New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-16
TROLLEY BRIDGE WAS UNSAFE.
r-AEp RAILS INSUFFICIENT. ACCORDING TO EX-
PERT EVIDENCE At tNQUEsT-A W.T.
NESS ADMITS PERJURY.

Bridgeport Conn. Aug 15.-There was 4 senss-
TON this morning the investigation Of the causes
Of the trolley disaster the Shelton Street Rail
vay Company's bridge AZ Peck's Mil Pond on
sunday August s. when William Kelley, who tes-
tilted before the jury last week was brought into
The courtroom under arrest charged with perjury
In his testimony last week Kelley said ne was
passenger on the car a. the time Of the accident
and described in detail the scenes before the car
fell and the efforts ~ the motormau 10 stop The
car and also mis- sensations when he fell from the
car into the mud in the he'd 81 the pond.
Patrick = Clark however. testified that Kelley
was not on the car az All. and this morning Mr.
Clark and his son testified that Kelley was sit
ting in a carriage the highway ar the time OF
the accident. and that the mud N his clothing
came there by his vading 70 the car after 1t had
fallen
Kelley put ths stand. and Admitted mat
he was NOT on The car AZ the time Of the accident
and that he did not fall from the bridge. He said
however. that he string where he could see
nearly every movement that was made when me
car ran down the incline and on the bridge and
toppled over and that he could Judge accurately
as 70 the speed which the car was moving he
offered as an excuse FOR MS story before the
Coroners Jury that he greatly excited
" Harvey Mervin. who removed a fuse from
the wrecked car the DAY after the accident &C.
Cured admitted that he took the fuse He said
that he was an employe OF the Bridgeport traction
Connpauv and that when he was az the scene OK
me accident he saw the fuse in the car ana THINK
ing that some person might remove ana mans
av,av with H. he decided take ". He thought IL
-,,zb+ he ~ use ~ his employers in proving thar
he car was In good condition and that tho 40
-ence OF A fuse nor responsiDl" 'or 'n- III
ability ~ me notornsn ~ stop me car m
fuse was produced and. after an examination oF
an electrician. was pronounced 10 ne IN so'o 'o'l'-
ton
CONSTRUCTION foreman on the NHw-England Ran
road testified that the bridge and tracks. III MS
opinton were properly constructed ana tnS' ll-
yliard rails were the same used everywhere else
and that no guard rail would be efncacious Il 1ne
car struck It at right angles. or nearly So
President Radel said that the syndicate Consruc-
,ior Cou1parv Of New-Jersey. had the contract
for the four bridges on the line which they suoet
N the Berlin Iron Bridge Company. The CONTRACT
nrice was S3co0 The bridges. however nfu "''
vet been accepted by the street railway company.
Frederick { Beach Editor Of Tine S'lentn'
American" testified that h" had mace an rNdlii.a.
hr,dre He found the guard rail o-2, incnes ~
height one-half inch higher than the ran o" VIM"
Wan asked ~ he considered this guard rail per
fecty safe he replied thai ne aia q no. rail sboud
he ar least two inches higher than the ran on
which the wheels OF me car a. guard rail TIL
outer one being OF wood should De cappeG w" IN
iron strip SnOulo DC pa
ipner side so that in the wheels OF cdI
left the rails they could not mount the sus'u ran
n, eating groove into the wood - ,ooda,
Mr. Reach said that the condition OK the noouei.
Guard rail as ne found H. Indicated tnat ths 80 al
SrMst have had considerable side pressure nus
he said would have been caused oy the car NOV
ing rapidly over an uneven roadoeo A,a.o o,,s-
TJe vas asked II he considered tne orluss 49,, 49,
Pecks Mil POND unsafe in It's present Goh ,saS
on excellent structure and perfectly saie
Wbsn saw the bridge is unsafe in its present con-
dition have reference 10 the suaru la'i' "o" u"