Morning journal and courier., 1891-02-27
THE TUNNEL COLLISION.
Testimony To-day at the Coroner,s
1nquest-What Conductor Hutch.
insOn Said

Testimony To-day at the Coroner'a
1nquest-What Conductor Hutch.
| inson Said.
NEW YORK, Feb. 26.-The coroner's in
| quest on the bodies of the persons killed
by the railroad collision in the Fourth
aveune tunnel last Friday was continued
to-day at the coroner's Office. The Rev.
Father David B. Walker was the first wit
ness. He was one of the first persons to
arrive at the scene of the accident. He
described what he saw there, but his testi-
mony, of course, threw no light upon the
cause Of the accident. Franklin, the con-
ductor of the shop train, was recalled, and
testified that the cars in his train belon ged
to the Boston and Albany railroad; he said
he did not know whether they were oper-
ated by the New Haven railway or not.
There were stoves or heaters Che did not
know which) in the cars. He did not know
whether the sleepers were similarly heated.
He did not know whether there was fire in
the stoves or heaters. Cars in service were
usually heated
To Mr.. Lynn the witness said that his
train was five minutes behind its schedule
eAA1O o4 LILO WO1u1uS VI Guc dCClocuu ac
knew the schedule time of the train behind
him, and knew that it was closely follow
ing him. 1t often happened, however,
that the trains were as much behind sched-
ule time as his trains were that morning.
He did not know whether the cars in his
train were heated by steam or hot water;
it was not his duty to look after the heat
ing of the cars. He denied that he had
any control over the engineer in respect to
the regulation of the trains speed.
When Franklin was dismissed, the
the Investigating body, and could directly
question the Witnesses. a.,
: George W.. Hutchinson Of, No. 342
Eighth avenue, the conductor of the New
Haven train which ran into the shop train,
was sworn. He said that his train was
on time and that everything was in per-
feet order. In reply to questions he said
that at the time of the collision he was in
the baggage car. If the danger bell had
signalled, he would have heard it; it was
large bell, which made a loud noise. The
express agent and the baggagemas-
ter were in the car with him.
the headlight of the en-
CINE of his train, or the lights in the shop
cars, caused the fire, he did not know.
The headlight of his train was burning and
Luc CuSluO was lO1COA ny GAAO Sol14olOl 5Cf-
eral feet into the car of the shop train
The rate of speed at which his train was
running was from twenty-three to twenty
i've miles an hour-the usual rate in pass.
ing through the tunnel. He did not know
that the shop train was ahead of him; there
was no way in which he could know
There were no signals which he could see;
,he clock system had done away with the
sign signals The retention of the latter,
ae said, in addition to the block system,
would be, in his judgment, a desirable
orecaution and safeguard. 1t was 7:07 or
7:OS o'clock a. M, continued the witness,
when he looked at his watch after the
shock of the accident.
It proved a difficult matter to elicit from !
The witness the length of time which |
Elapsed between the shock and his looking |
1t his watch. His statements varied from |
;hree minutes to one-half minute. He |
inally declared that he "saw through the |
question now" and fixed the time at one
lalf minute.
An important witness of the afternoon |
vas W. G. McManus, the Seventysecond |
street signal man. He said that when the |
shop train passed him he gave four bells to |
;he man at Eighty-eighth street, announ- |
,ing that the shop train had entered the |
block. He made green signal and blocked |
he home signal. He next received word |
he local was coming. 1t was coming SO
asst that he said to the trackman he was |
afraid it would pass his signal. He called |
The trackmans attention to the signals, |
hat he might see they were all right. |
When the train passed, as he feared it |
would, he notified Eighty-sixth street.
He had no way, he said, of controlling |
rains after they had passed him. The |
hearing was then adjourned for the day.