The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-27

was on the first section as a passenger. He
testified that the fiagman had been called
In, and in his opinion he was q careful en-
ploye. Joseph II. Kirkpatrick. the
engineer of the first section, said he
was stopped at the Dock-street tower, and
that the detention was caused by a freight
train ahead; that when his train was
struck il was running at the rate OF eight
miles an hour. The t1agman. he said. had
ample time to get back and stop the train
following. He considers engineer Kelly. of
the second section. q capable engineer:
Charles H.. Hannah, the fireman of the first
s~oetIoD. corroborated Kirkpatrick.
Harry Neil. Of Philadelphia. the fireman
Kelly as O first.class engineer. When they
reached Steelton. he said. a white signal
was shown. 1t was raining very hard. No
caps were heard and it was very hard to
distinguish the signals. The train was
running about thirty-ive or forty miles on
the fagman on the rear end of the first
section holding q red and white signal
He did not notice that any signal was
given by the tlagman. Neil SAID the track
of the train was too great to
stop 1t in time to prevent the
wreck. The train consisted of the engine,
two baggage cars and five Pnllmans. The
second section left Broad street station, at
Philadelphia, about five minutes late.
When Steelton was reached the train was
still late. When the red signal was dis
played the train was opposite the Paxton
hOuring-mill, about two hundred yards
from the tower. Neil thought the distance
between the rear end of the first section
and the engine of the second section when
the Fed light was first seen was about one
hundred yards. When the danger was
seen engineer Kelly reversed the engine
pose, the speed of the train being too great
and the rails too slippery to prevent the
crash i'm 80 short q distance. Neil was sat
istied that engineer Kelly used every effort
to stop the train.
When Hugh Kelly. of Philadelphia. the
engineer of the second section was called.
he stated that he had been in the service
of the Pennsylvania railroad for twenty.
one years and in that time he has never
been suspended for reckless running.
When he came in sight of the Steeltou
tower he got the white signal. Near the
Dock street tower he received the red Sly
nal. He whistled. applied the brakes ard
reversed the engine as he saw the other
train Just ahead on the same track. When
the first section was struck 1t was sixty
tower. He would have been aLls
to discover the signal at the tower if
the weather had been better and the rails
dryer. Under more favorable circun-
stances he would probably have been able
to stop the train. The engineer did not
near any caps. He never knew my to miss
exploding. He WAS two hundred yards
away when tho signal on the Dock
street tower was first seen. Kelly said the
operator at the Steelton tower had evil
IDENTITY thought the block clear and given
him the white signal. He said the operator
at the DOck-street tower had told him that
he had not reported the block clear
to the Steelton operator. His train was
about twenty-five minutes late OF Lancas-
ter, and he was running about thirty miles
AN hour when the crash occurred. If DO
run IN mad taken place he would have
reached. Harrisburg depot five minutes
late. The schedule time allowed between
the Dock-street tower and the Harrisburg
depot 10 two minutes. He always consid-
cred the tiagrnan q safe man. The flagman
is supposed to have his caps at leass six
train. Kelly did not care to say whether
the fagman should have remained back or
not. The rule Is that an operator ia not to
declare q block clear until a train has
passed his tower one hundred yards.
d. e. Packer. operator at the Dock-street
tower, explained the block system. and
said he could prove that he did not report
his block clear to the SteeltOn operator by
his train sheet. The track walker was in
the tower with him at the time of the &C
cident He held the first section because
the track was not clear. Last night was
his first night at the Dock-street tower as
an extra operator. He has been a full
tedged operator for the past six months.
Engineer Kelly and fireman Kelly being
recalled, both testified that the operator at
the Dook-street tower had displayed q red
light. Charles b. Rettin, conductor of the
second section. stated that no believed en-
gineer Kelly to be a competent man.
Robert Nj. Brown, the fiaRnan Of the first
section, who has been In the service for
eight years, stated positively that no placed
q torpedo on the track opposite the Paxton
mills. he said he was called, and climbed
over the top OF tho private car
attached to the first section, signaling the
engineer from tho car. He said he was
called Ia too soon to get back any further.
The Steelton operator. be thought, was to
blame. Several railroad men were called
to testify as to the operation of the fig sys-
TEN. The jury Will visit the scene of the
wreck tomorrow and conclude its sitting
Monday morning.
Deadly Explosion at New Orleans.