness knew nothing.
TESTIMONY OF SUPERINTENDENT MKEEvER.
Superintendent Daniel p. McKeever, of this
division Of the Baltimore and Potomac railroad
was the next witness. He was questioned as
to the signals commonly given to con-
ductors, and stated that red light
meant STOP" while white light in
dicated ''go ahead" The substitution OF
a white light for a red one was equivalent to
proceed unless thNconductor had orders not
to go ahead. 1Rains are run by tele-
graphic orders from the office of the
superintendent, which is located at Vii.
mington. In this case the track ordinarily
used by the southbound train was obstrncted
and the north-bound track was being used as
single track, the trains using it as such under
the orders of the superintendent, issued by the
train dispatcher; he also has his office at Will
mington. The yard master gets his ORDERS
from that source.
Eli Warner. a fagman on the freight train,
testified that they were stopped at the Navy
Yard by red block" that afterward they got
a white ''block" and went ahead 10 collision He
watched the white signal until the rear end OF
his train had passed the tower from which the
light was displayed. The freight train was no,
moving very rapidly when the collision oc-
Cured
Interest. which had slackened somewhat.
was aroused by the appearance of the next
witness, Z. III. Kramer, the telegraph operator
at the navy yard tower.
He is young man who moves around Oh
crutches, having lost his right leg.
He testified that the closing up of one track
was caused by the derailing OF car. When be
was informed Of that he Immediately notified
the Anacostla station TO block the track
/. e., not to allow any south bound
trains to come in. The Anacostia operator &c.
knowledged the receipt of that message; he
was the day operator.
The dispatcher at Wilmington told him
shortly before the collision that he had no fur
ther orders as to northbound trains, SO witness
allowed two trains to go north before he lie,
the freight train 60 because he had notified
Wilmington that the tracks were clear.
The operator at Anacostia allowed the
passenger train to come in ON the north-bound
track, and then came the collision. Witness
had the single track blocked and the Anacostia
man must have had orders from headquarters
to let the train in although witness thought he
ought not to because the track was blocked.