Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-08-10
BRIDGEPORT INQUEST.
inquiry Into Connecticut's Trolley
Horror Still Going On.
EVIDENCE FOR MOTORMAN.
one Witness Declares He Had the
Brakes Applied FulI-President
Radel of the Company Tes-
titles In His Behalf.

Bridgeport, Conn, Aug. 1O.-The coro-
hers inquiry into the trolley catastrophe
ut Stratford Sunday continues.
The first witness summoned was Will
liam kelly Of Bridgeport. He said that
ne was aboard the car on the fatal trip
and occupied the second seat from the
'front.'. AS the car ran down the incline
approaching the bridge it's speed was not
unusual. He was positive that the mo-
torman had the brake half on" As the
car was about to run on to the trestle he
left his seat, and, crawling under the
protecting rail, stepped on to the running
BOARD, IN order to examine the under
work of the bridge as he crossed. 1t was
MS frst trip across this bridge, and he
was curious to examine the bridge.
His position on the running board was
at point not five feet distant from the
motorman, he said, so that he was able
10 Know what the motorman was doing
When the car left the tracks, he saw the
motorman applying "full brakes" He
knew that the brakes We're on, not only
from the position of the brake crank in
the hands Of the motorman, straight out
IN front; but, having ridden often on cars,
he was able to detect the sound Of the
brakes on the wheels.
The motorman grasped the brake crank
with both hands and leaned to one side
Then the car swung to the right, and he
fell off and down into the mud In the
pond bed. Kelly was piled with search
Ing questions by the jurors. He was
positive, however, In his statements as to
the speed Of the car and that the motor
man had applied full brakes" He was
unable to say whether the current was
on or off.
The President Testfhes.
The next witness was Andrew Radel,
president of the Milford Street Railway
company, on whose extension the acct
dent occurred. He testified that the
wrecked car was owned by the Bridge
port Traction company and leased to the
Milford company; that 1t was in good
shape, on it's third summer and in no
sense an old car. This car, like all 9th
ers of the company, had been inspected,
as usual.
When this road was opened, President
Radel went to Superintendent Butler of
the Bridgeport Traction company and
told him he wanted a number of the best
and most experienced men available to
put on the extension until new men could
be broken in. On Sunday the cars were
all manned by experienced men. The
usual trip time from Bridgeport to Shell
ton and return had been pa hours, but on
Sunday he had ordered that the time be
extended, so as to make the trips on
three hours schedule. Extra inspectors
were also on duty on Sunday.
On Friday he went over the road with
Engineer Starr, looking for spots which
needed improvement. On this trip guard
rails on this trestle We're discussed, and.
while it was thought that the bridge was
perfectly safe in this respect, it was de-
cided to order iron guards to be placed
on the bridge inside the wooden guard
rails to reassure any that might be timid
Accordingly on Friday afternoon the
Berlin Iron Bridge company was ordered
by telephone to place such guard rails In
position.
President Radel had known Motorman
Hamilton for four years and considered
him a safe man. When asked for his
opinion as to the cause of the catastro'
phe, President Radel said: II cannot say.
don't know what to think"