The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-08-03
TN RAILWAY CIRCLES.
A Verdict Reached in the Webb
Accident Case.
WEBER NDosBoRNE GET THERE
The Garfield Beach Boat Club in Il State of
Ecstatic Bliss-Railway Accidents
for June-0ther Notes.

The coroners jury upon whom 1evolved
the duty of inquiring into the cause Of the
death of Louis T. Webb, the victim of
Tuesday evening, at the Rio Grande West
ern, met yesterday morning, but owing to
the absence of the engineer and fireman,
who had been summoned to be on hand at
that hour, an adjournment was taken until
| 2 pm.
AT that hour both were present, and their
testimony is given below:
w. L. Kinney am the engineer who
was in charge of train p, on the Rio Grande
Western at the time the accident occurred
by which L. T. Webb lost his life. I was
called to go out at $40 pm, about ten
minutes before leaving time The brakeman
told me he wanted to do some switching.
We made two or three switches, and the
brakeman then signalled to go ahead. l did.
so, and think the train broke in two.
HE sIGNALLED TO STOP.
And I did so, and remained stationary for
about fifteen or twenty minutes. The right
injector on the engine refused to operate,
and / was working on that when the con-
ductor came down and asked me if had
water enough IN the boiler to make a
switch. ] told him yes, and he then ordered
me to back up about a cars length. 1
waited until he reached the point where
the train was broken and then backed
up on his signal, stopping on another
signal, | suppose from the same man. L
again went to work on the injector, when
the conductor came running down and said
there was man killed under the cars. |
only backed once. They did not tell me
anything about the fact that they were
working there. I do not know how the
cars crushed back. The slack on several
cars would make difference of about
twenty inches. 1t was necessary to put the
lever in the back motion in order to get at
the injector. but this wOnld not necessarily
start the cars unless the throttle was open.
j do not remember that
THE CARS MoygR2BACR.
Conductor Mold did nj me there were
any men working undo cars. There
was no signal to the eff6l9 dat men were
working under the cars 1s Sere is no such
signal in the code that l lz1e of. I know
nothing about the coupdbo0oc,l% / did not
leave the engine, becauA&e had no bust |
ness to do so. In six,0l3 IN en- cars there
would be about fifiee1fsa 81 slack. l do |
not know whether the n was coupled |
or not On freight trains ssraight air is
used and ON passenger trains automatic. |
III case the nose a passenger train |
should break the train would stop, but in |
the case of a freight train the opposite !
would be the result. We were about Oh |
the level so far as freight is concerned. |
The air is never set Oil q train that is stand
ing still. My theory is that the slack may !
have
RUN down. UPON THEM
The fact that the injector was out of
ppdp,s H1Tp11lG hoIra mar
ence. If the engine did move back it |
was because the lever was on the back mo
ton; if it had been on the front motion it |
would have gone forward. | have been an
since January last, off and on. l |
passed an examination before the master
mechanic. Had been fireman and hostler
before that time. | fired for four years be-
foreI got an engine. The horses that were
in the car might have started the slack
j. H. Tucker-I know but very little /
about the case, although l was fireman on
the train which collided and caused young
Webbs death The engine was stationary
when ] returned from the roundhouse,
where had gone TO ask information rela-
tive to the injector. l was on the engine
when the report came that man had been
killed. The cars may have moved, but did
not notice them. l have no theory as to
what caused the cars to move. 1t is quite
possible the movement of-the horses in the
stock car may have caused the slack to let
out. 1t is customary to ring the bell on all
occasions when train is to be moved, even
though few inches only is to be covered.
THE VERDICT.
The testimony of these two witnesses
closed the evidence and after deliberation
Of about half an-hour. the jury returned a
verdict to the effect that the deceased came
10 his death from being crushed between
Two cars at the Rio Grande Western depot
On Tuesday evening at 9: 80, said cars
being moved by some cause to the jury
unknown.
WILL PROBABLY BE SUED.
The Rio Grande Western will probably
have damage suit on it hands as the
result of this accident Mr.. Rawlins, the
Attorney has taken quite an active interest
in the matter, and it was said by one of
the friends of the deceased last evening,
that he had become convinced that there
was what lawyers would term good fight
ing ground