The Washington times., 1902-10-04

| AS result Oh an lnVeStlgatf0n into
the wreck on the Pennsylvania Railroad
early yesterday morning near the Ben
ming trestle, by which two lives were
lost. Edmund p. Rodgers. telegrapher
is in Jail charged with being responsible
for the disaster. Rodgers is one of the
youngest operators employed by the
Pennsylvania company.
The investigation was ordered by
| Coroner hewitt. who decided that the
accident should be thoroughly probed.
He accordingly impaneled jury and
begun the investigation at the Sixth pre-
cinct station. on New Jersey Avenue, at
1 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Coroner
hewitt presided and Deputy Coroner
Glazebrook assisted him. The railroad
companys interests were looked after
by James Cathell. A score or more OF
witnesses were called, all of whom were
lision
Freight Conductor H. P. Steves tes-
titled that he was standing close by his
train, No. 205. which had stopped, when
Engine No. s plowed II to its rear. He
said there was fifty Gdrs to his train,
and that it had been brought to stand
still two minutes before the accident oc
Cured. He said he was about to open
a switch, and had sent his flagman, John
A. Donohue, back to warn the approach
ing train. Donohue reported TO him
later that he had tagged the approach
;,,<x
gineer as it passed him. Steves con-
cluded his testimony by saying that be-
fore Engineer Perdue breathed his last
he declared he had been given white
light, meaning that everything was
clear.
w. c. Kuhn, the engineer on Steves'
train corroborated the statements of
the conductor
Believed the Track Clear.
j. T. Southwark, conductor on train
known as No. s, which struck No. 205,
said that before his train left the Jersey
yards he had ascertained that the tracks
were clear. He said he knew that train
205 was preceding him, but that he did
not pull out of the yards until fully
fifteen minutes after the first freight
had left. AT the time the accident oc-
CURED, he said, his train was running
at speed of about twenty FIVE miles
an hour. There was a white light, he
declared at all the stations he had
passed, although there should have been
a red light at the "3. H" tower where
Rodgers was. Had there been, South
been stopped and the accident averted. |
He saw no signal given by the flagman
of the other train.
Brakeman John McCrehan, who was |
in the caboose with Conductor South
ward at the time of the accident. also |
said he saw only white signals. The |
first he knew of the accident was when
he was suddenly knocked down by the
force of the collision. He made thor
ough search for both Engineer Perdue
and Fireman Keys. the victims OF the
wreck. and finally heard Perdue groan-
ing in the wrecked engines cab. The
engineer still held his hand upon the
broken throttle. despite his fatal in
juries.
Gave Signal to Stop.
Joseph A. Donohue, flagman, who
was arrested by the police together with
Rodgers, the telegrapher. said he saw |
rain No. s approaching train No. 205.
IN which he was riding. He ran back
o flag 1t and waved his lantern across 9
he tracks two or three times. @
Rodgers, the telegraph operator, at ]
his juncture was called into the room. :
Ie was extremely nervous and was
lainly much perturbed. Rodgers said F
e went on duty in the "B. H" tower 2
[ O'Clock and worked until O'Clock /
D the morning. He was asked If he
ad given train No. POS a white signal.
"I did," he answered, slowly.
He was then asked If he remembered 81
%. train approaching. He seemed a
omewhat confused and replied that he IL
Id not remember anything about it. o
"You were not asleep, were you?" h,
sked Coroner Nevitt. w
81 was not a: