New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-02
ROBERT j. KNOTT BLAMED.
HE IS HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ION;
ISLAND RAILROAD DISASTER.
THE CoHoNEWs JURY SAYS HE IS GUILTY OF
CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE IN DISPLAYING
WHITE LIGHT From TOWER 40.
WHILE TRAIN WAS IN HIS
BLOCK-IHE COMPANY
tlNSl RED.

BLOCK-IHE COMPANY
CENsuEEp.
The inquest into the Long Island Railroad dis
aster, conducted 10y Coroner Brandon al Newtown
L. J.. came to an end yesterday. The jury require,
TWO hours to deliberate. and the verdict was "tha
the deceased came TO their death by shock caused
| by collision between "A Rockaway Beach train anC
/ a Manhattan Beach train on the 96th day of Au
gust. 1888, at a point between signal blocks Nos
and OF the Long Island Railroad and we find tina
! their deaths We're due to the criminal negligence OF
ROBERT D. Knott employed by the Long Island Rail
road Company as toweIman at tower No g. or
the night OF the collision. We exonerate from al
responsibility the train crews OF both trains and
also the towerman stationed at tower No. g. We
censure the practice Of the Long Island Railroad
Company for recalling a brakeman who has gone
DacK from a train stopped for any cause upon a
portion of the road where trains run under a
very short Roadway. the safety OF which trains
depends upon The watcbfulness of q sinple towor-
man.
placed the responsibility for the loss of sixteen
hves In the accident. is twenty-three years old.
native and a citizen Of Kent County. England.
since his boyhood he has followed the sea. and as
sailor he in the steamer France when
made westbound voyage. lasting twenty three
days at the time the White Star steamer Naronic
was lost He entered the service of the Long Island
Railroad Company May - last. as a nagman at
the West-ave. crossing, Long Island City. In
versation he said yesterday that result OF the
service requiring him TO stand in the hot sunlight
from morning till night during the past summeI
a strange sensation in his head was developed
He consulted Il physician who recommended him
change his occupation He applied 10 the inspector
OF the company, and was assigned to night duty
in tower No. ), where he had been u week when
the accident occurred.
1t is understood that on Thursday night Knott
tai l<e1 with
admitted that without fully realizing the respon-
sibiliy for his act he had sienalled to towermai,
NO g the complete passage of the Manhattan
Beach train from his block to the succeeding one.
a fact which obviously produced the collision
Whether this admission made not. the
testimony yesterday of Charles w. Hessner left
no doubt that the signals from tower . TO tower
gave the assurance of proper clearance. Iessner
is one-armed man. and has occupied tower
since the block system introduced on the
Long Island Railroad. January 3. 1892 The tower
he testified. was in working order During the fif
teen minutes Immediately preceding the accident
six or seven trains had passed He had signalled
three times Knott in tower >. before he re-
ceived clearance" 1t requires ordinarily he
said. about a minute TO get a signal clearance.
Therefore. when the ROCkaway Beach train came.
he signal and let it through Knott him
self was excused from testifyine. and prob
ably this fact had much to do with
said not familiar with the laws Of the country.
and apprehensivc that the fact that he was not
naturalized citizen might work to his preju-
dice. He is evidently man OF timid disposition.
and the wonder is increased by study OF his
characteristics that he assigned by an
official Of the company to responsible place
without training education in the requirements
OF his duties
Hugh O'Neill the night Waterman at the Haber
man tin factory. caused sensation by declaring
that he had known Of instances where towermen
in that locality had been suspected Of sleeping
while on duty, and allowing trains to pass through
block between midnight and o'clock in the
morning withou- regard to red white signals be
ing displayed But the witness contradicted him
self so often before his testimony prepared for
his signature that his whole story discred-
tied
James Mccormick said that he had been in
the employ OF the Long Island Railroad as brake
man for the last four years: that he the rear
brakeman on the Manhattan Beach train that was
run into. His train stopped east Of block five.
After the train had passed block six he sent
out on the rear platform. When they stopped near
block five ne red signal. ard got of the
train ana went back four or FIVE hundred feet
He looked around and saw white light In tower
No. >. and then sSnalled 10y the engineer to
return. and did so. He did not watch the tower
light signal as he ran back. and did not have time
TRACK according to The rules Of the company be-
fore he signalled 10 return 10 his train. IL"
tOrpeQOeS
and il he had had time to back FAR enough 10
place a torpedo il would have prevented the col !
sion II was the testimony OF this witness. prob |
ably which led the jury 10 censure the company /
for the practice Of recalling brakemen sent back
from trains In distress.
The verdict was about that which was expected: |
Certain il is however. that the towers as locatei
on this curve practically useless as the hghts
according TO the testimony of Engineer Concrl' |
Of the Rockawly Beach train. can De seen OhlN |
from the nr-rn ms side Of the engine
The release of the engineers of the Rockaway !
Reach and Manhattan Beach trains. ana ll"sner.
Of Tower No. 6, was a source OF Sratliicau0n TO /
witnesses at the inquest The holding OF Knott /
N.Y.. rerarded as a foregone conclusion In styling
his action criminal negligence, the jury per :
hans strained a point in favor Of the company. +
rhe crminality however, apparently existed IN /
hitting such an inexperienced man W such n .
responsible place. The position pays $50 "a, a month
and twelve hours service day u ftqulre1.
The Coroner called IN" prisoner TO the desk ,
and remanded him TO the Queens county jan
ri, hout hail pending the action Of the Grand
Iirv which meets September T. Meanwhile
= iistrict- Attorney Fleming approves. bail may
ma accepted as the charge will probably not 20
1evond manslaughter in some low degree"
UOVLAND'S DEATH PLOBiBLY INCIDENTAL
(SDecial.-A