Evening star., 1902-01-25
BLAME FOR TUNNEL WRECK
CORONER'S JURY CHARGES 1T To
RAILWAY COMPANY.
Engineer and Fireman Exonerated
and Discharged From CustOdy-The
Testimony Yesterday.

A dispatch from New York last night
says: The coroners investigation into the
causes of the recent disaster In the New
York Central railroad tunnel was brought
to close tonight, when the jury, after be-
ing out three hours and five minutes, re-
turned verdict completely generating
John NJ. Wisker and E. c. Fyler, the crew
of the engine that crashed into the rear end
of the train. causing the death of seventeen
people. The verdict places the blame for
the conditions leading to the accident on
the officials Of the railroad. Both Wisker
and Fyler were Immediately discharged
from custody.
After reciting the details of the accident,
the verdict continues:
1--WE find that the engineer, John NJ. Wis
ker, owing to the heavy atmosphere, due to
weather conditions, together with the pres
ence of large bodies of steam and smoke
escaping from trains passing the various
tracks in said tunnel, obscuring said signal,
was unable to locate said danger signal.
I'VE further find faulty management on
the part of the officials of the New York
Central and Hudson river railroad, and We
hold said officials responsible for the
reason that during the past ten years said
officials have been repeatedly warned by
their locomotive engineers and other en-
ployes of the dangerous conditions existing
in said tunnel, imperiling the lives Of thou
sands of passengers, and they have failed
to remedy said conditions; and also for the
reason that certain improvements in the
way OF both visible and audible signals
could have been installed and the disaster
thereby have been avoided; and for the fur
ther reason that no regulation of speed
which trains should run in said tunnel has
been enforced, thereby allowing engineers
to exercise their own discretion"
daDt .af+ . +lna 1-ly
trail, who had been sommoned TO testify,
was preesnt when today's session was
opened.
The manager Of the New York Central's
terminal in this city, Mr.. Franklin. was
called to the stand and was asked by Dis
trict Attorney Jerome IL he had brought
records showing cases where engineers had
run past signals in the tunnel since 1891.
Mr.. Franklin said he had not. Mr.. Jerome
asked why, and Mr.. Franklin replied: Be
cause they have been destroyed"
You knew of the presentment of the
grand jury. pronouncing the signals in the
tunnel inadequate, and still you destroyed
every bit of record which could show
whether the changes which had been made
subsequent to the presentment had reme-
died the evil2" asked the district attorney.
The attorney for the New York Central
protested that it was not fair for the dis
trict attorney to ask the witness questions
which might carry the inference that these
reports had been destroyed In order to con-
oeal facts that might injure the company.
President Newman was called to the
stand next, and District Attorney Jerome
made an unsuccessful effort to get him to
declare who was responsible for the condi-
ton of the tunnel. He said that RESPONSE
bility for the signal system was divided
The accident he blamed upon the engineer
The state railroad commission continued
today Its investigation of the conditions in
the New York Central railroad tunnel in
this city. Charles T. Addison. a signal ex-
pert, testified that the signal system I'm the
tunnel was the best known at present. VIII
liam B. Parsons, chief engineer Of the rapid
transit commission. said he thought the
tunnel could be improved either by taking
on the roof and making 1t an open cut or
by using electricity instead of steam.
Capt William M. Folger of the United
States lighthouse service said better sys-
tenn of lighting was needed. Z. b. Mccoy.
superintendent of the Hudson river division
of the railroad. said neither a one-block
nor a two-biock system would be practical
BILE on account of the many trains which
enter and leave the city each day.