The Indianapolis journal., 1890-02-01
INQUIRY OF CORONER DOVE
Shimming Appears to Have Been the Di-
rect Cause of the MOnOn Disaster.
Witnesses Who Say the Road Was Defective,
and that They Have Often Seen the Tres
tie Shake Under Passing Trains.

Coroner Dove continued, at Carmel, yes
terday, his inquiry regarding the late
Monon wreck, the investigation not having
been closed Thursday night, as was stated.
1t was his purpose to close the evidence
then. but being solicited to hear other wit
nesses he consented. All the testimony
given. excepG that of the railroad officials
and employees. has been very damaging to
the company, and it IS stated that
the coroner will render a verdict fixing
the responsibility for the wreck on the
company, and strongly censuring it for the
faulty condition of the road-bed and
bridge. Much OF the additional evidence
submitted was in confederation of that
published in yesterdays Journal. bearing
mainly upon the condition of the track and
bridge.
ID. w. Roberts, of Carmel. testified that
he had heard section foreman McAvoy
say, q few weeks ago. that the curve at
Carmel was as bad as that at Nora. and
would ultimately cause a wreck
which would tear down the trestle.
f.. b. Murphy, who lives near the
bridge. testified that he mad often stood on
the north side of the track and seen the
trestle weave back and forth as train
passed over it. He had seen this last about
three weeks ago. The cross-ties just north
of the trestle were rotten-some of them
very rotten. Many ties on and near the
bridge were so unsouud that they would
not hold spike in place. The same wit
ness said he had heard section foreman
McAvOy declare tirat he had asked for
gravel and ties with which to repair the
rOad-bed, but could not get them. McAvOy
had said In his presence, two or three
weeks ago. that he was working in the
v.rrd khnt fhn 81 hoxv0 la0a
hauling gravel all winter.
l.. III. Stanley, Quaker farmer. said that
the road-bed was full of rotten ties. the
outer ends of many of which had rOtted Oft
and were entirely gone. Many of the piles
were not splintered at all by the collapse of
the bridge. but werei broken square of.
When the "shimming" of the rails was
done, shortly before the wreck.
der that the blocks of wood might
be placed under the rail. and they could
not have extended far into the blocks when
replaced. When the section hands arrived
and began repairing the track after the
wreck. they at once removed all these
blocks and put under new ties. The rail
that turned was the one under which these
blocks had been placed. The condition of
the road bed was very soft. and there was
no gravel ballast.
]. III. Davis, owner of the Carmel
houring-mills. was present when the
sectlOn-men began removing the 'shim-
ming" after the wreck occurred. They
threw the blocks over into a field near. He
cOrrObOrated other evidence regarding the
bad condition of the rOad-bed and trestle.
Thomas Carey and Il. q. BinfOrd. both of
Carmel, gave testimony of similar char
acter.
Francis McAvoy, section foreman, testi-
fled that he raised the rail whore the
"shims" were put in. There were about
nineteen ties under this rail, and he
thought there were sixteen or seventeen of
fho,, oh ua ri al fbo
clear. put the "shins" under and drove
the spikes in new places. There was
but one rail. which was thirty feet
in length, "shimmed" on that curve.
The shims were One-eighth of an inch
thick where the wheel went off the rail. If
the ground had not been frozen the shlms
would not have been put in, but they were
always used by all railroad companies in
lining up a rail. He was never denied ma
He if' considered it It the best best piece, piece
of track from Indianapolis to Monon.
shimming placed between the rails and
ties in the manner in which the work was
done in this instance was safe and skillful.
The curve was good gauge. and in perfect
Fred Hall, chief engineer of the road,
testified that the general condition of
the road-bed and track was as
good as the weather would permit
He had inspected the road-bed and track
at Carmel for line and condition, Jan. II.
| He also walked over it during October. 1t
| was then in good condition. The ties on
| that curve were in fair condition, with the
| exception of one or two, which were ordered
renewed. The repairs on the treste were
| made about Jan. 1. Bracing was put in.
| as we'll as new stringers. He examined the
| piling in October. and found the sap tim
| Der. in some instances. decayed, but the
| heart timber was sound He regarded
| oh tnn ha Safa n of mi
track in frozen weather. Every
railroad. he said. surfaces rails
with shims in freezing weather
| He examined the ties after the wreck. and
| saw that the spike.hOles in them indicated
double spilxing in nearly every tie.
| A. q. Wright. rOadmaster. testified that
he had charge of track repairs from Indian
| apOlis to Chicago. Whenever he needed
material he made acquisitions on the gen.
! eral superintendent and chief engineer
| The last requisition for that section was for
two cars of 200 ties each. which was about
thirty days ago. The ties were promptly
| frozen recently. and it would hardly have
| been prudent to put in many ties, but he
thought that fifty or sixty had been
| put in along that curve. One of the first
| things he did after reaching the scene of
| the wreck was to look at the trestle and
| track. The track was torn up from 119
| feet north of the trestle to about 800 or 400
| feet south. The track was up to gauge mp
1 TO the center OIL the rall Wnere 1t hrSt lett
| the track. There were about seventeen
| ties, all under one rail- that
| had shimming under them. and that
| was all the shimming used on that curve.
| Under the center of the rail, where the
| thckest shimming was, 1T was a good half
| inch thick. possibly five-eighths of an ipch
| running down TO very thin SHIN at the
end of the rail Shinming track, witness
said. was done generally in freezing
| weather.
This closed the testimony. and from it
| Coroner Dove will make up his verdict
| He was In this city for an hour or two yes
terday afternoon. having come down to
| take Wright's testimony, and intimated
| that he would render verdict unfavorable
to the road. The injured of the wreck con-
! tinue to improve.