Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-08-06

technical character Of yesterdays testi-
mony served to keep down the attend
ance this morning, although, as time
progressed, the crowd increased, at
tracted by the hope of something sem
sational.
There has been no change In the con-
dition Of tho injured at the Sanitarium
and this is interpreted as favorable
indication. Tho report from Rridgeton
that news had been received there OF
the death OF two more victims, Mrs.
Kate Freas and Mrs. Lydia Carl, is
triile awry, aB those two women were
among those instantly killed in the
wreck and their names were included
in the first list OF dead given to the
public. The officials of tho West Jersey
and the Reading roads have delegated
to Mayor Stoy authority to provide, at
the Joint expense of tho two corpora
tions such things as the injured may
need and to assume, in their behalf,
the expense already incurred by the
city hospital in caring for the wounded.
A committee has been appointed for
the purpose.
When the proceedings opened Nicho.
las Long, day tower operator, was re-
called. Foreman Evans questioned
him. He said that when he came out
of the tower, at G. 40 o'clock, no left
only Hauser in it and there was no
other human being in sight. He had
known occasions when the distant or
cautionary signal had failed to work,
but not recently. Some other ques-
tions were answered, going over the
ground already covered. He repeated
that on the West Jersey the home
signal gave clear track and the dis
tant signal caution, while all those on
the Reading meant danger. He had
known Engineer Farr as reliable and
steady man and the same could bo
said of Night Operator Hauser.
buzz went over the room when
George f. Hauser was called. He is
a small, slightly-built man of 81 years
and the pallor of his face BETRAYED the
mental trouble under WHICH he has
been laboriDg. lie testified that be-
fore coming to Atlantic City he had
lived for two years in Philadelphia.
He first came to the tower June Both
last, having been formerly employed as
motorman for the Union Traction Co.
for 19 months. Before that he worked
on the Middletown branch Of the Penn
sylvania railroad. He had been in this
company's employ altogether about two
years and half. He was on duty
Thursday last. On that day he had
arisen about noon, gone TO the beach
and remained around some of the
boardwalk drinking saloons for about
three hours, but had not been inside.
From there he went home, about
o'clock. After supper, at about 5. 40,
he went to Mississippi avenue. to take
the excursion train, but it was delayed
SO he went out on the Reading local
freight. leaving hero at g. 30. He en-
phatically declared that he was sober
at the time and had drank nothing in
toxicating that day. He reached the
tower about 6.3S and went inside at
once. Day Operator Long was alone
when witness gnr up into the tower.
Long fixed his train sheet and, left at
about GAL or q. AZ. Witness took off
bis coat and vest and prepared for
work. When he turned from tho closet
the West Jersey indicator rang, notify
ing the approach of a north bound
train. Previous to that he had looked
ut the signals and all were set at
danger. He was sure of this. When
and saw that the Reading express was
down and saw the West Jersey APP
preaching. He did not pull the clear
signal right away, as he saw the Read
ing approaching in the distance. He
saw that the West Jersey was little
late and then gave them the right of
way. He,could not, 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. The West Jersey
WAS then two or three train lengths
this side Of the home signal. The
West Jersey kept coming. Then he
saw the Reading round the curve.
uesexpected to see the Reading slow
up, to let the West Jersey over. The
Reading was then about mile and a
laf away from the cautionary signal,
which was set at danger. He was
watching the Reading and saw that it
kept coming very fast and had not yet
shut off. The bell had rung for the
Reading train. He saw the steam of
the Reading 60 down, as IS usual when
it is turned off The engineer of the
Reading gave two blasts of his whistle.
but both trains kept on and the col
lision occurred.
He rushed over to tho wreck and i'm
mediately won't back to the tower and
tried to get Atlantic City on the wire,
which he finally did, getting the Read
ing first and then the West Jersey.
He saw no other trains ON tho meadows
at the tune. About oight minutes
afterwards a Camden & Atlantic train
came down and stopped. The first
person he talked with after the col
lision was Long. Nobody else was
there. There had been visitors ip the
tower, but not this night. Previously
he knew of boy named George Mari,
about 10 years old, from Wilmington,
Del. He became acquainted with him
about two weeks before and he had
some times kept him company at night.
He was not near there that night until
after the accident and witness was
positive be was not in the tower.
Occasionally witness had given Mari
some of his lunch. He did not know
where the boy was at this time. The
boy had said he was a clerk looking for
work. He had told witness he was
sleeping in various places, one of which
he called "Buzzard Roost F."
additional particulars on NTH pgge.l