The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-01
THE D., /. & W. DISASTER.
RItME LlIp ALMOST WHOLLY ON
ENGINEER JOHN RIORDdN.

Gus. HIn-A Brakeman on the Express
Train at Fault, Too-Dsath of the Craig
Family Piucky Sterling J. Smiths Story.
A preliminary investigation OF the disaster
on the Delaware. Lackawanna and Western
,ntlrcid at Paterson on Wedne sday night wac
begUn by the railroad officials Yesterday under
the direction Of Supt. Robert Du Puy. IL dis
co-rt nothing new in relation to the causes
NJ the disaster, except that William Snedeker
the brakeman OF Train No. 9. which was run
into rs Train No SO. did not obey the order Of
bs superlors. given only two weeks ago
when was that before coming into
stations whom II 10 known that another train
IL close behind. brakeman shall drop lighted
green fuse. on the track from the rear car. to
warn the engineer Of the approaching train
snolekor was provided. it Ia said. with fuses.
which would burn for ten minutes. but did not
u.e any The railroad officials are very strong
In their condemnation Of Snedeker. They
admit that under the circumstances. the fuses
would scarcely have prevented the colli-
son. as they would only have conveyed
10 Engineer John Riordan OF Train
No pS information which he already
had The railroad managers have thrown
practically all the blame for the accident on
EIordan They say that nothing can excuse
thu rate OF speed at which ne upproach he'd tho
Paterson station and the fact that he knew
there was q passenger train not far ahead
makes hts offence all the more fragrant.
SUIT Du ruy gave the following statement to
sSrN reporter late yesterday afternoon:
There Ia little for me to add to what
Mr. Russell and Mr.. Chapman said last night
about The causes OF the accident The facts
ore pretty generally known now and the only
OIL u,ty is 20 explain how such carelessness
al fCr ho
t,s.,hIe With such old and experienced men
in charge Of Train No. 91 We have made a
hurried investigation and ind that gross care
las,ne-- caused the wreck more careful
snI detailed investigation will follow. OF
course. but do not think II can unearth many
more facts In relation to this AFFAIR than we
already have,
The men whose gross carelessness caused
this accident are Engineer Riordan and Brake
man Snedeker Rior an II one OF our oldest
engineers. having been ON the road for twenty
years Snedeker has been on the road eighteen
ycars / nnytwo men In the service Of the
road ought TO know the value OF care and tho
necessity OF strict obedience TO orders. II IL
these two veterans Rordun brought his
train into Paterson on the very heels OF No,
& lie knew tho train was right ahead
o. HIM for at Boonton he had caught
train. Yet h. came in there al a dangerous
rate " srre' HIS conduct is beyond eNpiana-
ton IL was only two week ago that on account
Of he dangerous curve ut Pa' son We alopted
me n"w system OF green t"TSS' IL was snede:
k-r- duty knGwng thai No. ~ was short
before reaching PATERSON de Id not do this
probably becaus" h. knew that Riordan knew
that No, u was lust ahead ~ him
There l. nothing more for ns 10 say, except
that the railroad IL seeing to IL that the
wounded receive the hest OF care. and that IL
Will carry its ipve~tig ation OF the accident to
the end. or until the blame Ia placed whore It
tallnG 'r1m the railroad officials and from st.
! phs Hospital In Paterson Yesterday. There
arl tx dead md twenty;siH Injured includ-
ing several Who are suffering 50 badly from
en'rk that they are unable 10 leave their beds
Following ia the list OF dead
cN,,o. A.ESSpEr. IS year. old. of Scranton; was
CH,r.. MRS ALE,NpEa.
t..s.. .rrRER, aged. Is. daughter of Alexander
o. 10 IrssrE. aged, IL. daughter OF Aisr.ndsr
Re- Mas IN NAY ny, ~ OF David Roc OF Ithaca
.tLHo'S wtrtRI, - years old, a studeutat
-. We. En- Ave Ne. this city.
,he - u twenty-five injured persons taken
y ~ ne wrecked car-. printed In The SuS
y.,''I lay morning: was in the main correct.
Iay follow:
asIT. WILLIAM O. conductor OF train No. o.:
lives At Rosedale. n. J. 10 IN ST. Joseph'a Hospital.
SUE ring mainly from shock
uU sISsEs. ANDREW. . carpenter OF Patterson. cut
I, Tho legs went home.
u."ui. 4. H. Of wavsriy, n. T.. head and hight
han CIT, vent home
Vas NrsKLE HARRr. 20 years old, son Of J. A Van
whsle. hardware merchant of Paterson; hand and
70 ehtAd cut; vent home.
W C. Aheld OF 1924 Diyersey boulevard.
G h iqnio5 at Cornell was injured a
In tie newspapers as f. o. ATeld OF lS4O
their way to New York TO spend Thanksgiving
w,h Yrs; SraiGs cousin MS l,en 0unck,
street The accident destroyed the entire
fam y; Nr Craig was formerly a resident OF
New Haven. whore he was connected with the
o. New Haven. and Mrs. Quack en- bush went 10
Paterson yesterday and Identified the dead
The bodies will be taken to New Haven for
$. !, White o. Ithacs is the only one Of
Who s nn ay not TOW IN st. a2seS96 Hs'1
81 and both n his legs were broken; He
suffered SO greatly from, shock that for a
n rdI yesterday i was 5elIeysd that he could
ral!et a biz and the physicians thought he
know that there was anything the matter with
him until o'clock Yesterday morning. He was
nor rtot injured In the wreck and he worked among
A. O'Clock he collapsed and was taken to the
hssR,n a. ebp%Resey Frustrated from
by far the most interesting Of the injured
ones H. Sterling j. Smith. a stock broker o. Du-
Inih. Minn:. who Is a nephew ~ Gen. joe
Wheeler Mr.. smith was 20 badly injured in
the wreck that his left log had to be
amputated. He il 81 years old and has wife
Ald family. Despite his misfortune hs Ia
cheerful.
:, cot on the train at Scranton" he said. to
NlS reporter yesterday and only few min
utcS before the smash-up. ] got out OF the
rear car because II was too col for me. and
went into the car ahead. whore / sat In the last
seat The first thing ! knew brakeman came
through the car yelling: Look outH didn't
know what was coming. but guessed II must
90 collision. so | Just curled myself M into
ll In the seat and waited
We'll the smash came. and found myself
away ~ the front OF the car and up 40 high In
N" that my head touched the ceiling l
vas SUI sitting IN my seat. ] didn't know how
60 there. IL WAS all 80 sudden. but moment
f"r knew that the rear car had shot under
~ lul hat was what had elevated me 40.
Ngh' beneath me-. with his head almost touch
ing mo, was that poor fellow Wellhrock dead.
Wy loot was caught 40 that couldn't get IL
iT"", but didn't nsk for help because saw
thr there we're others who needed Il more.
lmnnng"d 10 get my pen knife out and cut on
my -hoc. Thar freed me and was about TO
may" my way out ~ the car when l realized
tha' my leg was injured Ny trouser leg was
n'Hrred with blood. and suddenly began
y" I"e tho most excruc!ating pain |