The times., 1897-10-27
THE ROADBED LONG UNSAFE
Charge of Neglect Against the
New York Central Company.
DAMAGING STATEMENT MADE
Clare, a Section Foreman.
Had Frequently Warned His Su-
periors OF the Danger and lie
Finally Resigned Because the Re
sponsihility Was TOO Great. -

New York, Oct. 26. The weakness OF the
Iosdbed of the New York Central Railroad
where the tracks run along the Hudson
River Was demonstrated by the dreadful
catastrophe at Garrison's.
That the company realized the possibility
of just such an accident is borne OUT by the
statetnent " Michael Clare, OF Cold Spring,
who was FOR sixteen months the foreman
OF section No. 8, which Includes the run
fron one mile south Of Garrison ) To the
chemical works, a half mile south Of High
lands station, a distance OF four ana one
quarIer miles lie claims u have lett the
employ OF the New York Central Railroad
July Z, declining further 20 assume the re
sponsibility FOL the section. u says.
Il received S45 a month a section fore
man, and 1 made up my mind that the
hardest section between New York and
Buffalo was worth the same salary they
pay on an ordinary section ON the New
Haven ana Hartford. The responsibility
was too much ana the salary too low so l
quit. l was not discharged. II is
wonder to me that such disaster did
not happen there before. The condition
OF the railroad at the point where the
disaster occurred has long been VIGOROUSLY
unsafe. While l was overseeing that
portion of the road l found that every two
days, about, the track at this very point
was sagged not only out Of surface, but
out of line rs well. The condition OF the
roadbed OF the west track at this and other
points, and the condition Of the ice last
in January OF February OF this year 10
build a sea wall on the river side, about
an eighth OF a mile in length. When the
soft weather OF the spring set in and the
frost left the ground the trouble began
again, and in April last, 1 think IL was,
about sixty feet OF this wall crumhled
away at a point only a few feet north
Of where the Buffalo express plunged
into the river.
During my employment on the road
there never was an operator anywhere near
this place, which is haIf way between two
blind towers, Nos. AZ and 43 After Sun
days disaster was the first tine an oper
ator or w0rfing' signal station was ever
operated there
This wall was three feet wide at the
ton, aud although seven feet wide at the
bottom, was built on the shelving or sliding
RICK. Thog could never get good founda
tion there ana. besides, the wall was what
is known as dry wall uncemented
''Tirae and again, as nay reports TO my
suporinrs VIII prove, l reported not only
this very spot as the most dangerous be
tween New York and Buffalo, but also
called attention 10 two other very weak
spots, where there is likely TO be a repeti
Uf0n of tEis horror. The wall was built t,y
the company s own laborers, and when that
portion OF the wall where the train dashed
into the river fen away in April last Gen
eTal Roadrnaster Sparrow came down and
viewed it.
1t was never repaired up to the time I
left their employ 1t was built under the
supervision oil Assistant General Roadmas-
ter Caldwell, OF East Albany The other
Dangerous places which I reported Were
above and below Kings Dock and above
Beyeriy's Bridge. The man who followed
roe upon the section is a man named
Fitzpatrick. As have stated, my opinion
that this was the most unsafe spot on
the line bet ween New York and Buffalo has
been confirmed
Foreman DouoEue, of the Putnam county
grand Jury, announced this morning that
ne would put forth his best efforts to have
tie coroner hasten the inquest so that no
matter what verdict the coroner : Jury NAV
hand in. the disaster viii be fully investi
gated
Foreman Donohue said There are many
things connected with this disaster which
must be explained. If the coroner's Jury
makes thorough investigation it will re-
suit i'll fixing the responsibility Then the
grand Jury can act"
IF the cor1ner's jury does not fix the
responsibility the grand jury viii have to
DO so. shah have conference with the
District attor ney during the course OF the
day, when definite plan of action viii be
mapped out"
Briefly put. these are the facts which will
he placed before the grand Jury:
First-The New York Central Railroad
officials, through its section boss and
track walkers, had knowledge OF the condi-
ton OF the tredcherous track.
SecnRd-Fhati inadequate repairs had been
attenpteG three weeks prior TO the disaster.
Third-That in competent engineering
opinion the tide-wall should have been buu.
with cement.
fnth The tide-wall was practically a
sham 1T was built OF small pieces Of broken
STONE, none of them being more than six Or
eight inciies IT, width or thickness.
Fifth That no culverts We're Dlaecd un-
der tl,e tracks to allow the water from the
mountains 10 flow into the river
sixth That to all intents and purposes
the roadbed, the point where the accident
OCCURRED, was laid over a century ago
and, while adequate for the traffic OF the
times, i today not all sufficient in strength
to stand the strain of heavy ira fife of the
present day.
Another point which will he considered
Will be the condition of the pa ssenger
coaches those in which most of the lives
were lost. The windows or the cars in use
cannot be lifted more than six inches from
the sill hardly enough space to get ona's
arm through. Thus, when the unfortuna tes
in the day Coaches attempted To raise the
windows to save themselves they found
their efforts of no avail. They had to
drown like rats in trap.
S1.00 to Baltimore and Return S1.OO