The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-01

hRRRICK ROAD HORROR
Railroad Officials Try to
Throw the Blame on
Their Mangled
Victims.
WAS THE DRIVER CARELESS?
People on the Coach We're Singing
Gayly-No Protection for
the Crossing.
WAS THE DRIVER CARELESS?

NEW YORK, June l. 1S97.-A small
black patch where the broken bits of the
faliy-ho coach were burned on the grass
beside the Long Island Railroad, was all
the evidence left today of the disaster
which yesterday caused the loss of five
lives at Merrick Crossing A curious
crowd gathered around the spot and told
various versions of the accident
The bodies of the dead were taken from
Coroner Combs Office at Inwood and
shipped to their late homes in Brooklyn
today. 1t was a heartrending return of
the sons and daughters who had said
goodbye the day before with such light
hearts as they set out on the pleasure
ride. The remains, in one or two cases.
could hardly be recognized
At st. Johns Hospital, in Brooklyn, are
six of the more seriously wounded sur
vivors. Miss Clara Stewart is still hov-
ering between life and death, but, so far,
the list. of dead has not been added to.
Coroner Combs said today that the in
quest would be held at Inwood, near the
scene of the disaster. He would serve
subpoenas on the majority of the mem
bers of the coaching party, and as there
are few of them who are in a condition
to testify at present. it is probable that
e@-S .AAHNSSt "3it 21Ot ldnC piAc0 iOT several
days.
NO new light has yet been obtained on
the circumstances which led to the acci-
dent President Baldwin, of the Long
Island Railroad. is personally conducting
the investigation of the affair, especially
with reference to the statement that
Coroner Combs has received definite in
formation that the electric gong at the
crossing did not ring as it should have
done when the train was within fifty feet
of the Merrick road. President Baldwin
does not admit this allegation, although
several residents of the locality state
that the gong has not worked for some
weeks. Coroner Combs, it is stated, does
not hold the coaching party entirely
biameless and is of the opinion that the
driver should have exercised more eau
u in approaching the thickly wooded
or lssIng.
President Baldwin has received the
written report of the crew in charge of
the train. Joseph Colrgan, the engineer
and Conductor John Reeves. who were in
charge, state positively that the usual
warning signals of blowing the locomo-
snsine We're given the. train approached
the crossing Engineer Colligan states
that ne did not see the tally no until it
was too late to avoid the collision Rail-
of the tally no were singing, shouting and
making such noise that it was hardly
possible for them to hear the locomotives
whistle until it was too late.
Baldwin made the following statement
today
have made personal investigation of
this unfortunate affair and am convinced
that the railroad employees were not to
blame TO rthe accident We have the
Statements of several persons not in the
employ of the railroad who happened to
= be at the scene of the accident and who
corroborate the statement, of Engineer
Coligan and Conductor Reeves. They
say the tally no party were warned not
only by the whistle of the locomotive but
by persons nee-sthe crossing and that
but kept OF &. blowing horns and
making a great noise 1t is untrue that
the electric gpng signal at the crossing
usual when the train was a safe distance
from the crossing, but the tally-ho party
the signals