Morning journal and courier., 1891-02-28
SIGNALS IN THE TUNNEL.

Light Was Visible - The Hear
Ing Before he Coroner-Telegraphe
Rreen's Testimony-what l.. w
Ames Said.
NETWORK, Feb. 27.-The inquest on tn,
six victims of the railroad collision in thu
Fourth avenue tunnel a week ago to-da,
was continued before Coroner Levy at II
| o'clock this morning. John Jones of No.
1851 First avenue, a track-walker on the
tunnel tracks, first testified. He said thai
just before the New Haven express train
approached he observed the "home 81 gnal'
and it was red. He then went into the
Office of the telegraph operator, McManus,
and again saw, a moment before the acct
dent occurred, that the light was red. II
was clear enough in the tunnel for him to
see the light distinctly, although he had at
other times seen it palmer. The distance
| from the operators Office to the light was
| about 175 feet. Notwithstanding the fog,
| steam and smoke he could see that light,
he repeated, and it was red both before
| and after the passing of the New Haven
| train.
In reply to Mr.. Lynn, assistant district
attorney, the witness said ne had talked to
Mr.. Platt, the superintendent of the Grand
Central station, about his knowledge of
the accident He had told the same story
to the superintendent and the jury. In
conclusion, the witness remarked that the
operator was faithful and competent, so
far as the mechanical part of his duties
was concerned. The coroner asked if any
railroad official had instructed him to give
McManus certificate of good character.
The witness answered emphatically, "Not
a human soul"
Edward Lahey of Stamford, Conn, a
conductor on the New York, New Haven
and Hartford railway, was next sworn.
He said that he took his train out of the
Grand Central station that morning for
its destination, New Haven, at sos o'clock
a. m. through the west-side tunnel He
was detained twelve minutes at Fifty
third street and eight minutes at Fifty
ninth street, where he found that there
was another train behind him in the same
"block." 1t was improperly there, and
was there only because the right signal
had not been set, OF because the engineer
of the train had disregarded it.
To Frank Loomis, counsel for the New
York Central railroad company, the wit
ness said that by reason of the accident
that morning ali outgoing trains were
compelled to use the west side tunnel, and
that some confusion naturally resulted.
Thomas A. Rigney, the engineer of the
train which was improperly in the "block"
behind Conductor Lahey's train, next test
flied. He said he neither saw nor heard
any signal forbidding him to enter the
'block"
At the afternoon hearing E. J. Breen,
the telegraph operator at the Eighty sixth
street station of the tunnel, testified that
on Friday morning, the Goth inst, he got
to the station at about o'clock. Soon
afterwards he got message from the Sew
enty-second street station operator stating
that train 10 (the New Haven passenger)
had run by his signals. The ''shop" train
was then passing and witness ran to the
window and shouted to the engineer of the
"shop" train to pull out. The engineer
probably did not hear him. Then witness
shouted to the train hands to go back and
flag the New Haven train. The ''shop"
train ran about two car lengths beyond
the station, when it suddenly stopped
Then he learned that the New Haven train
had run into the "shop" train, and he
at once telegraphed to the dis
patcher in the Grand Central depot.
Witness said he heard from the Seventy
second street station that the Albany train
had also run by the signal at $50 o'clock
the same morning. There had been trou-
BILE with the distance station at his station
before, but never with the home signal
He admitted that if when the message
from the Seventy second station from the
New Haven train running by the signals
had he thrown a green light at his distance
signal he might have been able to stop the
New Haven train. Witness then described
the interlocking signals. Sometimes the
system got out of order and he was unable
to unlock the levers at Seventy second
street. He would then give twelve bells
to the operator at Seventy second street,
indicating his ability to unlock. About
week and half previous to the collision
the operator at Ninety second street sta
ton gave witness these twelve bells. Wit
ness said that with a lead pencil he could
unlock his levers. If an engineer did not
see the lights when passing them witness
understood that it was his duty to stop
and send back brakeman to ascertain
what was the signal, or if it was not light
ed, then to flag the next train and apply
for information of the operator at the sta
ton.
the Eighty sixth tower, testified that at
7:01 Friday morning he got three bells for
the unlocking of the Seventy second street
levers, at 7:04 he got four bells, indicating
that the "shop" train had entered the sec
ton. A minute later he heard the "shop''
train coming slowly up the grade. In
another minute word came from the Sew
enty- second street that train 10 had run
by the danger signals. Witness with Breen
ran to the window and shouted to engineer
to hurry up. A voice replied, 81 can't,
| my air brakes are on" Then l shouted
"there's.. another train in the Sec
ton, look out for youself" The shop
train then came to stop and 1 then learned
| of the collision.
Adjourned until next Tuesday.