The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-31
FLAGMAN TO BLAME
He Evidently Responsible
for the Accident on the
D., L. & W. R. R.
ENGINEER HcFFMAN's STORY,
Had He Been Tagged The Ac-
cident Would Have Been
Averted-0ther Tes-
timOny.
timOny,

More testimony was taken in the d., LIZ
w. accident at the Hackensaek bridge, at
Quartette Club Hall. last evening, by Cor
oner Volk's jury. Several witnesses con-
slider De Witt Wheaton, fagman OF the
Dover train, to blame to a great degree.
Certain it is that he did not get off his train
to flag until the one following was almost
upon his own, and, by testimony given, 1t
has been told that, according TO the general
system of slaekening speed, when an OBJ
stacle is ahead, which the Dover train pur-
sued because of the fog, Wheaton should
jumped earlier. Had he done this the accl-
dent, in all probability, would have been
averted, or would not nave been SO severe.
But Wheaton, by his testimony, claimed
that he Jumped when he thought it safe to
jump. Long before he got off, however, the
fagman from the South Orange train, pre-
aceding the Dover express. jumped on the
Dover train. From the evidence submitted
by passengers, Wheaton was standing on Dne
back platform for several minutes before ne
jumped with his torpedoes and nag 10 warn
the South Orange train.
WHEATON TESTIFIES.
>. Wheaton was called again last night; ne
said he was standing, when the train slowed
Sdown to take on the hagman, on the lower
step of the last car. When though II
could not see the head end of the South
Orange train when l got off. l heard all
sorts of whistles, and don't know whether L
twas signalled for or not to drop by the en-
gineer. / had started to run back when the
Htrain came laundering along"
Juryman Lankering stated that the nag
imam boarded the Dover train at the curve
west of Sanford's crossing, and wheaton
iumped a considerable distance after.
sHow is it that you couldn't Jump on
when he got onp
81 got of when I thought it safe"
BLAMES THE FLAGMAN.
Conductor Jerry George OF the Dover lEx-
press was called to the stand. Senator
Griggs, counsel for the road, assisted the
man to the stand, as he suffered still from
injuries received at the accident. He sald
THE train, with eight cars, proceeded eau
tiously all along to Newark to watch Tor
swest-bound trains near the stations.
1.-THE brakes were applied near the drop
ssienal on the meadows, as is generally done
lat that point. When the crash came L was
lin the west end OF the car, mex tne rear
smoker. one of the cars | had taken on at
Summit from the P. & D.. branch. think
II was in the act of handing back tickets
sto Eddie Pierson and Gertrude Mills, two
commuters who sat together and Wnom l
know well, when the shock came. L was
laSbon6Q QOW1 Ill UuS dAcAC,
When / was got out, l assisted with otners.
/ cut Miss Mills clothing to free her. we
must have been going at the rate OF twelve
miles per hour when struck. l asked the
faeman. when I saw him, when he got on,
and he answered, When 1t was safe. a
man standing by said, That's straight,
George; l was in the car / always left it
with my men to perform their duties care
fully.
81 received no Ave minute card at Newark
because we were not late and the train ahead
was only three or four minutes late. 1 do
not think the time schedule too close at that
time if the rules of the road are conformed
to. | always considered the present system
of signalling good until the accident. There
is no perfect automatic system and it could
not be depended upon. The fiagman should
have run back when we slackened."
George Stitcher, engineer of the Dover
train, was called again. He said he picked
up the hagman when running at from seven
to eight miles an hour. The fagman got on
1900 feet west of the bridge. He said the
conductor should have had the tiagman get
off, conflicting with Georges statement that
the fagman should ave got off with no IN
structions. In case of danger ahead three
sharp whistles are blown.
ENGINEER HoFFMAN'S STORY.
David Hoffman, who commanded the en-
CINE that wrought the damage, said he was
three minutes late at Newark. II looked
ahead sharply at the Passaic draw, and told
the fireman to keep a sharp look out across
the meadows while I did the same. That
was our only protection from danger to find
a man with a flag. | ran across
the meadows at from 22 to % miles per
hour. Before we reached Sanford's Cross
ing blew a long whistle for trucks at the
crossing. | shut off steam then and rolled
along for a while. When I found | could
not make the draw by rolling, because OF
the grade at the bridge, | put on steam
again. Just as the train ran ahead 1 saw
tie train ahead of me, not 60 feet away.
Ny God look therei | shouted to my fire.
man. / pulled the reverse lever and jumped.
rolling down the bank. The only orders in
foggy weather are to run carefully. l CAM
saw If the company uses the best system of
signalling, because l never tried any other.
/ might have been going at 10 miles per
hour when. l saw the Dover express. 1t took