Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-11
THE STANFORD ACCIDENT.
Jury Takes Much More testimony Injured
Yet Unaware OF Relatives Deaths.

Bridgeport, Conn, Aug 10.-The in
quest into the cause of the trolley ac-
cident on the Shelton Street Railway.
last Sunday. being held by Coroner
Dotcn and a jury here. was continued,
this morning. The most interesting
testimony which developed during the
forenoon session was offered by Mr..
George E. Halves. superintendent Of
the Birdsey, Soncrs & cos. corset fac
tory here
Mr.. Halves testified that, Monday
morning, he visited the scene Of the
accident. Arrived there ut s o'clock
ana remained nearly an hour. AT that
time a large number Of men were en-
gagged in filling ana tamping with dirt
the ties bearing the rails on the earth
en- approach at the south end Of the
bridge. The men We're divided into
two gangs. one of which worked about
10 feet from the south end OF the
bridge ;nd the other about $50 feet
further on.
During the hour which he remained
on the scene Mr.. Halves said TWO car
loads OF earth were brought up. dump
ed ana tamped beneath ana around the
ties. Witness produced photographs
which he had made as the work pro-
crossed. and which he offered to the
jury as evidence. He said that the
photographs We're taken merely out of
curiosity. Since they were made, how
ever. he had seen articles in the news
papers to the effect that little or moth
ing in the way Of repairs on the APP
proach had been done between the
time when the accident occurred and
when the approach was viewed by the
corCners jury. He then decided in or
der that the jury might have the real
facts in the case to appear before it.
G. b. Underwood az New Haven. an
expert electrician. who. at the request
If Coroner Doten had examined the
contact box on the front end Of the
wrecked car. next was called. Mr.. I'm
derwood testified that he found the
door of the contact box partly opened
The condition OF the box indicated that
it had been opened with a screw driver
or similar implement, as the bolts
We're unbroken and in place. which
hardly would be the case had the fall
from the bridge broken the box thus
causing ii to open.
An examination Of the interior of the
box disclosed the fact that two or
three of the contact figures We're miss
ing, rendering the reversal lever use
less, In every other way the box was
in good condition. The power was
turned completely off, but there was no
evidence that the power had been re-
versed.
Mr. Underwood also examined the
rail on the bridge at the point which
the car had passed over just previous
to topling off into the pond bed. He
said that if the power had not been
fully off at the time. an electric arc
would have been formed between the
motor and the rail. Evidence of this
arc would have remained on the rail
had it existed. in the form of a black
stain. The stain not being found he
was certain that the power had been
turned off before that point was
reached.
Recess was taken at this point.
This afternoon. the coroner's jury
visited the Bridgeport hospital and
took the testimony of Mrs Sidney A.
Pitt. Frank Knapp and Mathew Robin
of Bloomfield. The latter is a French
Canadian and testified through an in
terpreter.
Mrs. Pitts is as vet uniformed Of
the fate Of her husband and child. who
| We're buried, yesterday. nor does Frank
Knapp know that Bessie Toomey. who
| was with him on the car, Sunday after
noon. and whom he was to marry in a
few weeks. was buried. yesterday.
Several other witnesses were examn-
ed but no startling facts were brought
out. Adjourned until tomorrow.