Connecticut western news., 1896-08-06

gave the impression that the signals hnu not been Iaoperly worKed According to his Interpretation of Engineer tarr 6 whis- tie, a certain signal had been given the Reading train and then suddenly changed to another. The first must have been tho right of way signal and the second the danger. Farr whistled to know which was right, but 1t was too late to stop the train.
 Conductor Pinkert1n said he passed Pleasantville at 6:46 at rate of 60 miles an hour. They wore then one minute lata He was on the rear platform, when he heard long blow of the whistle and knew something was wrong. He looksd at the signals and saw that they meant danger. Then he saw that the train could not be stopped. but the brakes were put on, and when the crash came the speed of tho Reading train had been slaokened to l4 or l5 miles an hour and the West Jersey to about i2. When the brakes were applied. the train was about 900 feet from the crossing.
 Engineer GreIner's Statement
 John Greiner, the West Jersey engineer. said that after giving the regular crossing whistle, he received the right of way sig nal. When he saw the Reading train bearing down on them, he shouted to the fireman: Look outl My God, he's not going to stop" He was about to jump but something told him not to, and this saved his lifo. When witness saw that the crash was coming, be positively could not have stopped his train in time, in spite of what Conductor Pinkcrton had said.
 "It is not my business to look out for other trains there, " he declared with enn- pliasis. ''I look for my signals, and who ever gets the signals has the right of way, no matter whnt the result is 1 paid no attention to anything beside the signals and my train."
 George +. Hauser the man who gave the fatal signal to the West Jersey exour- sion train to go ahead, then took the stand. Hauser testified that he was 27 years old and that prior to June 30, when he entered the service of the Reading rail road as an operator at the Meadow tower, he was a motormsn for eighteen months for the Union Traction company of Phiia delphia- Previous to being a motorman he was telegraph operator for the Penn sylvapia railroad for sls years His work was on small branch roads
 He w.s Not Intoxicated. He was on duty at the time of the ool- lision. He emphatioally declared that he was sober at the time and had drunk noth- ing intoxicating that day. He reached the tower about 6:3s and went inside at once He could not he declared, by mistake have pulled the wrong lever and given the Reading the right of way. He pulled the home signal first, giving the clear track to the West Jersey. He saw the board come down. Then he pulled the distant semaphore
 He saw the steam of the Reading 20 down as usual when it was turned of. The engineer of the Reading gave two blasts of his whistle, but both trains kept on, and the collision occurred at 6:4a Foreman Evans asked him if he was not disobeying the rules of the company by giving the excursion the right of way. Hauser answered that considering the reln- tive distance from the crossing of the two trains he did not think he did.
 Asked If he thought of tho difference between the speed of tho two trains ap- preaching the crossing, he replied that the danger signal was against the flier, and it should have slowed up. Hauser affirmed that on tho night two weeks aeo when the | danger signal was against the same ex, press the engineer ran past, although he did slow his train down until it was un- | der control. The engineer has a right to pass the distant signal when set at oau- | ton, but must get his train under control. Hauser's statement seemed to Indicate that he thought the train should come to 6 full stop at the distant signal.