The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-03
MANSLAUGHTER.
Official Investigation of the
Bridge Horror.
The Jury Finds That There Was Criminal Neg
ngence and That the Engineer Is
Gully of Manslaughter.

The official investigation OF the Oakland draw
bridge disaster was begun by Coroner Evers and
a Jury at O'Clock yesterday afternoon. u. 5.
Nalsmith, j. B. McChesney, Z. A. Heron, ID.
Rutherford, John Schumacher, J. l.. Lyon and
job II Won der Horst constituted the jury.
Curiosity from the outset was cenlered In the
engineers and freman's testimony. and the
throng at the Inquest seemed greatly dlSap-
pointed wien attorney A. A. Moore stated tnat
the RAILROAD company knew nothing about the
Whereabouts OF the engineer, further than mat
he had reported at the Office once since the ac-
cideut and had been instructed TO be at the In
quest and that prior to that lie was told to 60 to
Mi Walker Of the company.
The most important facts elected In the exam
o. fnaIion, III addition 10 what has previously come
10 light. we're such things as pertslned TO the
sueed Of running trains over The bridge, and es-
peeially as 10 the speed on the day OF The aecl
dent.
Tie first witness was Fireman Charles O'BrIen
man about 23 years old. He appeared trifie
nervous as his sandy hair and mustache glis-
tened in the sunlight that fell across the Witness
stand. He swore that the engineer and himself
had no conversations after they left the mole.
The engineer began to slack sneed by the small
bridge near the shir-yards. nearly quarter of
nile from the draw Soon after the steam was
cur on and not worked any more. lie knew that
Engineer Dunn had put GA lie air brakes and
reversed The engine TOO. Witness did not
see the dangeI-slgna, but lie saw that
Dunn was excited and That something was
wrong. He thought at first that the engineer
was drowned. He and The engineer had been
running Ihiee days on mat run. lie believed
thai Tie draw was closed when the engine left
lie shtp-yaldS, quarter OF a mile back. Inc
tender was run ahead Of the engine and was
-. barely moving when they went on Tie bridge.
In regard 10 the signal custom he SAID that
while flag WAS usually waved when all was
right. From his side he cannot see the danger
signal until nearly on tie bridge.
JuIoi Lyen asked The witness IL the engineer
ever squIrIed water al any other engineer, and
he answered no
To Juror McChesney-I have known Dunn for
three Years and / never saw him under the ln-
hUeAce OF liquor, nor do / believe lie was drink
Ing on The day of the disaster.
BRIDGE-TESDER DUNLAP.
Bridge tender Dunlap said that his home is on
THE bridge put out the signal IN due post
lion at 1877 Friday afternoon while The bridge
open for the yacht Juanita to pass. The bridge
was within sixteen feet OF being closed when
the engine went OF: In three-quarters OF MN
ute more the bridge would have been closed.
The engineer seemed to ignore the signal, al
though he was not coming very fast, either. The
Train was not IN sight when they began TO open
The bridge. On IefieclI0n, lie thought the engine
was coming at pretty high rate OF speed around
lie curve, SIX OF seven miles an nOQr.
lie thought the danger-1ag was visible.
ABOUT 300 feet bacE OF Tie bridge. IL was a Gus
tom Toy englneersto stop about 100 feet back of
the bridge before proceeding further He had
known OF cases when they ran pretty close aud
then slOuDed. lie had never seen train fail 10
stop before approaching the draw. AT the Alice
street Bridge ne-beliefed II was The custom for
tralps 10 stop, and on that bridge there are In
ttrlOckns switches. The Webster-street Bridge
Itself IS good signal when open, he SAID.
80 CONVENIENTLY ABSENT.
Fireman OBuen was recalled and stated that
tie engine was barely moving when it went over
The bridge and the engineer blew The whistle.
lit mad seen Dunn at The Russ House on Sunday
and Dunn told him he would be al the inquest.
Assistant Bfidge-tender John Levy Testified 10
substantially the same condition OF things sworn
10 by Bridge-teuder Dunlap. He had helped TO
open the bridge, where he had been working for
niue years III two rails more the engine would
lave stopped 1T The rate II was going Engines
were generally stopped about ten rails back.
the draw was fully 0uen for lie Juaulta before
lie saw Tie train coming He had never known
an engineer 10 run right on 10 the bridge without
stopping.
Ii. Bush, lonGshoreman who was on the
CascO, which was anchored close Dy saw The
locomotive make tie fatal Plunge. He did NOT
thinN 1t could have; been coming very fast, but
lie knew 1t failed 10 make the accustomed stop
before entering the bridge.
MORE CONFIDENCE THAN ABILITY.
James L. GenUng, who was on the third coach,
swore thai lie had run locomotives and that he
believed that Duuus' conduct showed him TO
have more Conscience than ability. He was
familiar enough with engines 10 know That
tile before The accident the air was Put - on :.
linen let of and afterward Du5 ,e-yy al ahe
was also reversed He thox5f s ne e1s ,,a
me plunsehe3 gs,PgsSSas i've or six miles an
l1e tu ne was thrown from the platform OF the
car by the jar OF reversing the engine. After lie
lell oil The QlQ not run It's length he thought
that the run aTOrfd the curve before reaching
tie bridge was about as fast as when the draw
is closed.
Conductor T. Fl. Davis said that the train was
on time, and ran al about the usual rate. He
talked with the engineer at Fourteenth and
Webster streets, and was sure that no whisky
was working on him. He thought that the
engineer did not see the bridge, and that was
lie reason Of the disaster.
lie read Rule 81 Of the timecard, which re-
QuiTes trains 10 run eight miles an hour over
switches ana bridges aud two miles an hour over
drawbrldges. Another rule was that engineers
must see that all is right before passing draw
bridges and ascertain beyond question that the
way IS clear. lie thought that the train APP
preached the bridge at about two miles on hour.
Tie witness was only temporarily on the road,
although he had been a conductor for twelve
years.
DID NOT HEAR THE WHISTLE.
W. c. Hutehins, the brakeman on the train
that day, testified that he did not hear the
whistle bit he applied the hand brake when he
felt jar. He thought the train was making the
usual speed when II went In and he fell III the
wafer himself
Edward Nelson, who was in the Juanita, testi-
fed seply to The fact OF the disaster.
Officer DUwney' and +. w. Knight testified as
to speed OF the train. They thought 1t Stacked
as II got to the curve but Mr. Knight who was
on the bridge and who intended TO get on the
tram, thought that II must be going more than
two miles an hour When 1t went oil, for he had
intended to jump on II and he thought the speed
too great