Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-10-18
CAUSE OF THE CRASH
cOroner's Jury lnquiring Into the
Jackson Horsos.
WITNESSES TELL THE STORY


o4LE78ff -at~A-f III - ~ tAItAH10t
on the recent accident Was resaued this
morning &. l. Russell of Detroit.
brakeman. vas acting ~ baegagcman on
the day Of the accident Mr. Russell
first heard the danger whistle Al the
crossing east Of the semaphoFe. Tie
didn't try 10 set brakes but started 20
pull the automatic cord. He couldn't
get by the passengers in the coach and
jumped of. He looked out u the
baggage car door aud saw no one on the
front platform.
The train Was going about twenty
miles an hour. Saw the engi neer jump,
about three car length west Of the sems-
train ahead, which was standing. The
conductor said we were thirty minutes
apart at Ann Arbor and | did not see
the head train after leaving Detroit
until jackson was reached.
Witness never saw the air brakes give
out in the three years OF his experience.
Mr.. Russell believed the whistle Of his
engineer had answered a signal that
Whalen's train was 60 90 on 20 q
switch. and he did not believe
tntIt Was tlt BIZ AtEHt ttAAkIas
Mira Albert Il. Slater corroborated the
testimony of her husband OF yesterday
as To the tramp on the platform. She
testified that as the section passed her
house she saw man standing on the
step on the south side OF the front plat
form Of the baggage car. She paid no
particular attention To ~. as she,had ire
quently seen men in similar positions.
a
10 it. but since she thought he might
have turned something that would
slacken the speed so that he could
get of.
Running on Block system.
Philip Veaugle. the head brakeman
on the second special. testified that he
heard only one whistle for brakes. This
was Just before the crash. He stepped
into the second car and saw the con
ductor pull the automatic brake cord
and il had no effect. He backed out OF
the car and jumped oil at the moment
Of the crash. He said the trains were
running on the block system. which
means that one train must not leave a
station until the train ahead has left
the station ahead This system was
observed on these trains. but as Jack
son is considered terminal station the
train was not expected TO arrive in Jack
son before the other train left, but was
expected at the semaphore.
ID. III. Sutherland. superintendent OF
the eastern and Bay City divisions OF
the Michigan Central gave the time at
different points OF the two trains. which
showed that the trains were running
half an hour apart up 10 the time they
left Grass Lake. lie said the company
tried 10 run its trains in such a manner
az 10 insure tho greatest safety. When
trains are running slow across unpro-
tected streets there is more danger than
when running fast. The Michigan
Central he said. docs not make rules
which its trainmen cannot enforce.
When We can make the public safer We
do not take notice OF city ordinances.
Engineer whalen Testified
Engineer Whalen made his statement
this afternoon. The jury went TO his
house, where Mr.. Whalen is confined.
Whalen said he tested the air brakes
three times between the srst real stop
and Ypsilanti. aud everything was all
right. lie Stacked up at Ann Arbor and
Dexter. At both places the air checked
the train. He was then running about
twenty eight miles an hour. He next
tried the air east of the high bridge.
near jackson. made light application,
saw the brakes come up TO the wheels
and then released them.
Il could not tell" said he. whether
the air worked on all the brakes at Elm
avenue. The brake worked on the en-
-gine. but failed ON the cars. ! then
called for emergency brakes. but they
also failed. | did not feel any change
from the hand brakes aud then reversed
the engine and put or the sand.
jumped about three car lengths before
the track struck. When the brakes
were first tried We were running about
thirty five miles an hour.
Running Twenty Miles an Hour.
The train was running twenty miles
an hour when the crash came | was
perfectly satisfied when | tried the
brakes that they were all right. My
opinion now is that the air worked on
the engine. but not on the coaches i
think il was cut of between the tender
and the cars The reason the brakes
did not work on the cars. IN my opinion.
is that the air had gradually leaked out
I ehould think thc air would last an
hour before II would leak out so IL
would not have force
Engineer Whalen said. in concluding
his testimony. Il felt perfectly sure ot
my airtrakcs ali tho timc. even when !
first tired them at jackson. but now |
believe the air mus; have been cut off
way down near ipsilantL ! don't know
whether il worked ia the cars either as
Ann Arbor. Dexter or Grass Lake.
dia all could 20 prevent the accident
did not think Ne would run into the
first section Il fret and intended r. stay
on my engine. bat when she slipped /
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