New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-08
THE TUNNEL ACCIDENT CASE.
A STAY OF TRIAL OF THE MISUNDERSTANDING
TRIP ON A SPECIAL ENGINE.


A TRIP ON A SPECIAL ENGINE.
Justice Barrett in the Court OF Oyer and Terminer
yesterday granted stay OF the trial OF the directors
OF the New York, New-Haven and Hartford Railroad
Company perding decision upon motion which Is
to be made have the place of trial changed from the
Court of General Sessions to the Court Of Oyer and
Terminer. The argument upon the motion to change
the place OF trial will be heard Thursday April is
There was a difference Of opinion between John NJ
Bowers who appeared for the defendants and District
Attorney Nco about what the effect Of the stay grantee
by Justice Barrett really The Distrct-Auorney
declared that it only stayed the trial, while Mr.
Bowers maintained that it stayed all proceedings and
that the directors could not be called upon to plead
white the stay in force. Justice Barrett was asked
to rule upon that point but he said that the question
was not then properly before him and he refused u
decide it, The Judge Of the Court OF General Sessions
before whom this question comes will have to dispose
Of that part OF the
Chauncey NJ. Depew the president, and II. Walter
Webb the third vicepresident of the New York Contra
Railroad, led an exploring expedition through the
much talked-of FOurthave. tunnel yesterday Inei
party was composed OF reporters, and they
rode in one of those curious combinations OF loco
motive and observation car which look something
like an elephant with howdah on his back, but move
considerably faster, and are called Monitors" Inc
engineer, Dr. Nat Sawyer, who is one of the mos
drove the monitor up the west side tunnel and down
the middle one at speed reaching thirty miles an
hour Mr.. Depew's purpose was to give the news
paper men who have been writing about the tunnel
and seeing him about it and getting information about
it at second hand object lesson ip it, so lar a.
the unsled eyes of The Tribune reporter could Judge
the contention of the Central officials, based on the
INQUIRIES from experts and engineers that electric
lights confuse the signal lights, is just The company
Is experimenting with electric lighting In the western
tunnel and has row OF lamps of forty candlepo"er
strong at alternate distances of sixty feet on the sdes
Of the tunnel from Eighty nlnthst to Nnety-third-s
The air in the tunnel clear and good ana In to
twght-for the darkness of the side tunnels IS not the
hlackness of darkness-the Signalamps Sould DC
MAINLY dscerned far ahead. But when the electric
lirfs were reached the car pounded along ao ''e
usual rate at which trains are run through the ,un
the electric lights and the slgnallghs became pehues
in one long, yellow blur.
The monitor went out to Mott Haven, where IL "'is
trrned around on the turn-table in the yard anu
headed hack for the CITY, 1t made the return "Trip Dy
uav Of the middle tunnel, where there was ainioe
broad daylight from end to end. OF course the ooh'
d,t,ons were most favorable for the tunnel IL was
bright breezy afternoon with suspicion OF ios OF
damn IN the atmosphere But Mr.. Depew SAYS thao
on the mlrkest days as well the ob]ections " I
ehtinp according to his best information hOu, a'
Of course the danger Of accident lnvoVeu w any WI
fnson of signals Is immensely greater