New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-31
4 DEFECTIVE BLOCK SYSTEM.
WHAT THE TESTIMONY IN THE INQUEST
AT NEwTOWN BROUGHT OUT.
ENGINEER CONCRETE SAYS THAT EVEN If
DANGER SIGNALS HAD BEEN SEEN THE
TRAIN COULD NOT BE STOPPED BE.
FORE ENTERING THE FATAL BLOCK

OTHER WITNESSES.

FORE ENTERING THE FATAL BLOCH
OTHER WITNESSES.
At the inques, in Newtown. L. l.. last night
upon the victims Of the Long Island Railroad acci-
dent, there was large attendance. After formal
Identification of the dead the inquiry began as
to the cause of death
Dr. T. NJ Knapp. the friend of Colonel c. y
Buck made straightforward. convincing state
ment before Coroner Brandon State Railroad COM
missoners Michael Richards and Samuel Bearosiey'
and District-Attorney John Flemngs
The first officially told story OF the disaster was
given by DR.. Knapp who gave the account OF the
accident and of the killing Of Colonel i. \. bnck
that has already been published After giving TINS
story DR.. Knapp made startling statement one
of the bodies in the Morgue was identihed as that
of Thomas Finn, the brakeman on the Man
haitian train Or. KNAPP testified, and would not
admit the possibility Of error that he saw 'he
rear brakeman alive after the crash lie was
standing beside the track with lantern III MS
hand Dr. Knapp remembered the atmosphere was
slightly foggy at the time of the accideht lie hau
not noticed the signals displayed
Orville +. Concrte. the engineer OF the i'och
owor I;eacn train followed DR.. Knapp. MS
counsel started to prompt him. The DISTRICT
Attorney stopped this. Mr. Edwards oohcI"e
lawyer, objected to the entire examination u ,''
client on the ground that he was prisoner uhoei
arrest The Coroner cautioned CohcIlte as u
his rights and told him he might refuse to answer
any, o,ee,ion ,onding TO incriminate himself
Tho witness said he had been d locomotive en-
gineer for nine years. and in the employ oil me
Long Island Railroad since January ~ last VII
the night of the accident he ran the hochd"d!
Beach train on the last trip. coming toward Long
island civ the accident occurred. lie said the
trains in that block in which the accident occurred
were signaed white and red lights at the signal
,over at Laurel Hill. known as No. .. The IRE
man could look through narrow space between
houses across the curve approaching the tower
and then tell the engineer how the lights showed
ON the trip on which the accident happened the
fireman said the lights were "all right, ana ne
went ahead The next moment the fireman yelled:
"Mv God, There's "A him! end" They were then
almost on the Manhattan train. Witness had not
been told that there were any special trains belhs
run to Manhattan that night.
1t is customary. in fact. rule OF the road. that
when a train stops any where on a block. torpcdoes
must be placed back at least three-quarters OF a
mile Concritc said tina. this night there were no
torpedoes in front of his train He testified that
i'm order 20 see the block signals at Number the
engineer must not be more than I'VE car lengths
ahead of No. 6. He did not notice it at all that
night He relied entirely on his fireman lie sild
he had TO be so the entrance to the block be-
fore he could see the signal that IT would be I'M
nossblc for him to stop the train wthOJt entering
the block after ne had seen the lights lie SAD
| the company had issued an order, through MI
| Prince not to use IN" driver brake ms WAS inc
| triangular brake between tHe "iN'i'f anu - -"
| had been used they would have helped to stop the
rair Il was running at the rate OF about twenty
| five miles hour at the time
Robert T. Price. fireman on inc i'"cka"1y
| train, was then summoned ana testiled wa, ~
| saw the signals at block just before entering
| the curve The signal was white one. ms
| ,r.ant the track Was clear. Nearly every teen
| meal question bv the Coroner PUT To the youh5
| man was evadod by pleading IGNORANCE. .oi-
| oner brandon threatened to lock inc witness
| mn unless he answered the questions After some
| wrancl,nE the witness dismissed me III
| Quest was then adjourned until o'clock to-day ~
| the same place , ,, ,o,, ,,i..,,,
| Most of the attorneys at the hearing last ni~hl
= .rueared 10 give crelcnce to toucltrS StorF ana
| relieve him OF all responsibility lhcN seem j."
| place il Knott towtrln"i. OF ilu'h 7'''''' '
| knott however. has still 10 III his story .
| II was the impression that Engineer Concrite r"'
| told a clean-cut. honest story According u" ms
| statement the block system on the Long lsianl
Railroad is assurcdly defective ~" SAM l'ialnN
| ana urreseryedlv that he could not IN any cas-"
son his train before entering the book h"c&n'" 'h'
| signals could not be seen soon enough br'au,t ~
! could not see danger lights through thlch shiup-
| berry around curves in times of fos