The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-02
SAYS THE BELL DID RING.
PREsLDENT BALDWIN TALKS OF THE
WRECK At THE MERRICK ROAD.

sponsibillty for the accident In which q tally.ho
coach carrying twenty-four persons was run
down by q Long Island Railroad train ut Valley
Stream on Monday afternoon. The officials Of
the Long Island railroad declare positively that
the bell at the Merrlck road crossing was In con-
dition and that 1t rang in plenty Of time to warn
the tally.ho party OF the approach Of the train.
On the authority OF Joseph Colligan, the veteran
engineer. they further state that tho whistle
was blown a full minute before the train reached
tho crossing, and that had the tally-ho party not
been blowing horns, laughing, shouting, and
otherwise drowning out all other sounds, they
would have heard both warnings and tho trag-
edy might have been avorted.
Opposed to these statements arc o score Of
others from persons living In the vicinity of the
Merrick road. from bicyclists and others who hap
pened TO BIO near by when the accident occurred,
and from those who rode on tho tally.ho and
escaped with slight injuries. Most Of the latter
who have talked have admitted the possibility
Of the ring Of tho bell and the blow Of the whistle
escaping them In the noise of their own frolic,
but they do not think that either warning
sounded. Persons who live in the vicinity
say that the bell has been out OF order
for months. that 1t rings at most unex-
pected times, usually when there is no train
near, and rarely when one Is actually approach
ing the Merriok road. The first official cogni-
bhhSo vi tho uCCiucuJ WI De ~ luQuebt, tno OK
act date for which cannot be set until those In
the hospital have recovered sufficiently to be
able to respond to %subpenas. A Jury has been
impanelled, and until IL has heard all the testi-
mony the responsibility cannot be fixed any
where.
The death list was not swelled any yesterday,
and there is q bare possibility that six Of the
seriously injured ones now in st. Johns Hos
pital will recover. For the seventh there is, ac-
cording to the physicians, no chance. She may
live through the day, but cannot live much
longer. This one is Clara L. Stewart, who suf-
fered a triple fracture OF the skull and has not
once regained consciousness. Emma Bertsch, q
sister OF Dora Bertsch, who was killed, is an.
other one of those in the hospital whose chances
of recovery are very slim. She suffered severe
internal injuries. Operations were performed
on her and Miss Stewart yesterday morning.
Lawrence K. Barnes, the young man who organ
the driver. who were both thought TO be mortslly
injured, may recover; Both have shown re.
hopes for them. The other three in the hospital
are practically out Of danger. They are Mrs.
and who suffered severe COMMISSIONS; John T.
Lewis, who WINS Injured about the head, and
Walter ". Wellbrock. whose legs and arms were
Not until noon yesterday. when the doctors
and relatives of those in tho hospital leave that
institution.
The Hev. Dr. Bunn, President or the hospital,
was up most of the night with the patients, and
at every opportunity he went down into the re-
ception room to reassure those who were wait
Greene Avenue Baptist Church, stayed in the
hospital half of the night and during the early
20 to 1nwood to see about the removal Of the
bodies Of the dead.
jured was Mr.. Andrus. He was in Poughkeep-
sic on Monday and came down on a late boat.
Yesterday morning he picked, up a newspaper.
and the first thing TO catch his eve was an ac-
count OF the accident TO the coaching party. He
va w TIsssin nsn it With n hi in Iis, 8, w M ni.r.d be f%m Ss e
not known that she intended 10 be one OF a
in ss,tisf p to Bro on iNond r. found o%1 hs M lost H 40 fips
getting along comfortably and entirely out OF
Shortly before noon the condition of Henry
Mccormick. the driver Of the tnlly-h was SO
much improved, that the physicians allowed a
driver. and according TO Henry Hamilton, the
stableman who let the tally.ho TO the party. he
tnan one Ssst pair %a" of b horses Sc e" Hamilton Ito as says th mo he
10 q careful and conscientious man. and that
or o4a a W WHIST ee se ana %iteths ", Wo 'hd HAY have OF s q oei a
man ahead to look out, before taking the tally.ho
across. To a reporter who saw him Mccormick
" 1 sat on the right-hand side of the box all the
way down. and the six horses were jogging
along a, a comfortable gait when sighted The
having driven down that way before. / am well
years. Four horses were across the trock when
] heard the rumble OF the train. The engine
and did not lose my head. yelled as loud as i
50 much noise behind me that I esnnos
state positively whether he blew his
in T" the tally no f 6s11 horns or and do those eve Who s %ers
not using them were shouting at the tops OF their
Lungs, 1t is my belief that the train could have
the accident. Sill. in he moment that fhad to
take In the situation, ! may have misjudgcd tho
I nrn / IA 1 Vaft TIM ttharA NCna M ftfna n
turn back. so flashed my horses and tried to get
across. The engine crashed into the coach about
on my head. and that's ali / remember"
Late in tho day President William II. Baldw win
All We have to say about this most distress
ing accident is, we had taken all ordinary pre-
place. Aiarse number Of people drove on The
track without any caution, and did not heed tho
people on the highway who Tried to prevent their
coming on. The railroad company does not feel
th Int IT. can be fairly held resp9nsib!S for such &C,
at the crossing, and the road extends away from
this point in a straight line for three miles
were ringing before the train reached the Cross
WE. Potter, Superintendent OF the road, said
that he WAS experimenting the train service to
the race track when he heard of the accident. He
at once sent a special train down from Jamaica
with two doctors aboard, and aftcrward placed
two special trains at the service OF the injured
and their friends.
All of the officials OF the road had a good word
to say for Joseph ColliEsn, the engineer OF the
train. He has been with the road for twenty
five years, and is regarded as one OF It's most
careful men; He has been completely Frustrated
by the accident. and the road. as well as his
friends and relatives, have requested Coroner
Coombs not to place him under arrest. The Cor.
oner said Yesterday that he would not arrest
could get at any time he desired.
Tho bodies Of the Aye who. were killed were
removed from Coroner Coombs's morgue yester-
day morning by undcrtakers sent down by their
friends. Most OF the bodies were badly cut up.
but one, Miss BcrtsChs, escaped Disagreement
entirely. Miss Bertsch WAS reported yesterday
morning TO have been engaged to young Gil.
crist. who was killed with her. This was denied
at her home yesterday. Nevertheless. "A picture
OF the young woman was photographed inside
the case of Gilcrist's watch. and among their
friends it was generally understood that they
were engaged.
The arrangements for the funerals OF the dead
have not yet been completed. DR.. Woelfkin Is
anxious to conduct all OF the services. and said
yesterday that II possible 1t would be arranged
TO have all Of the funerals at once in the Greene
Avenue Baptist Church. This arrangement
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