The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-14

New York. January 1o.-Dtstrict at
tcrney Jerome. state railroad commits
sioner Baker. assistant district attorney
Garvan and superintendent Franklin. ot
the railroad. today made a trip of in
spection through the tunne in which
the recent disaster occurred. The partv
left the Grand Central station on a
locomotive with no a attached.
A thorough examination OF the tun-
mel a made including the workings
IF the black signal system. Tests were
made also of the distance at which
lights could be seen through smoke and
steam in the tunnel. The signals in all
their workings between Fiftp-ninth
street and Fifty-sixth street. where the
accident occurred. were gone w and
closely examined and tested.
At the end OF the district attorneys
trip through the tunncl, one Of those
who had accompanied him SAID the!
had found h atmosphere fairly clear
most Of the way, but at Fifty-ninth
street they were envolved in a cloud
of smoke and steam so dense that Moth
ing could be seen. On the return trim
the tunnel was clear.
At Sixty-third S rect. the green light
showed plainly. that being the caution
arv signal before entering the block
below. and the observation engine
slowed up until the red danger li@h
was seen at Fifty-ninth street. h
bell rang. but the torpedo did not eX-
plode. The engine was stopped and the
railroad officials explained that the
Ii. tie mogul or observation engine. was
not heavy enough, nor It's wheels large
enough to explode the torpedo as a big
passenger locomotive would do
According to The E. ening Post, the
torpedo went into position alongside the
rail automatically the moment the red
light was shown by the block system
and should hav been cut and exploded
nv the fiange of the wheels of the en-
CINE.
AT er a consultation 1t was decided to
bring up a heavier switch engine Of the
same size as the passenger engine. The
enein came up, the little observation
engine was run u of the way and
the larger engine was brought through
the block. Again the torpedo failed tn
explode. Four more tIiEes the big loco
motive was run through the block and
aot once did the torpedo eXplode. The
railroad officials explained this by say
ms ltio NiAE II Ine
torpedo into place had been pressed out
of order so that the flange of the wheels
did not touch the to-1cdo.
After the inspection of the tunnel.
District Attorney Jerome announced
that he would not Oppose an applica-
ton for the release Of engineer Wisker
on $4,000 bail. This action. he said.
was the result of the Investigation
which showed the authorities that n
charge of murder in the first degree
could not be made against the engineer.
The charge that could be made he ex-
planned was manslaughter in the second
degree.
The Herald tomorrow will say:
The New York Central railroad viii
change its motive power IN the Park
avenue tunnel within a year. Electric
ity will be substituted for steam on al
local trains and as soon as possible
trunk line rains will be hauled int
and out of the Grand Central station by
less dangerous methods. An extra
force of experts has been added to the
large force of electricians, and these
hav been at work within tho TUNE
since Wednesdays accident. trying tc
devise satisfactory plans for a speedy
change.