New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-10
AGAINST THE RAILROAD.
INVESTIGATION OF THE VALLEY STREAM
DISASTER BEGUN.
ONLY ONE WITNESS OF MANY HEARD A BELL
BEFORE THE CRASH CAME-TEsTlMoNY
OF THOSE WHO SAW THE AFFAIR
THE INQUEST ADJOURNED.

OF THOSE WHO SAW THE Affair."
THE INQUEST ADJOURNED.
Although 1t was raining hard yesterday morning. 1t
DID not prevent big attendance when the INQUEST
into the Valley Stream disaster on Memorial Day.
in which FIVE killed and sixteen injured was
resumed Inwood
Besides the cur!osity-seekers the following in'er-
ested persons present: William Glchrist, OF
Brooklyn father OF William Gilchrst. jr.. who was
killed Judge William Kramer. Of Brooklyn counse'
for Mr.. Gichrist: the Rev. Or. Woefkin, OF the
Greene Avenue Baptist Church; F. NJ Field repre-
serting George +. Pashloy. whose son. George r.
Pashley. jr. killed; John WeliorooK, ""oSe
brother, Walter Wellbrook was killed. ana judge
Jacob Neu. of Brooklyn representing some OF ''oSe
who were injured.
Dis,rict-Attorney ,'ounrs OF Queens County, and
Assistant District-Attorney Richardson represented
the people From the first TO the last witness e~-
amined heard the electric signal al the Mer-
rick Road crossing One witness testified TO hearing
the bel Of tho locomotive. while the others VINO were
on the stand said the only warning given was -FOUR
sharp toots Of the locomotives whistle when the
forward horses OF the tally-ho were on the track
The evidence was strongly against the railroad
Henry Mccormick, the driver Of the coaCh, was
not present. he was unable to leave st. johns
Hospital Brooklyn where he has been since the
accident.
Thomas Dickinson, Of Astoria, was tandem riding
with his wife on the Merrck Road on the afternoon
OF the accident. Dickinson testified that his wife
and himself about one hundred feet beyond
,be crossing when the accident occurred He said
that he did not hear the automatic electric bell al
the crossing ring. He did not know there was
a train approaching until the four sharp whistles
indicating danger were blown Just before 'He
crash. .
Airs. Dickinson corroboratei her husbands testi-
mony.
MISS PELTON'S EXPLICIT STATEMENT
The next witness gave the most important tesi-
mony up 10 this time. She was Ella May Pelton'
fifteen years old. OF No % Eldert-str Brooklyn
She said she bicycle riding on the day OF Inc
accident with Mrs. Rand, Miss jenkins ana her
father.
Miss Pe!ton said that while riding they had passed
tina coaching party The bicyclists when they
reached the crossing went over the tracks an"
then dsmounted They were about seveh'y-"F"
feet from the crossing then 1t was warm. ana 'he'
went under some trees 10 be In the shaue' Ino
pattv waited for the tally-ho 10 come up MISS fel
ton said that she the whole occurrence AT the
crossing The tally no approached the crossing anu
the two horses which were leading were aIIeao! on
the tracks before any signal was given wa" - eiher
U.s. Then Il late 10 elt1e!
cross the tracks in safety or turn the horses
About fifteen seconds later AFTER loi ~ SaprJ tbe
from the whistle of the locomotive WY nrnssinp
crash came. The horses had cleared t.t ,anE
but the tallyho was in the centre OF ,n the
The noise made as the engine Cdt NE vomnr men
tally-ho dcafening She saw me !ou nt ex I
TIN ough the air In dinerent dlrecIS 'nnatic sig
person Jump from the aly-ho The auoiii"tic iS i,
nai a, thc S Iocomoye Miss Pelton said that
she was sure she would have heard the pen ""' u
Miss Pelton was closely questioned regardins dne
automatic signal bell at the crossing. o been all al
swered questions which would not nave pen h, a.,
lowed in a court Her testimony was not SNAKE"
Oh ~ PeIton, the father Of Miss Peon. was with
his daughter saw the accident ana corrooola ted Az
her testimony He SAID rTd he b was co am for the rail-
road If he had not sought emp oyneh1 on I dV 49,
EngnSr Pe b0T ia fdct that he did not get it di
not make him have any il-feeilhg against 'io i"'i
road
THE ONLY ONE WHO HEARD THE BELL.
The next witness was the only one who heard the
bell on the locomotive. She Miss Alice Lang
don Of Norwood. Miss Langdon testified that she
was about one thousand two hundred feet from 'fle
scene of the accident when it occurred She heard
the whistle and the ringing OF the bel on inc en-
CINE. Counsel thought this strange when others
who were closer did not hear any bell JuGgf ,r oedd
men. She admitted that railroad employe named
Wh h9 Wha ad Sn der e aS SSnG to- She
said he talked with her father ana tnat me d't6
Foreman TAYLOR of the jury gussM,9cEned toned her
she tod him how he visited Their home ana SPOKE
railroad man called at the house. and said White
was his friend. Langdon did not see the accident
HE EXAMINED THE SIGNAL.
d. Webster Pearsall hotel-keeper at Valley
Stream testified TO going to the Of the acct
dent after il occurred The automatic electric
signal at the crossing out Of order a short
time afterward gravel train passed the crossing
and the bell remained silent. Pearsall said he in
spected the bell closely because il did not ring
days before the accident. on one occasion
the bell rang all day and far into the night, al
though there trains passing and 10 his
mind ii demonstrated that the bell was not in
working order.
only witness examined when the inquest
resumed. after a recess FOR luncheon. He was
William Wyatt. one of the two members OF the
coaching party who escaped injury.
The Coroner then adjourned the inquest until
m SATURDAY.. ~. DOSfpOnci
investigation in order that witnesses who were
members Of the tallyho party and are now inmates
OF the hospital would be able to testify.
Secretary DE Forest, Of tho State Railroad Com
nissioners. was present during the investigations.
but he would not talk regarding il. He said that
he had statement 10 make until after the Cor
oncr's Jury had made its verdict and the Grand
Jury Of Queens Cour.y had taken some action in
matter.
ACCESED BY A EORMER EMPLOYER