The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-27
ACCUSED OF BARBEE'S DEATH.
RAILROAD HELD TO BLAME FOR
THE BURROUGHs COLLISION.

THE BURROUGHS COLLISION.
Coroner's Jury Returned Verdict
Charging CuIpabIe Negligence OF
Employees and That the Brakes OF
the Freight Train Which Ran Into
the Military Train We're in BAD
Condition-Connictin Evidence as
TO sienaIs-Orders Issued by HAIL
road in Regard 10 Train Signals.
The coroner's jury investigating the
death Of Private William NJ. Barbee, OF
Company I. North Carolina volunteers
who was Killed in the accident near Bur
roughs last Monday morning, returned
verdict last night TO the effect that Barbee
came to his death from being crushed ana
otherwise injured in u collision on the
Florida Central ana Peninsular Railroad
between extra freight train No. 1915, and
the fourth section of passenger train No.
81, and that said accident was due TO the
culpable negligence of employees of the said
railroad company and the bad condition
of the rolling stock Of said freight train
The jury held four sessions and took the
testimony Of fifteen or more Witnesses.
The contradictory character Of the testi-
mony prevented it from placing the res
possibility for the accident directly upon
any one employe of the railroad company
The case resolved itself into a question OF
veracity, 10 some extent, between The train
hands on the freight train and those on
section three of train No 81 The evidence
showed that at least ive Of the brakes on
the freight train were moi ia good work
ing order delaying the stopping of the
freight train to that extent. Inasmuch as
the evidence showed that the accident
might have been avoided if very little
more time or distance had been available,
the jury took the view that the damaged
brakes were to some extent responsible for
the collision.
Last night several witnesses were exam
ined. r. r. Cooper, COiored, fireman on
the freight train, swore that while on tire
Ways siding, section three of train NO. 81
passed, displaying no signals and Swing no
signals with its whistle. as required, to
show there was another section coming
When the freight reached the Oseechee
bridge the fireman stated, Engineer Nix
told him to inquire if the Waterman had
seen any signals on the third section. The
Waterman stated that he had seen none.
engine of the freight train while on the
siding, testified that Engineer Nix, who
had been out on the ground, saw The third
section coming, jumped on the cab and
looked out to see the signals. After the
train had passed Engineer Nix turned TO
Roach and the fireman and said TO them:
Did you see any signals?"
Roach replied that he had not seen any.
Roach acknowledged that as Engineer
Nix had just showed him aside to get TO
the window he might not have seen sig
nails on.the other engine, even II they were
carried. Roach was positive that the en-
CINE of third section No. 81 had given two
short blasts of her whistle before reach
ing the freight train. Every one else on
the freight train swOre that no signals of
any kind were blown. Roach agreed with
them all that there was no answering sig
mai from the freight whistle. Engineer
Nix had also asked negro brakeman II
he saw any signals and the brakeman,
who had been standing on the ground, re-
Piled, NO, she had no signals"
Flagman Oaks of the freight did not
see the head of the engine on the third
section of 81 but swore there was no sig
nal blown.
T. S Seasons, a flagman on another
train, swore that he met the third section
of No. 81 on Monday morning after D
O'Clock, sixty-fve miles north of Jackson
vile. and the engine carried two green
nagS, indicating that there was another
section behind. 1t was then broad day
light, and lights were not necessary and
could not be seen.
Savannah Yardmaster w. G. Mccoy was
examined. He could not say positively as
TO whether all the first three sections of
train No. 81 left the yard carrying green
signals or not his regular work keeping
him busy at the time.
Attention was drawn to the fact that
since the accident the Florida Central and
Peninsular Railroad has posted a notice
directing attention to the rules i'm regard
10 whistle signals. which, it states, have
not been rigidly followed by engineers, and
ordering the strictest compliance with
these rules hereafter. Attention is espe-
cially directed In this order to the signals
to be given to train on sidings when an
other section is following and the answer
ing signal to be given. The special order
Is understood to be the result of the rail-
roads investigation into the causes of the
accident