New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-22
THE JACK WAS IN THE WAY.


TESTIMONY AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE
DISASTER AT QUINCY.
INVESTIGATION BEGUN BY THE RAILROAD CON;
MIssIoNERs OF MASSACHUSETTS THE
TRACK woRKMEN LOST PRESENCE
OF MIND AT THE SUDDEN AP.
PRoACH OF THE TRAIN.
Boston, Aug ol.-The official investigation into the
accident the Old Colony Railroad at Quincy on
Tuesday last begun at the company's Offices thid
morning by the Railroad Commissioners. The roouu
were crowded Chairman Crockcr stated that tie pur,
pose Of the investigation not to ascertain habi,
tes or what claims the injured may have on the ROAD
but to learn the exact cause OF the accident ana what
can he done 10 protect the public In the future Mr..
kendrick, general manager Of the Old Colony, said
that the wrecked train consisted Of locomotive and
ne and contained $40 passengers. Car No. 2G3.
in which the fatalities occurred had seventy passens
gers.
Mr. Steadman conductor OF the train, said that Just
bcfre the accident, While looking from the baggagccar
door, he saw gravel train approaching IN the other
track and gang laborcrs shift from that track
TO the one he on. The engineer nded the
danger signal, and the laborcrs Jumped from the track
lie then saw upright object about three feet high
directly between the rails OF his track. lie could nou
state its nature but anticipated trouble from it and
Immediately threw himself fat his face In thu
centre OF the The train jumped the track almost
instantly The baggage flew about the witness. and
he received Injuries As soon as he could get
out lie sent a back to flag the track and then
assisted in the work of rescue The upright object
IaIo had pan nj uorlt Ia
could not it until the men scattered The train
was running thirty miles hour, the usual speed be-
Ing thirty three at this point
]. T. Thomas, Of Quincy, conductor on the gravel
train heard the danger signal from Engineer BabcOck
on the Vineyard train. He saw track-iack standing
between the rails lie could not tell whether or not
IL was clamped to the track. Ills train had gons
some distance before he learned that the accident had
happened He had no doubt the jack caused It. The
tack found near the scene produced, but he could
not identify it.
joseph W. WEIGH Of Quincy section foreman, testi.
fed that he was ordered by his foreman to surface
upr the track Tuesday morning, and had nine men az
work with shovels ard a jack near the DimocA-st.
bridge He said 1T is generally perfectly easy to
remove the jack in instant when train ap'
proaehes When we are surfacing up track each
man is supposed 70 look out for HIMSELF and 10 re-
move his tools when train approaches. IL was the
lcthand rail Of the nwardboud track that was bens
raised The particular man assigned 70 lne JACK was
Michael Harncy He had never USED JACK oeiore
for ne but stated that he understood the work. ana
ON beuc tested on pulling ont jack, did 1t as quickly
as any one"
Michael Uarncy testified that he had been section
hand on the Old Colony road since Nav D. bat ha1 no
previous railroad experience lie had useh the JACK
under another boss. Witness sad III sometimes
takes two or three to get the jack out On Tues
dav morning il took three men 10 get u out Nas
af he
p,nocs.st bridge l did not know train was que
ard no one told me one due / LETT the hahd!e
OF the lack in and standing between the rall''
was facing the inward bound traln some men Dc
tween me and the bridge obsructed my vision. Sd"
the gravel train coming and the men passing TO ua
,n,,.ord track ~ avoid it, When / the inward
hound train tried to remove the jack, but was unable
70 do so They got excited and jumped. couiant
succeed in raising the jack The engine Was seven OF
eight yards from when l lunpcd' Sd" -"
lack struck by the cowcatcher and tipped to"afl me-
Then tie engine left the track. Aiter"aiu NsIn
the lack in the ditch. Before dark reported 10 uo
..c,ion foreman that the jack on the track
worried all that day on the road and until O'Clock tls
e1 e1 admitted that he ordered Iartney 70 hide me
lack lie received instructions 70 give rae nuSs,
They came from the radmaster NJ biy a H. Rryant
4 workman named Shea ch@a sara tnsi Pr SSyi
cave lie Instructions because he wanted te s'S.
so that il might used In the investigation WHICH 10
Ne" " Lande roadmastcr OF the Boston and Albany
fa.t ed
ior9rse "A lack was In lie would, OF course gs
ana r,s IL the track being raised some lilcies ~
iac vcrc ,,lng used near curve. the witness "ouI.
- ONT racs and he wOult surely do 80 u ne cguiu
~ eee about 800 feet along the track Ihere y
~ ,ic an tic Boston and Albany that u any track IS
nHtrrtcd fags. shall be sent ONT 70 ptOtece nv
,lnen and Ack is not considered an OBSTRUCTION.
w. Sid MT believe he had foreman VINO Wouu pu q
lack ON a track a: point and at a time "heh 'i"'"
- Jne and that too. on q curve -, - ...u,,,,
,nrye VI Rryant. foreman OF announcer gang "9r, III
.bo ,oint where the accident occlrrea teslneo wv
a. Ia ono other man stepped from the out ~
49, Tho gravel train came along to nc mNalu us
rive e4lar men Of his gang stepped on tle ~ VIZ
- II Dryant. division roadmaster' >a1 IL ~ q
r,ln If tho road THAI the man VINO Piaceu s6o,I
rostion should have nothing else TO 40: pu n,on,o,s
t9nd nv II all the time ready to move II al ioH'''
warning. -, .ho ,orar.I manager, Mr..
Vordrct II he had any testimony as 70 %ne'"'' NJ
AN rincor succeeded in setting the brakes, ,,, -
Kcndrtrll called James y. Lauder p 'Tecban,c
rciiinc stock who said that the master III. braSs
wills fold him that he had foand uc e,d ia ia
lever in the position where u Won %Uu" heen
knocked into that position by blow une setting Of
were 90 ont Of 100 that il was done by tne SCI ,Se
The brakes Chairman Croker then aeCia H. the
nnhlic hearing closed. with the exception ' psh
hoard would hear the statement OF the elsiheoi' "
cock as soon as he able TO give IT,