The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-08
Big BOND ASKED,
Motorman Hamilton
Is Charged With
Manslaughter.
BAIL FIXED At $4,000.
Coroner's Jury Makes a
Careful Examination
OF Bridge.
BAIL FIXED At $4,000.

Bridgeport, Conn.,, Aug. 7.-George
Hamilton, the motorman of the ill
fated car which plunged over the side
of the big trestle on the Shelton Trac-
ton Company's road, yesterday was
arraigned before Justice Charles H.
Peck, in the Stratford court, this eve
ming. The charge brought against
Hamilton was that of manslaughter.
He pleaded not guilty, and, without
having heard evidence of any kind
Justice Peck continued the case for
one week, and fixed the prisoners bail
at $4,000.
Hamilton was released soon after
ward and went to his boarding place
in Bridgeport. His surety was William
B. futile, a StEatford druggist. HAM
ilton would make no statement after
the hearing.
Coroner Doten and the jury which
was impanelled this afternoon started
for the scene Of yesterdays catas-
trophe at about o'clock. The big
trestle across the pond, from which the
car fell, first engaged the attention
or the Jurors. Every portion which
could in any way have a bearing upon
the accident, as we'll as the earthen APP
proaches at the south of the structure,
was carefully examined. Several ex-
perts on bridges and bridge building
accompanied the jury
From the examination made by the
coFoners jury, the bridge apparently is
good, strong, substantial structure;
the stringers on the outside OF each
rall are Of red oak, by 10 inches,
DOTTED to the ties and intended to pre-
vent car from leaving the rails. The
rails. however, measure 51a inches
from base to top, thus being only one
half inch lower than the wooden
stringer or guard rail-"
Two experts, representatives of the
Berlin Iron Bridge Company, who were
present, pronounced the bridge to be
all right in every way and lust as safe
as 1t was possible to make it. One of
them ventured the remark that he
would willingly ride over it on a train
OF Pullman cars travelling at a good
rate of speed. The element of unsafe
ness In bridge of this kind, he said,
was the light weight Of the cars and
| the short-wheel base
| The car, which had sunk in the mud
of the fiat beneath the BRIDGE was re-
moved and carefully examined. The
WheeiS We're examined and the f1anRes
round to be in perfect condition. not
broken in any way. The brake and
the brake rod also were uninjured. The
brakes were set. The condition of the
| iSNCi Wy WHICH Cn6 power TO run the
car is regulated, showed that at the
time the car left the bridge the power
was turned completely off. Everything
about the car, all the parts, all the sur
roundlngS were carefully examined by
the jurors, and when they thought
nothing remained to be done there
adjournment was taken until 10 o'clock
tomorrow forenoon
| An official Of the Shelton street rail-
way company stated tonight that Pres
| ldent Radel last week had contracted
with steel concern to place steel guard
| ralls inside the rails running over the
| restle where the accident occurred YES
| Ierday afternoon. The ARRANGEMENTS
for placing the guard rails Just as thew
! are placed on bridges and trestles used
| py steam railroad companies, had been
| completed, the company guaranteeing
to have the irons on the ground and
ready to put in place next week.
| 1t is estimated that between eight and
ten thousand people visited the scene
OF the catastrophe today. Many of
them came down by way of the electric
road, but 1t was noticeable that very
few continued the trip across the bridge.
The event Of yesterday afternoon APP
parently was too strongly impressed
upon their minds and when the APP
proach of the bridge was reached, a
| general exodus took place. The morbid
| ly curious lowered about the place all
| through the hours of daylight and gag
ed upon the wrecked, blood stained car
lying half submerged in the mud OF
| the fats, 40 feet below the trestle al
most the only reminder of the terrible
| loss of life which occurred at that spot
| "a hours before