Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-05
MUCH MONEY AT STAKE.
EXPERT TESTIMONY TAKEN IN A SUIT
FOR DAMAGES
Men-Oue Case TO be Tried at Youngs.
towu-What the Gauges Showed Before

An Unlucky 18th for Several Railroad
Men-One Case TO be Tried at Youngs.
towu-What the Gauges Showed Before
Explosion.
Testimony taking was continued yester.
day before j. D. Watson, ESQ.,, Commls
sioner to take evidence in the suit of John
Mckinney against the Pittsburg and Lake
Erie Railway Company for $4,000 dam
ages for injuries received from the explo.
sion of engine No. 90 on the Pittsburg, Nc.
Keesport and Youghiogheny Railway, on
the 18TH of February last. The case is tc
be tried in Youngstown. Two of the ia.
nous legal firm of railway fighters, G. P.
Wilson and w. j. Terrell, of Jones, An.
derson & Terrell, were present.
Arlington Fields, ferryman on the
Yough between Suterville and Douglass
stations, testified regarding the quantity oi
water he saw about the scene of the explo-
sion, the prosecution combating the theory
of the Coroner's jury that the explosion was
due to low water in the boiler. Fields said
he saw 75 or 100 gallons of water that had
run into a hole; the ground had been cov-
cred with water Ior so ieet around, as it had
washed the frost off to that distance, and
it was still running in stream as thick as
his wrist from the tank through a pipe
which had communicated with the boiler.
Some of this testimony was objected to by
the defense.
Fields said he had examined the tirebox
and the boiler, and the iron appeared rusty
inside and scaly. The iron appeared to be
about one-fourth of an inch thick. This
said the water of the Youghiogheny was
so impregnated in that locality
that fish could not live in it. He said it
tasted like coal-pit water. only not so strong.
Objection was quite frequent on the part of
counsel for the defense, but the witness
story was taken down all the same.
John M. Ludwig, the engineer, testified
mInutely regarding his duties and service
on the morning in question. from o'clock
to the time of the explosion, orders re-
ceived, places, distance gone over,
places visited, tests OF water gauges
etc., remarkably succinctly. He said
he supposed the engine was put into COM
mission by the Master Mechanic of the
road, and the commission, according to the
certificate in the cab. allowed the boiler to
carry 125 pounds steam, and the pop, or
safety valve, was regulated to blow off ct
120 pounds. He said when the valves blew
off the engine is suppose d to be carrying all
lhe steam she is able to carry with safety.
He said the water gauge, pop valve, ETC.,
worked we'll on the morning in question.
He said he had tried his gauges within
ten seconds of the time of tine explosion, and
found three solid gauges showing at least
10 inches above the crown-sheet, and con-
sequently, water all around the frebox.
When he last tried the gauge. the throttle
valve was shut and the engine running on
momentum, the water was not foaming.
He also tried the gauge when the engine
was standing still, and the tests all showed
the same thing. He further stated that had
the water been down, the fire was SO low that
the crown-sheet would not have burned in
ten seconds
As Mckinley sues for $50, 900, Ludwig
for S25, 900, and as it is said the conductor
and the freman's wife will each sue for
S25 900, the case is one OF pecuniary interest,
and it looks as though it would be fought to
the bitter end.