Bridgeton pioneer., 1896-08-13
THE ATLANTIC CITY COLLISION.
Engineer Farr Held Responsible, and Tow
erman Hauser Used Bad Judge
ment.

ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., Aug. THE
Coroner's jury investigation in the recent
railroad collision on the meadows, by
which A lives were lost and many in
Jured, returned three verdicts this even
lng. The first verdict was as follows:
I'VE the jury empaneled to investigate
the cause Of the death of P. II. Gold
smith and others, do find that the said
persons whose bodies we have viewed
came to their death by collision of ex-
press train No %, on the Atlantic City
Railroad, and excursion train No. 700, on
the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad,
at point known as the meadow tower,
on the Both of July, 1896, at or about 6.46
P. M
The verdict is signed by all the jurors.
The second verdict reads I'VE, the
undersigned jurors, also find that Engi-
neer Edward Farr, of the Atlantic City
Railroad, failed to have his engine un-
der proper control on approaching said
crossing, and that Towerman George f.
Hauser, in giving the excursion train of
the West Jersey Railroad the right of
way over fast express, used bad judg-
ment. We are of the opinion that engi-
neer John Greiner, of said excursion
train, erred in not exercising greater
care in crossing ahead of said fast ex-
press"
This was signed by Charles Evans,
foreman; Thomas J. Dickerson and Chas.
B. Adams.
The third verdict is as follows: 1.-The
undersigned jurors are of the opinion
that the cause of the collision was the
failure of Edward Farr, engineer Of train
No. %. to give heed in time to the sema-
phore signals set against him, and thus
failed to have his train under proper con-
troll on approaching the signals and cross
ing under the rules. The undersigned
jurors further declare that the towerman,
George E. Hauser, may have used poor
judgment in his estimate of the distance
away of the Atlantic City Railroad train
No. %, when he gave the white boards to
the West Jersey and Seashore excursion
train mum ber 7O0"
This was signed by Lewis Evans, Levi
G. Alberson aud j. B. Champion.
Coroner Mclaughlin and the jury were
successful this morning in seeing Con-
ductor John Kelly, of the West Jersey
excursion train, which was in the COLI
sion. Kelly is in the Sanitarium and his
condition is considered serious.
Kelly was asked to give an explanation
of the accident. In reply he said that he
could explain nothing, that he knew
nothing. He was inside the third coach,
one of the three cars that were crushed
Cured.
In answer to question he said that he
had scolded the brakeman for not having
Oil in the lamp. Further than this he
knew nothing. When on the platform of
car he looked out and saw white light,
which said for his train to go ahead.
This concluded the questioning.
Coroner Mclaughlin tonight ordered
the discharge of George Hauser, the
tower man, who was held under $500 bail
to wait the action of the coroner's jury.
The jury did not directly hold any one
of the railroad employees criminally re-
sponsible for the disaster.
1t now devolves upon the Prosecutor
and Grand Jury to determine whether
any OF the employees were guilty OF crimi-
nal negligence in the discharge of their
puties.
Walter L. Mains Real Roman Hip