New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-16
TIE SWITCHMAN ARRESTED.
MIN FOR CAUSING THE WEST SHORE
RAILROAD WRECK.
coRoNER'S JURY SAYS THE ACCIDENT WAS
,rr TO A SWITCH LEFT OPEN BY THE CARE
,vssyEss OR NEGLECT OF DONAHUE
THE WOUNDED IMPROVING.


,r,urs " Y, July 15.-The coroners inquest
. .ho West shore disaster resumed this morn
~ Among those present was c. II. Hudson, secre
ne ~ the state Railroad Commission. He ex-
w. n wish TO question Michael Donahue. the
Ta,,cbman. In answer TO his queries Donahue said
~, tine switch was closed against the yard and
aoncd for the main track lie adhered TO his
',a,ements made yesterday. He asserted that he
lid see the signal after he had set the switch Tor
.o main track on the nOTthbound track, from where
:. s,ocA ani the signal was set for IL clear road
~, ,o about thirty feet from the switch after setting
:, After the train had passed into the yard he went
,rn, over TO the switch. He said that James Dyer
,rsman of the gang at work on The switch, came up
40 hin, and asked how 1t happened. Donahue SAID
,a replied that he did not know, aud added: "Ohy
u see the way the switch is now, IT is right Dyer
osdo no reply. Engineer ohelb came TO the s"lNh
nj lime anerward. Witness said he remarked to
s,ah This is bad" and that shelb replied Never
mind the switch and block were all right. Witness
Iso said to Mr.. Hudson that the spikes before re-
- :o were not driven In the switch after the
crock bu, were driven TO straighten The rails lAa'
bad spread. NJ,
,srr Donahue stated that after he set the switch at
s.tsv for express train No one else interiered
iii The switch. He could positively say that The
(Which was in the position when the train came
along that IT was when he left it. Donahue stated
mai at the time OF tie difficulty with the 10 ;35 train
he operated the switch.
Thomas +. Maher. who Is employed on coal trains
far th, PENNSYLVANIA Coal Company stood on the
b-idce directly the switch at the time OIL the
,ccdent He testified in substance that the express
,.in did not leave the track AT all until 1t crashed
r,o the locomotive of the freight train In The yard
He saw the engine 20 past the boA-car IN question:
,oS WAS sure that the train remained on the track
mil the collision
Michael Tobn was important witness lie
sstded that when the express train approached me
switch he was standing at point about 200 or 900
feet south of the switch. The train passed him. ana
,a exnected 10 see II enter the tunnel but II passed
ont Of range of his sight and he realized that some
thing was wrong. lie started on run up the
track and when he saw that the train had passed
into the ward he reduced his speed at the switch
In order 10 look at It carefully than he couo II
he we're running rapidly The question was asked
= And what did Won see ~ He replied Il saw that
switch open. II was open that it led into the
ward and not into the tunnel" He then ran to the
seen. OF the wreck lie did not see Donahue at the
switch lie noticed that the switch had been newly
put In.
James DYER foreman of the section gang that put
in the new switch, testified concerning Inc oe'dns
% tho work. Work had been delayed during the
carly morning but at 10 80 the switch WIS ehur"N
completed and ready for use. He spoke Of the
oncultv experienced with the switch when the 10 80
train came along telling how 1t was necessary 'c take
out the nterlocldng bolt The switch and signal wore
then operated by separate levers. The witness al
mitted that IL was possible when this bolt Is not
I'm place to set the signal at safety "heh ue
switch itself IS no, right. He in his shanty
about thirty feet away from the of the disaster
After tho crash he spent three or minutes looking
a, Tho wreck Then he went to the switch and asked
ponahue who vas there. how 1t happened Domaine
told him he did not know, but said "The switch