New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-22
WHERE LIES THE BLAMEi
ENGINEER AND OPERATOR ADMITTED To
BAIL IN 81 900 EACH
CORONER LEVY BEGINS PRELIMINARY INVES
TIGATIoN Oh THE RAILWAY WRECK IN

THE PARK-AVE TUNNEL-THE LAST
BODY IDENTIFIED.
Coroner Levy, who has charge of the examina-
zion into the cause Of Friday mornings disastrous
accident in the Ncw-lork Central tunnel. at
Park-ave and Eighty-fourth-st., began pre-.
lminary investigation yesterday morning. The
Coroner announced that he intended 10 investl-
gat, the matter with great care and thoroughncss.
and that if it became evident that the officers of
the road were responsible he would issue warrants
for their arrest.
Louis l.. Fowler, the engineer of the New
Haven train that caused the accident. was brought
before the Coroner By Captain Carpenter, of the
East Eighty eghtl-st. station. Others brought
before the Coroner were William c. McAlanus, tr,
operator at the Seventy socJnd-st. si2nal-towcr;
Edward j. Brcene, operator at the Elghty-siAth-si
signaltOwer; John Franklin, conductor of the
shop train Charles Wellington. fireman on the
New-liaven train; John Reilly. engineer of the
shop train; Frederick Budway, engineer of engine
No. s, which hurled from the opposite track
by running into the wreck. and William NJ.
Craige, a brakeman on the shop train.
The courtroom was filled with interested rail-
road men. o. NJ. Shepard, j. 5. Schoield and j.
ii. Franklin, officers of the road were among
those present. Among the things the Coroner
will investigate will be what part the car stove
had to do in the matter The proceedings before
the Coroner were merely preliminary, and Tuesday
was set for the beginning of the investigation.
Coroner Levy will eplpanel a jury, and at IL 80
O'Clock on Tuesday morning he Will take them 10
view the scene of the accident.
Fowler's bail was placed at 81 900, and Will
lam c. McManus, the operator at the seventy
second-st. signal-tower, also arrested and
placed under 81 200 bail Fowler secured bonds
men at noon and released. Thomas Ford, OF
No. Sc East FOrty-frst-st., qualified for $4,000,
and Joseph q. Searles, of No. lOl Woodlawn-ave..
w-Rochelle, qualified for the other $4,000. Nc
Manus secured hail late in the afternoon. His
bondsman is John Barlinson, of No. l5l East
Forty-ninth-st. Fowler said In his report to the
superintendent of the road that he received the
signal of white light to go ahead at Seventy-sec-
ond-st McNlanus, who operated the signals at
that point says that the red signal was i'll position
at the time of the accident
letter was received yesterday at this Office
containing 500. clipping from yesterdays IT'D
une and brief note that bore no signature. The
note read: Contribution for the family described
in your paper to-day. Kindly see that 1t reaches
them" The clipping from The Tribune was
description of the family of Mrs. Nellie Supple,
who was burned TO death III the accident. HE
family live at No. jS9 ThId-ave. Mrs. Supple
was the principal support of her family. she
leaves "a husband and four sons ihe husband,
Richard Supple, was boatman, but he Is no"
out of work, suffering from paralysis. Only one
of the sons is old enough to work. lie IS nineteen
wears old. lie is car-cleaner, and worked Win
his mother.
Tribune reporter took the gift of 500 to the
family yesterday afternoon, and placed 1t III the
hands of the father. lie expressed himself as
thankful to the unknown donor, ana said ii would
be a great aid TO him, as he had not suhclcnt
money to meet the expenses of his wie's funeral
Mrs. Supplies body had not yet arrived at the
house Ii was in the MOrgue, and remained there
until O'Clock in the afternoon. when 1t was taken
TO the house. The burial will take place at ST.
Peters Cemetery, Staten Island, on Monday
The body of John Hancke, who was injured in
the wreck is still at the Presbyterian Hospital
where he died. The funeral will take pace al
the hospital on Monday. None OF the men re-
ported as injured appears to be dangerously hurI
They were all taken to their homes with 'he en-
eeution of Daniel NJ Culfred, colored COOK on
the dining-car, who was suffering from shock
He is at the Presbyterian Hospital but Will prop
ably be discharged to-day OF tomorrow
The last Of the bodies at the Morsue was dcnti-
fed Yesterday morning 1t proved to be that oil
William A. Zeilner, eighteen years old, VINO was
q fireman on the Central road lie was on Ills
way 10 Mott Haven 10 begin work when the accl-
dent happened. His father, Antoine Hellher' "en'
10 the Morgue TO look at the body because DIS
boy had not come home the night before lie ap-
pcared to expect find his son. for he had nrou9lS
an undertaken with him, but yet when the ia vi
the white pine box was raised ana the ou hid'i
saw that his fears verified he turhcd away
with pitifu despairine cry. Inc Dody was IT,
moved TO the fathers home al once, anu "iii w
hurried to-day in the Lutheran Cemetery. NoI@
nav
Morguc. ..-.:. ..,,.
= II plott of the Grand Central Station, VINO
hos cborce of all the tracks from the station 10
Mt Haven told a Tribune reporter yesterday
thai the wrcckagc had all been cleared away anu
that trains running as usual ne S'u C,t,,
the railroad people would 'horouem,h ~ tb3t he
The affair." Independent OF any ac'Ioh tn,U .'o
Coroncr night take. When asked III regard 10 tilc
nrrsent system OF signalling, and whether InG
experience of Friday ana no! p Tc Said tI' II
There has been no system OF lighting deVSeu
that would properly illuminate the tahh[' Oh
dark and fGsgy day III we w1ld certainly con-.
slider the ACCESSIBILITY of using it, Inc stofE tl1t
we have been in the habit OF rGhnlha oI"las IAN,
through the tunnels without headli4nlS - noe
true except in the one point that we ana not "sc
headlights in the centre tunnel on pIl4hl udAS'
Lights were always used on dark ana Io:HA u"H
bnwever and | believe that they were IN use at
tIo time of the accident. We always use head
lights in the side tunnels
Mr. Toucey, general manager oil the Ne"-iork
Central Road, said that it was considered IN
nracticablc TO have lights in the tunnel Nheh
the tunnel was dark the engineers could see the
colored signal lights more easily lie require
ments of the block system in use were such that
darkness was absolutely necessary. II another
svstem whereby the tunnel could he iighed were
emnloved. he said the steam from the locomotives
woul1 settle down upon the tracks on fogey days
md the air would become So dense that no Or
binary lis\t could penetrate it, The railroad
people were at one time considering the advisa-
bility of substituting for the colored lights sys-
tenn of discs such are in use in the open air. and
lighting the tunnel by ELECTRICITY. The plan was
abandoned, as it was believed that tn system