The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-31
OFFICIAL INQUIRY BEGUN
openine OF the Long leland Rniiroae
nster Inquest


nster Inquest
Four arrests Yesterday broke the remark
able inactivity displayed by the Queens county
authorities since the Berlin disaster on VIZ
Iapa Island Railroad on Saturday hiRh'' IN
which sixteen lives were lost and hity OF inoio
persons were injured. The arrested men arc
Engineer Frank Concrite Of the Rockeway
Beach train and Towermen Robert .. hno's
and Charles ". Hessncr. within whose p'ooh'
the disaster occurred These arrests "c'o
simply preliminary to the inquest wnich wa.
held Inst night, and. It is said. were proueh'
about through a clash OF authority between
District Attorney Jonn Fleming OF Queens
county and Coroner Emanuel Brandon OF New
town. Another OF the railroad companys em-
ployees was arrested late last night
Dissatisfied with Coroner Brandon's appar-
ent inactivity. Mr.. Fleming sent for him. ana
they had a consultation in Mr.. Flcming's once
in Jamaica on Tuesday night During the IN
terview. Mr.. Fleming says, he informed the
Coroner that he was not satisfied with the lat
t npised az ny acton sta he feel
to take under the circumstance. Ihen tney
pad the eSs s. to-
over to Justice Hendrick Hendricksens
court and ask fer Rosa fof the 4a
rond. the crews OF the two collidinR trains. and
Towormen Knott and HessnIe,E i For ,o some ne
tie SssS O'clock train yesterday morning Tor New
York: without having issued me doGumeh 70
nagh he had the eubp9nas issued. They were
We're returnable forthwith.
In the mean time Coroner Brandon decided
En mir; Concrite and the two towermen. Con:
stables Charles Schneider and James Hiland OF
Newown took the warran1bs and tb rs noses
Of Mr.. Fieminga deputies. who were holding
q council Of war preliminary to ralding t ths
his constables to return the documents to
Kavsnagh saying that he THs "a satssd
B Hi sii escaped arrest The three prisoners
%S1 h Pd ssn e. s ss
' The story Of the disaster was told at the in;
House last night by DIR. Gideon W. Knapp:
who escaped BY ieapine from the. rear car OF
t G"nsrite and Fireman Hebert Price
The room was jammed with spectators and
the friends nd K hS Mas
in behalf Of TIE Long Island Thss
ssae Rarons Ricketts, sat
alongside Coroner Brandon during the exam
nation. District Attorney John Fleming also
assisted in the examination.
The INQUEST was begun by tas H the test,
Of
hs SesS Of hS s Ti snd col af
tho iatters son. j. <: Buck. took dinner a
evenns %%nt to the station with the intention
ofreturning to New York on the lo:4o train.
neh nhss By in tn
rear. and the station agent said It would stop.
we're SSo ss tss Yhs
train, but as ( drew up to the station rapidly.
' Don't try to get on there. Wait for the rear
But the train didn't stop despite the signals.
end the is sa saso ffSa e
viii Lose b tnsr places for running through
IF" Five minutes later another train drew up.
which they boarded. and walked through to-
ward the rear to find seats Col, BUCKS son
car cT'0 Wills the witness and Col. Buck
went into the rear car: where r. they found ,,d
son song got of. When the train pulled out
again bank Of b Thsy
near the scene Of the accident 1t remained
stationary I minutes; , A., =,
mile in the rear. The whistle sounded sec.
SS hs and BaeeR
the chances Of the approaching train being on
the same track with their train.
Then they heard third whistle. and almost
i'm med lately saw the headlight OF an approach:
Ing locomotive It was rounding curve. and
site track. but as 1t straichtened out they saw
it was heading direct for them.
door and were discussing the probability Of
their having to Jump from their train. which
then GheS d o iron SIX Sa to ten
10 Col Buck the witness said;
The witness was on the lett side Of the plat
The witness says he cried out: For Gods
Ths%an iumPed, S and the witness ,Ss followed.
Buck The &c sho hsd
0Ssa % va e1 SasGa we are til.
toe sed ss e. hsrs
Forty minutes later, he discovered Col.
correct a mi misstatoment. Thomas T FINN. the ho
rear end Of that train. Whoever that bra iae
man was he escaped.
saw their brakeman 20 back About e ten 'h fest
and he remarked to Col Buck at the tim 9s
1T e saIeessness of that kind that causes
this brakeman moved his lantern from the he
on the track and waved his lantern: eons Sc
auently. It was the impression Of the witness
thst this brakeman escaped death.
train followed DR.. Knapp. He described
At At length the signals. ~, and said that
accident occurred was not visible
and that tho fireman looked out for It ii was
only visible at one point in the road ana then
through n cump OF trees.
The fireman said the signal was open. He
went on until the tail end OF the Manhattan
Beach train came In sight when the fireman
MY Lord: there's ahind endp
IT He reversed the engine. but 1t was too late.
The inquest will be continued this afternoon.
J. A.. Mall. the conductor OF the Manhattan
Beach train. was arrested tonight and taken
to Newtown.
II was learned from a. reliable source late
last night that the Long Island itailroad Com-
pany had practically settled the responsibility
for the disaster Of Saturday night on Robert
J; Knott. who had charge OF Tower No. on
the night OF tho accident w
1t ~ said that at tho railroad Investigation
he about admitted that he sgnalled the tower
70 the east OF hi that his block was clear he
lore the delayed Manhattan Beach train hnb