The sun., 1899-12-12
KNEW TRAIN 96 WAS NEAR.
sroNIFIcANT 1EsTTMoSTArD., n, I. e N.
DISASTER INQUEST

Passenger and Rear Brakeman OF Train
Talked About tho Danger and Conduo-
tor warned Brakeman, But the Latter
Did NothinR-No. % at Great Speed.
PATERSON. N j., Dec 1.-THE inauest into
the Lackawanna disaster OF Thankseiving
eve. which cost seven lives and the injury OF
many passengers. was continued at the Court
House this afternoon BY Coroner Yates and
Prosecutor Eugene Emley For the railroad
company appeared Flavel McGee OF Jersey
City. Edward Kinne Of Newark. and William
b. Gourley Of Paterson.
The testimony OF Henry Decker. an adyer-
tisnR agent in Temple Court. New York. was
the clearest and most pertinent Of the day and
very damaging to the railroad company
Decker said that after the stop at Pompton
Bridge. ten miles above Paterson. he went
out on tho rear platform OF No. y. on which he
was q passenger. He heard the conductor
say to William Snedeker. the brakeman
on the rear platform: Look out for that
fellow. He's a wild one." Decker supposed
the conductor referred to the engineer or con-
ductor OF the train that was 70 lowing. He was
convinced OF II q lew minutes later when the
headlight Of No. o3 appeared. As i0 rounded
each curve on the wav to this city It's light was
visible. Each time II seemed 70 be closer
Decker grew nervous and remarked that the
otHFt bu'h Nhs kuiulHk' ho
smiled. but seemed to be q little anxious him
self When No u stopped JUS, before reaching
the Barclay street station In this city. which II
did because there was west-b bound train
In the station, Decker thought the train fol-
lowing must be close behind. He saw Sneds-
ker get of after the train stopped. and start
back to flag No. 00. A moment later the head
light Of No. 6 appeared around the curvo.
Decker thought the train would stop In time.
but IA II drew nearer he became frightened
and jumped when not more than nifty feet
separated the trains. Decker said that a little
way out Of Paterson he, and snedeket dis.
cussed the proximity of tn. other train, which
they could hear rolling over bridge. Decker
was unhurt.
He said that he had heen in the employ Of the
road for ght'en years, mostly MS a baggage
man man Hs had not done any GreNsinF p5 soms
not familiar with the country and hal no time
table of the branch Of the road on. which he
was danger. He did not drop fusess, as called
TO waste them lie lid not think il would have
helped to do so after the train began TO slow
THE company could have afforded q few
fusees that night. think" dryly remarked
Coroner Yates,
should ss assa ssa only sne E 0rs SftS e a
interpretc. this as meaning between stations.
When he .,t the tran after IL stopped he knsEy
with a red light and had gone more than one
hundred feet when the light Of No. S8 ap-
reared. Then he hurried and went about
three hundred feet altogether. He Was
uncertain about distances. Anothe! wit
ness had testified that Snedeker had gone
back only dozen feet when No po came
/ around the curve. Snedeker considered his
going back at all an unusual nrecaution.
Snedpker admitted that he had never served
as brakeman on n passenger train until the
night OF the catastrophe. He had been re-
ouired to go through no test or examination
20 prove his fitness for the work.
Snedeker said that No. B was fifteen min
utes behind his train at Dover; As John Skill
man. engineer OF No q. testified that he was
running at the rate OF forty i've miles an hour
before stopping at Paterson, II became evident
that No. R} must have been going at great
speed In order TO gain on No, ).