New-York tribune., 1902-01-09
POINTS TO ENGINEER.
SIGNALS SET RIGHT AND THE
FIREMAN SHOUTED.
MAN HELD WITHOUT BAIL SAYS He
COULD NOT SEE GREEN LIGHT BE-
CAUSE OF SMOKE.

District Attorney Jerome went to the scene of
the wreck in the tunnel yesterday morning and
took the lead in an investigation which is being
made by Coroner Scholer. As soon as Jerome
heard Of the accident he left the Criminal Courts
Building, in company with Assistant District
Attorney Garvan a secretary and George P
Hammond. chief of the county detectives Half
hour before noon they entered the tunnel to
begin the investigation there.
The locomotive of the Harlem train had been
backed out OF the wreckage. Its smokestack
and pilot were gone and i-s bell had fallen TO
the ground. while the boiler covering at the for
ward end had been ripped of. The cars behind
the locomotive did not appear to have suffered
greatly. Miles Bronson, the master mechanic,
who was present with some of the Central off,
cials. was ordered TO test the air brakes Of the
cars. The test showed that the brakes were in
good working order and the District Attorney
was told that if they had been applied at the
danger signal at Fifty -nnth-st. they could have
stopped the train in time TO prevent the collision
MIR. Jerome caused measurements 10 be made
and recorded, and it was seen that from the dan
ger signal to the place of collision was 47S feet
The District Attorney examined other signals
in the tunnel, seeing that there was warning
green signal at Sixty-third-st. Then he went to
the police station IN Fifty -first-st where Coro-
ner Scholer had begun an investigation Cap
tain Lantry. of the police there, had caused the
arrest of Wisker. the engineer of the Harlem
train Edward c. Fyler the fireman of the loco
motive, and Charles F. Flynn the signal man
who had charge of the signal station nearest the
collision All three men were examined briefly
by the District Attorney and the Coroner in the
room of Captain I4antry
Flynn explained the system by which signals
were set automatically in the tunnel He said
the signals came to him from other towers by
bells His testimony showed that when there
was red signal at Fffty-ninth-st there must
be green. or precautionary. signal at Sixty
thrd-st-. that signal being set automaticaIly
AT sight of the green signal. he said it was the
duty of an engineer TO get his train under
control. in readiness for stop at the red signal
Fyler. the fireman. said he saw both the
green and red signals and shouted TO the en-
gineer across the cab of the locomotive Dis
trict Attorney Jerome later gave this version OF
the ireman's story:
THE FIREMAN'S STORY.
The fireman said he was sitting on his side Of ths
cab as they passed along the tunnel leaning out
st. he said, he the green or precautionary
signal which means that the engineer must get his
at IT,, minutes min w9rnins He drew in his head. he
6 h % suSnoseS tb no Ihs e1SnesT Green
the engineer put on the brakes and slowed up. At
signal and shouted 'Redr' 10 the engineer He
knew collision was coming, he said and jumped
into the tender He told he had every reason
10 suppose that the engineer saw the red or dan
ser signal when he did.
Wisker. the engineer. was allowed to answer
only one question He was asked il he saw the
signals and he replied that he did not see the
green signal at Sixty-third list because rbsra
was so much smoke and steam In the tunnsl
He apparently suffering from shock and
was on the verge of nervous prostration
Jerome said 1t was not fair 10 question a man
in that condition. particularly as he might he
held responsible for the loss Of life in the vrack
BY advice of the District Attorney Coronar
Scholer held the esgineer without hail and
sent him 10 the Tombs late in the afternoon
The fireman was held in $1,000 bail which was
furnished The signal man was discharged from,
custody District Attorney Jerome said he
would detail Mr.. Garvan to attend the coroner,s
inquest and continue the investigation.
HURLED LANTERN AT CAR
The police got some statements from, man On
the New-Haven train which NAV be used Ia+ar
The conductor of that train said he sent a man
with warning signal back to warn the an
preaching train soon as the stop was noada
at Fifty-sixth-st. The brakeman said he went
back and waved red lantern. AS the Harlem
train did not stop, he got cut of it's way and
hurled the lantern at the cab The Harlem
train had passed the red signal at FTfty-ninth
st. and going at the rate of twenty miles
an hour. the man said.
District Attorney Jerome made the foIlovfng
statement last evening concerning mis- fnvestixa
tion:
My idea in going TO the scene of the disaster was
SOLID TRAIN To ST. AUGUSTINE. FLA