The Newtown bee., 1892-12-16
HAWLEYVILLE'S DEATH TRAP.

Hearing Before the Railroad Commissioners, Last
 Week Friday-nangerous Or ade Crossings
 Railroad Officials Speak-Citizens Testify.
 The hearing in reference to the grade crossing near the residence of Patrick | HOulihan, some distance east of the Haw- l leyville station, where the Berkshire di- vision of the New York, New Haven and Hartford, and the New England railroads cross the turnpike at a heavy grade, came before the railroad commissioners, last week Friday morning, at a. m., at the Hawleyvlle station. Commissioners George NJ. Woodruff of Litchfield, Will liam o. Seymour of Ridgefield and w. H. Howard of Colchester were all on hand, and at little past o'clock, the august body assembled in the freight office of the station to hear what testimony was u be offered.
 General Manager Platt of the New York, New Haven and Hartford road was present to look out for his company's interests and J. w. Perkins, secretary, and George F. Sampson, assistant eDgin- ger, both of Boston, and Judge Brewster of Danbury appeared for the New Eng land. Lawyer w. J. Beecher was pres cnt in the interest of property owners and Newtown was represented by Select men W. H. Glover, T. Costello and Smith H. OlONcF anu OlueT WlLDOSS6S.
 THE FIRST BUSINESS
 was the hearing of the townspeople First Selectman W. II. Glover was the first witness. He related how that at the last town meeting the seIectmen were in- ,tructed to call to the especial attention Uf the hOnUra ble board of railroad con- missioners to this crossing. He consider cd it a very dangerous crossing. The fact that there are two railroads make il especially dangerous. When travellers in teams are watching one track. if they are not unusually careful, they are apt to be caught by the other. He related the in- stance of the two young men who have been killed at this place within two years as proof of his testimony. On the exam ination by Judge Brewster the facts were brought cut that there are 10 crossings in Newtown at grade.
 This crossing, however, was consider ed the most dangerous of all, as it was the main road from Newtown to Brook fiald and much travelled. Coming from the south it was impossible to see trains approaching from the east.
 The two young men referred to were killed by Housatonic engines and Judge Brewster tried to make the commission CTS believe this to be the more dangerous road. But the testimony of all the wit nesses was to the effect that the New England was the more dangerous on ac- count of their having two tracks to the Housatonic one, and also the uncertainty with which their trains ran. MT Flaw ley, one of the young men killed, was watching New England train, when struck by the Housatonic.
 Smith r. Glover, the next witness for the town, told the commissioners that he was at the hearing to ask to have the crossing abolished. It is
 VERY DANGEROUS CROSSING and more than doubly so since the New England road has been built. General Manager Platt inquired of MT Glover concerning the approach to the two tracks.
 William E. Hawley, the next witness :, considered it very dangerous crossing, because, when coming up from Newto wn one cannot see the approaching tra ins and it was his opinion that the engineers did not always whistle as they should, which fact was brought out by other witnesses. He said there were so many trains that one could not always tell which track they were on. He related how he lost son two years ago, and also what q narrow escape he had when coming from Newtown six weeks ago.
 Robert A. Clarke, next called to testi- fly, considered it very dangerous cross ing. In his opinion the daily crossing at these tracks did not exceed 50, but this crossing was used more than any other except the one at the Newtown station between the Street and Sandy Hook.
 James Coles testified that the night be- fore. his son had a narrow escape. He said that very often the New England people did not leave their cars uncoupled far enough apart on the side track to make suitabl place to cross and it was often hard for him to get his horse by them.
 Homer Hawley said he had business over there almost every day. The NEW ENGLAND WAS THE MOST DANGER
 OUS
 on account of special trains. Judge Brewster inquired of him as to an elec- tric signal, as he did of several of the witnesses, but Mir Hawley knew very lit tie of their workings.
 Amos Hawley considered the crossing very dangerous. His wife and members of his family had come near getting caught by the trains several times. J. R. Smith, the last witness for the town, corroborated the statements of the other witnesses. He said that he used the crossing further east more, which | was equally dangerous, but not so much | travelled.
 The property owners were next heard l from. Lawyer ". J. Beecher appeared I for them and said that if any change were to be made they would like to be heard from, especially regarding spring of water that supplied several homes and was situated near this place. His clients did not wish this water right interfered with. MT Beecher also gave some very I interesting testimony concerning the dan ger of this crossing, and said that when out driving he hardly ever went over this crossing without first getting out of the wagon and running ahead of his horses I to see if ie was safe to go over. The New England was as bad on Sunday as any other day. because they ran as niany l trains on that day.
 Judge Brewster indulged in consider able talk with Mir Beecher, but finally gave it up, remarking that it was useless l to daily with lawyer.
 At this point, William A. Stone, anoth- CT witness for the town, was called upon and said he lived on the R. A. Hawley place, and used the crossing most of