New-York tribune., 1902-01-18
GREEN LIGHTLOOKS WHITE
OFFICIAL TESTIFIES THAT THIS COLOR
HAS BEEN ABANDONED BY
SOME ROADS


have been unable TO see signal lights in the tun-
mel on account of smoke and fog. II was shown
that several engineers had trains past dan
ger signals in the tunnel. The inquest was not
finished. but was adjourned till Monday
Counsel for John NJ. Wisker the engineer. held
In SlooOo bail pending the inquest tried to con-
vince the coroner that they should have the
right to ask questions Of witnesses and in the
| course Of the debate Frank Moss intfmated that
the president OF the New-Yorlx Central and Hud-
son River Railroad Company might have re-
ceIved better treatment than was accorded TO
the engineer. District Attorney Jerome declared
that he had been insulted by Mr. Moss and
there was unpleasant scene followed bv an
! apology The coroner however. stuck to his
decision not to permit any lawyer except the
District Attorney to examine witnesses
Joseph II. Franklin. terminal superintendent
was again in the witness chair when the in
quest was resumed. 10 a. m In reply 10 Mr.
Jeromes questions he said he believed that the
Empire state Express could be stopped by its
| emergency brakes within four hundred and hfty
! feet If running at speed of only twenty-eight
miles an hour, and that a local train Of ten
cars could be stopped within six hundred feet
He said that the best engineers on the
! road sometimes seemed TO relax their watch
funess
EIGHTEEN SLIPS BY ENGINEERS
witness produced by direction of the coroner
Mr. Franklin said the reports had been made to
him by engineers who had run trains past
signals. There were eighteen such reports In
1901
Rafsky, an old and competent engineer re-
ported that green signal looked white to him
through the smoke in the tunnel and after
passing IT he put on steam. with the result that
he ran his train almost it's entire length past
at iebf
man had added a statement that the conditions
were so bad that the engineer might easily
have made a mistake. Mr.. Franklin said he
had let the engineer off with a reprfrnand He
was aware. he said. that smoke sometimes
made green light look white. and that
some railroads had abolished green lights as
warning signals.
run past both the green and red signals. and
! had been merely cautioned
You only told him not 10 let IL happen
again?" asked the District Attorney
Yes, he careful man. He could not
see the signals. and did his best TO pick up the
lights. would not cut OFF the head Of an engi-
neer on such provocation," Mr.. Franklin re-
piled.
Q-Is that t., your idea Of discipline. sirs In a
Wen he was picking his way slowly; he could not
o
under qI certain cTcumstancss; is that not so? A
-Q.-Weil. he knew that he was in the county OF
that is not enough A@He knew where b. ss pas
within one hundred feet. and he found the signal
Q,-Yes he found II before he ran into something
10 too, stop him I All these eghteen reports were in
years? A-Yes. sir
The District Attorney instructed Mr.. Franklin
to bring those reports on Monday
MOSS ASKS TO BE HEARD.
Frank Moss. of Wisker's counsel then read a
statement addressed TO the Coroner II urged
that the engineers counsel be permitted TO ask
questions and bring out facts tending TO excuse
him, and asked what moral value a verdict hold
ing the engineer responsible for the disaster
would have if fair play were not allowed to his
counsel in the investigation. Reference was
made TO the Molineux proof that the
right Of an accused man 70 be represented in
investigation had been allowed in former
inquests- In the course of reply. District At
torney Jerome said:
had not expected MIR. Moss cite Molineux
into court was public scandal MIR Moss saws IL
would be ser serious thing # the ens9se; be found
serious If the Gresiidieqt or directors Of the Nsw
Yet they have not asked for representation here.
MT. Moss replied that the engineer had been
arrested and present under bonds and he
added IF the president Of the road and the
directors here defendants they would
have the right to be represented by coun-
sci. and question very much whether. under the
circumstances. the objections now made would
have suggested themselves so readily"
Mr.. Jerome rose in evident anger For a
man who has known long this man
has" he said. ITO make an insinuation so direct
that could possibly be misunderstood, to
the effect that I would treat the president and
directors differently from this humble engineer.
is something I cannot let pass unnoticed. II is
an insult against which I must protest"
Coroner Scholer ruled that the District Attor-
ney the orSy lawyer who could ask aues-
tions Later Mr.. Moss said he had no thought
of questioning the District Attorneys integrity
and Mr.. Jerome said he would consider the in
cident closed. Mr.. Moss submitted a list ot
questions to be asked through the Coroner and
few of the questions asked by the Dis
trct Attorney.
EMERGENCY BRAKES NOT APPLIED.
William Kinch. superintendent of signals. said
the signals worked properly in the tunnel the
day Of the disaster. He on the Harlem
train when 1t ran into the New Haven train at
Fifty-sixth-st., and he testified that the Harlem
train passed the signal at Seventy -second-st at
a speed of thrty-hve miles hour He did not
believe the emergency brakes were applied after
the train passed the red signal at Fifty-ninth-st
ITO what do you ascribe the disaster?' was
asked.
'"To excessive speed and disregard Of signals
by the engineer" was his reply.
DO you know of any better system OF signals
than that employed in the tunneI?''
Il do not"
George A Stevens. an assistant general super