Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-03
Where the Railroads Cross.

Reading company. and Joseph H. Gaskill
locked after the interests of the Pennsyl-
vania.
On a special train from Cape May this
morning came General William j. Sewell.
vice president of the United Railroads of
New Jersey. and Assistant General Pas
senger Agent George w. Boyd of the Penn
syIvania railroad. They will be present
Gavin W. Hart of Philadelphia appeared
as associate counsel for the Reading.
Inquest Opened.
The inquest was officially held on the
bodies Of Philip H. Goldsmith the Bridge
ton clothier. who was killed hand in hand
with his wife. and others whose Identity
has been fully established. A map of the
fatal crossing. tackled on the wall. aided in
the investigation.
The proceedings were opened by ex-Judge
Gaskill. who asked permission of the coro-
ner to aid in the investigation.
Judge Thompson. for the Reading, made
a similar request. but thought it would be
more fitting for the prosecutor of the
county to conduct the case, upon suGgeS-
lions from the railroad company's counsel.
Mr.. GaSklll agreed to the suggestion that
Prosecutor Perry should conduct the case,
and that official accepted the responsibility.
The first witness called was Thomas W.
Trenchard. city solicitor of Bridgeton, a
nephew of Mr.. and Mrs. Richard Trench
ard. who were killed In the wreck. He tes-
titled that he had identified the bodies Of
Mr.. and Mrs. Richard Trenchard Mr.. and
Mrs P II. Goldsmith, Mr.. and Mrs. Fra
zier Bell and several other Bridgetonians.
He was called here from Bridgeton for the
purpose of Identification.
Working of the Signals.
NJ r. Thompson. a civil engineer in the
employ of the West Jersey and Seashore
railroad. who made maps OF the scene, ex-
planned the working of the signals
Nr. Gaskill here read an agreement made
on June ii, lSs6. between the Reading rail-
road and The West Jersey railroad, by
which the West Jersey was permitted to
cross the Heading tracks in order to con-
rect with the Camden and Atlantic He
then read the signal rules n substance as
follows:
All engineers and trains ap, reaching the
crossing must be carefully prepared to
come 10 full stop $50 feet from the cross
ing unless the signal of right of way Is
displayed
The trains Of the Reading were given
Jersey.
E o. Dayton. superintendent of the West
Jersey road, said that by the mechanical
arransement of the signals an operator
ahead at the same time. The normal posi-
tlon OF the signal always means danger
wren train approaches, and he gives If
me rlght of way. All the other levers are
sarlIy given the danger signal He stated
IL Is utterly impossible to give more than
one track clear signal at the same time
Mt Dayton declared the signals could
oe seen mile away, and that train run
nlhg at nrty miles an hour could be stop-
ped within 1850 feet of the point where
the brakes Were applied.
Under the rules. Mr.. Dayton said it is
the operators duty 20 give the Reading
train the right of way. but if the West
Jersey train rang the tower bell first and
ne had no knowledge of the position of the
Reading train. he should give the West
Jersey the right of way
A recess was here taken until go
o'clock