New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-28
THREE SAW MGARRl ASLEEP.
LIGHT THROWN On TIE CAUSE OF TIE
PAKKvILLE ACCIDENT.
TWO wORKINGMEN AWAKENED THE SWITCH.
MAN AND he PULLED a LEVER
TIE mol EST REGrN

HE iNV' fNl Bt'tN y.
At the nqur, last night in Br ohlyn into the
OF IN" disaster at the Purkvc tunnel on
the Manhattan Beach division Of the Long Island
road tire" testified that u. :. Mctiarry. the
switchman In the tower at that point. asleep
just the train approached ;hc tunnel. II. was
awakened, and ut once pulled Il switch lever. Then
The accident occurred.
Dr. Joseph 4. Kenc. Of the western dis,
tric Of Brooklyn began the inquest IN the Kings
County Courthouse. The inquiry was into the death
Of William T.. Hutchinson and James q. Murphy.
Michael Richard had been appointed by his associates
OF tn" state ;taroad Commission TO represent II ut
the hearing.
ON, Of the last witnesses Thoma, II. Lidford.
Of No. liz st. Johns Place. Brooklyn. lie Is coal
merchant and on the DAY OF the disaster was
driving with his wife the Ocean Parkway. III
crossing the tunnel he noticed that the switchman In
the tower asleep lie spoke to his wife about
II and drove on. on their way back they sLw him
still asleep Two men came along with pals and
one OF them called Ia the Switchman Wake up .
There's Il train coming" lie did not stir and on"
Of them ran To the tower and shook the switclmai
lMciarryl and awakened him. Mciarry grabbed TIA"
switch levers he awokc and the accident occurred
Il moment later
Clifford BuckaIcw, Of M. I73 Park Row, New York.
declared that he was the man who awoke III" switch
mat. lie said that McGarry pulled tn" levers just
before the crash came. lie was corI0homtcd by Pat
rick McGarvey. who was ri, companion
Walter liner. Of No. 3:j6 West Fftysixh ST., New
York, testified early in the evening that he was on
the outside Of the third car, aud was thrown of ~
he was about 10 step on the platform along III" sid"
Of the lie received cut on the face. II looked
TO him : II the switch that the fang"
Of the wheel caught #. He couldnt SLY whether
the switch was open shut. Int II seemed to him to
IL, abOn inches OPEN
George ". Armstrong, conductor OF the lh;ci
train who wa, arrested and is on ball. said that
The train was about ten minutes behind im" There
about 600 passengers on the train, number
being the steps Th'r. sign the car
forbdding riding on the steps, and he himself v,,rnei
pass, myers To ride there. The men on the steps
refused 10 get inside the where there was room
for them
John Barker. engineer of the train, wa, the next
witness. II. said tina; the signal Wa set "clear'
TO him nj the IaIkvil.e tunnel, and lie gave two
short blasts of I.ic whistle show that he under
stood 1t. Then he went ahead. lie was moving
about ten twelve mile, an hour. lie decreased
hi, speed he approached the tunnel! Aitcr the
accident he went to the tower and asked th. signal
man II he had opened the throw on III" said
William II. Blood of Ozone Park general super
int"nd"nt Of the Long Island Railroad testified that
the duty o tll' chief engineer to -" that the
switches were in order. H. had mad" partial in
vcstcsl,ion m the case and Lad not formed conclu
sion In regard 10 III" cause of the accident lie
found tn switch open to within artrr uf an inch
not buni'd H., couldn't say whether the switch
could be- moved with train un II. II there had
been :" throw-on" switch al that point there would
have been accident and II there had been double
track through the tunnel no thHow-oh' would b.
needed.
h. :. McCnrry. Switchman nj the tower IN the
tunnel. told how he operated III" switches. and said
that the throw of" WAS closed and h" did not opn
III. switch Will" the train passing over ~ lie
thought that the truck mourtod III" switch and caused
the ear, t. leave Ia. track. Nc'iarrN also said that
he the train NJ The curry" and gave the si=nal
10 II. ia. lever ali IN good order. Two friends
had been IN III. tower with him that day about }
49, m. HI hours oi duty wer" from a. 20 D. III.
and he did not hay" time Ia 60 to dinner III" had
beer NJ tim" that day la iii, tower, ana ~
time d" asleep In IN" tower. lie had I"
watch irHIns from both way and n wa, p'rpl"Nlns.
Then came the testimony of t'ioS" who Sali fh"i
~ him a-lr"p. tOion'r Ken ordered fhh M'''hrrN
d. r,arresird aud committed him 10 Raymond street
jail without hail. lie Will doubtless he i'-cted for
man laughter.