New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-25
THE ENGINEERS TESTIMONY
roWLER'S STORY OF THE TUNNEL DIS
ASTER.
THE CORONER IMPANELs A JURY N BEGINS
THE INQUEST IN THE CASE OF THE
RAILROAD COLLISION.

RAILROAD COLLISION.
Coroner Levy began yesterday the inquest in
the Fourth-ave. tunnel disaster of Friday last. by
which six persons lost their lives. The hearing
was set down for 10 80 a. m, bat as only six
jurors appeared out Of eighteen summoned by the
Coroner, an adjournment was had until > p. n.
Meanwhile the Coroner's messengers were sent
after the absent members Of the panel. Inc
failure TO impanel a jury in the morning mace
the Coroner somewhat anxious, and for a WINE
in the afternoon il looked a little doubtful
whether the case would lie begun. Several jury
men begged to be excused, but the urgency OF the
case would admit of no lcniency toward any
Finally a jury of twelve wa formed as follows
John ID. Crimmins. contractor; Andrew MILES,
president of the Dry Dock Savings Bank: George
G.. Williams. president of the Chemical BANK
David R. Willis, William II. Wickham. j. Seaver
Page. Jordan l.. Mott, Gustav II. Schwao. Julian
NJ. Elliot. Isaac v. Brokaw, Isaac Hamburger
and Schuyler Warren.
Carl SchurZ, one of the iurymen summoned
sent a doctors certificate of sickness and was eA,
cused. Oscar S. Straus. William Steinwal ana
General Floyd ClarksOn, who had been snmmoneu'
were not present. Frank LOOMS, assisted oy !"
A. Place, appeared for the New-iork tehlrdl "a
road. the Grand Central Station and William wv
Manus and Edward j. Breen. the sisnain'n
Henry W. Taft represented the New-forN' -""
Haven and Hartford Company and the ehsi"eei'
LOUIS l.. Fowler.
Assistant observation-disclosures Lynn said he was
present in the interest of the people to ASSIST III
making a complete investigation into ali o0
causes of the disaster. The Investigation Was ~
he made not only In the interest of the frlehuS
of those killed, but in the interest OF thous'h"'
and millions who would be called upon TO pass
through this tunnel.
The only witness Of yesterday was Louno
Fowler, the engineer of the outgoing tralh' III
his direct testimony he stated that he had oeen
an engineer for eighteen years. and was employed
by the New-York, New-Haven and Hartford Kali
road Company. On the morning OF FEBRUARY ~
he left the Central Station on time. Il pro-
cceded toward New-Haven,' said he, "and as L
came to the tunnel l asked Charlie, the fireman,
10 look out for signals, and at each signal he
said. Nj is right. Lew At Fifty-ninth-st. the
track was clear. The distance signal before reach
ing Seventy-second-st. was all right. and | had
10 stand out of the engine TO see it. When at
the home signal at Seventy-second-st l was on
the lookout and saw the signal when it was at
my steam chest. Again came the report. All
right, Lew from Charlie. l stepped to my place
on the right side of the cab. and soon / reached
the Eighty-sixth-st. distance signal. and that
was all right. The distance from there to the
home signal was about 200 feet, and half way
between the two we were on the shop train"
On cross-eXamination the engineer said that
he knew of no train ahead of him, and he Thought
lie was making about twenty-five miles an hour
at the time of the crash. His fireman had been
with him but three months, and he knew little Of
him. His train was known as a local one, and
coal had always been used, and he had reason
10 believe that the same kind was used on the
Central. The engineer explained the
block system of running trains, and said only
one train could run in a block at the same time.
One block was from Fifty-ninth-st. to Seventy
second ST., and another from Seventy-second-st.
10 Eighty-sixth-st. A white light at the entrance
Of a block meant that it was clear from all OBJ
and a red one meant danger. The
in the tower was the one
to give the Light orders to the
AS a safeguard, there was
another signal-lamp, called the distance sig
nal. which was placed 1000 feet from the home
signal placed at the entrance of the block. Here
a white light meant a clear track, and a blue light
meant look out for a red light at the next home
signal, and the speed Of the train was at once
lessened. Fowler said that on entering the block
at Seyenty-second-st. he did not see the white
light until within thirty feet OF il, ana IT was not
often that the fog III the tunnel permitted an
engineer ~ sIUR IL at any bICutI otuA
The engineer further testified that he had not
seen any lights on the rear Of the shop train, and
he thought he should have seen them had they
been in their place. lie doubted whether tue lights
in the coaches could have been seen. The fog
on that morning was a little denser than usual.
From The engineers testimony 1t appears that The
trains are compelled TO make an average Of thirty
miles an hour. The time allowed from the station
to y-1ifth-st., a distance Of
four miles. was eight minutes. When a train was
stoned the brakeman on the rear Immediately
hack | 600 feet with a red lantern. IOI-
were also used in such an instance NO
matter what the signal given the engineer must
be governed by it. In passing a red lshs
a bell is always rung. Such must be the case, as
the engineer testified that III the darkest places
in tie tunnel he could not see ahead more than
five feet. 1t came ont in the evidence that the
engineers are supposed to see for themselves each
signal. The fireman also keeps watch as a second
safeguard against accident. On this morning
had seen all Of the signals himself EXCEPT
the home signal on entering the block at Seventy
secOnd-st. This he could not see. but his fire
man said that all was clear. He had, however,
seen the last White light just before the crash.
"n YOU had seen a green light at the distance
lamp this SIDE OF Eighty-siXth-st. would YOU have
stopped ?" asked the Assistant District-Attorney.
Il would not have stopped ! would have re.
1uced my speed and run about ten miles an hour"
$50 there was no system that would have told
you that the train was between you and Eighty
Have YOU been tested for color-blindness ?'
"Yes: and have a good certificate.
The witness could not swear that his headlight
was burning, but said il was all right at the Cen
Station. There is a rule compelling engineers
70 have the headlights burning in the side tun-
and in the main tunnels in the dark portions.
lie said that whistling and the ringing OF bclls
was prohibited in the tunnel by a city ordnance
md Iyorkmpn on the track had no means OF know
NC Of the approach of a train. .
The Coroner's court was adjourned shorty atter
a m. The Jury will meet at Ei2hty-siXth-st
= + ar r. view tbe scene of the wreck.