Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-08-31
THE COLLISION AT PORTER.
An investigation by Coroner's Jury
Begun Friday Afternoon.


Begun Friday Afternoon.
Trainmen say the smashup Could Have
Been Prevented If Missing Flagman
Galloway Had Not Neglected His Duty
--Tho Effort to Fix the Responsibility.
The disastrous wreck which occurred
at Porter early Wednesday morning
was undoubtedly caused by the neglect
of Freight Flagman George w, Gallo
way. 1t is now declared that hefailed to
fuse OF flag the approaching express.
Calloway's family has been visiting
| Harrington for two weeks and his resi-
dence is still closed He is not in town
and the general impression is that he
has fed to escape punishment for his
negligence. He disappeared Immediately
after the wreck occurred.
An investigation of the death OF
William B. Wheatley, who, was fatally
injured in the wreck on the Delaware
railroad at Porter Wednesday morning,
was begun by coroner's jury on Friday
afternoon. At $50 o'clock two OF the
men summoned to serve as jurors, Frank
Gardner and John j. Dougherty, were
not present and Coroner Kirk was com.
PEELED to go out and obtain substitutes.
A few minutes later the jury proceeded
| .
after viewing the corpse was sworn and
organized. Edward Melchoir was elected
chairman and Thomas Rossiter secre-
tary The other jurors are Dennis
; Bulger, Charles E. Sparks, w. ?. Brat
; ton, L. /. Martin, J. B. Ginder and
Charles F. Smith. The jury returned
to the morgue few minutes after 3
} o'clock, when the taking of evidence be-
/, gan.
/; William Shakespeare testified that he
was baggagemaster of the express train.
He was in the baggage cal when the
] collision occurred and did not know
! there was anything wrong until the
:; crash came. No warning was given that
; he knew of. The express train was run
: ming on its own time.
George Raughley testified that he was
0 brakeman of the express train. He did
), not know there was anything wrong
l. until he felt the shock of the collision.
He was thrown from one scat to an
t; other. The express train was composed
/; of an express car, baggage car, two
If coaches and two sleepers. He was IN
the back part of the last sleeper. lmme
I; diately after the collision he got Ian
/; tern, a fuse, &C., and went back about {
Y, mile. He did not know what was thu
cause of the collision, unless it was thu
10 neglect of the freight fagman to go gu
3; or failure to back far enough. He dit
0; not see the freight flagman. When
train stops it is the duty of the fiagmal
Of to go back and signal the train follow
as ing it, He did not hear torpedo ex
v. plode. The wreck occurred just sout
TX Of the station at Porter. The freigh
Id train was backing in on siding. Iii
w train left Wilmington two minutes late
10. Richard Harrison testified that he wa
e. engineer of the freight train. 1t wa
ef composed mostly Of cars loaded wit
he coal and merchandise and was going
he Delmar. The collision occurred at 12.g
as o'clock. The freight train was backin
he in on a siding at Porter to let the e'
press train pass. There were 80 cars
DIS the freight train and he could not see Il
nd freight tlagman 60 up the track, He SUI
IN; posed the fiagman did. His train WI
ne, struck the second car from the engin
Ids He knew it was time for the expire
nd train to be there and he was trying
65 get out of its way. The express ira
was one minute late. The freight ira
is was blockaded and could not get out
rec the way any faster. He did not see q
of fiagman after they left west yard. t
23t freight conductor told him he saw I
i, SO tlagman get off and go back. I
freight train left the Bear 26 mi
2-5 utes ahead of the express train a
rec drifted down to Porter, where orde
J of were received to get out of the way
AS the express train. The freight train {
lrb, rived at Porter at51ak3 or 1914 o'clot
II minutes ahead of the express ira
AS The freight train would have arrived
on Porter 10 minutes ahead of the expr
by train if the former had not been hagg
ton and had not been obliged to drift. i
ZACH freight iagman tagged train No. IS
30 the Bear and knew the freight train v
rom going to back off for the express ira
The witness knew the fiagman was
ID the train when they left the Bear
nds cause he had called him ip there. At
d BY Bear the tlagman signaIed that Il
Igue had all their train. Trains NOS. VA
urb, 90 had not come. north on account
,nds the wreck near Middletown. The fret
Q to middle man went back and told
flagman they were going to back of
1nds Porter. After the freight train
,ond started to go on the siding
men; was the duty Of the flagman to rem
CINE, ON the main track until he was ca
onls in by the witness. The red was moi
/ the the express train at Porter. There v
e to no orders there for it. The first ink
he had of the collision was the
6 2-5 mans leap from the freight train.
Is on main track is straight. The exp
bird; train struck the middle of the sec
dis freight car. He could not prevent
CINE, collision. The only thing that c.
have prevented it was the flagm
1885 going back. The head man was on
2 1-5 Of the head car, giving the witness
orses malls. Inc former was watching
from own train and getting signals from
time conductor and the middle man. "
first the headlight of the approaching
trial; motive flashed on him the head
It. jumped. The witness shouted to
Shibi- fireman, "For Gods sake, jump"
i'd the walked out the engin's windows.
curb believed the collision would not
g. occurred if the hagman had don,
ection duty.
others Philip Jones testified that he was
where ductor Of the freight train.
mbers stopped at Porter and got orde
back off for the express train.
flagman got off and started back
then they proceeded to back in. b
they got all the way in the collisio
5 Calls Cured They arrived at Porter at
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