Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-04

train stopped to open a switch, and a
railroaG employee remarked to him that
| the operator had let another train in the
block. He suggested that the other train
was On proceed" order, but the other
man thought to the contrary. Witness
said that his fagman, J. A. Donohoe,
went back to signal the approaching
train He reported that he Donohoe)
had tagged the train, and had called TO
the engineer. The operator at "Ju" was
the man who told him that the other
| train had been let in on him by the ope-
rator at 'Bh." Witness thought Donohoe
| was fifteen car-lengths behind the train
| when the approaching engine was tagged.
He was informed that the engine came
/ at the rate of about twenty-five miles
an hour.
| Witness went to the nearest telegraph
| and telephone stations and notified rail-
! road officials of the accident. He said he
| moved his train by direction of the yard
master, and the signals given him at the
| tower gave him the right to enter upon
| a clear track.
| The tower signal ''Bh'' is near the tun-
mel, while "Ju'' is near the trestle, about
ut tie entrance to the Anacostia yard
AS soon as the rear of his train passed
| the tower the operator was supposed to
| have displayed a red light. Had the
engine and caboose been running at the
rate of twenty-five miles an hour, as 1t
| was said they were, q stop could not have
| been made in much less than half a mile.
unless he had air. Engineer Perdue, he
said told him before he died that he
| was given a white block.
| ENGINEER KUHN'S STORY.
W. c. Kuhn. engineer, who was mem
Der of Conductor Steves's crew. also
gave testimony. He left Maryland ave-
nue. and Ninth street on orders from the
yardmaster shortly after o'clock. his
| engine stopped at SUI tower, at the
north end of the trestle. Witness said
| there was a white signal at "Bh" when
| his train reached there. Witness said
| he saw operators at both places. The
next regular train behind was not due
to leave the depot until about o'clock.
Witness said his train stopped at the
switch. and had not much more than
stopped when the accident occurred. The
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac
tram, he said, consisted of an engine,
two garbage cars, and caboose.
CONDUCTOR SOUTHWARK.
J. T. Southwark, conductor on the train
which crashed into the rear end Of the
other train, was the next witness. Be
fore his train left the New Jersey avenue
yard he learned from the switchman that
the track was clear. He knew the des-
tnation of the train which had passed
him, and his train followed about twelve
or fifteen minutes after the departure OF
the long train. Witness said he was IN
the caboose and he watched for signals
at the different block stations His train
was running between twenty and twenty
five miles an hour when station 'Bh'
was reached. There was white signal
displayed at the different stations.
Had there beena danger signal displayed
at "Bh the train could easily have been
stopped before the rear of the other train
was reached. Witness saw Engineer Per-
due before he died, but heard him make
no statement. He said he saw no signal
given by anybody along the track. It the
f1agman of the other train gave signal,
witness did not see it Witness thought
Engineer Perdue could have seen the red
lights on the rear end Of the train on the
treStle.
BRAKEMAN MCREHAN.
Brakeman John McCrehan was in the
caboose with Conductor Southwark at
the time the accident happened. The sig
nails were all white he stated. He knew
nothing Of the accident until the crash
came and then he saw the engine coming
through the cahoose. About fifteen min
utes after the collision occurred he looked
IN the engine and saw Engineer, Ferdue
who still had his hand on the throttle
He heard Perdue grooming before he
made the search for him. Witness aid
when he saw the white light at the tower
ne fe,. very well satisfied. and made him
self perfectly at homo.
DONQEOE. THE FLAGA1AN.
Joseph a. Donohoe, the fiagmanI who
was placed under arrest, testified that
he was on the rear car when his train
stopped at the trestle. Witness left the
train and walked back. He saw the APP
preaching train just after it left 'Bh- =
At that time he was about ten car-lengths
behind his train. Witness gave the ap-
prca ching engine signal by swinging
his lantern, but tho engineer did not ap-
pear TO take notice Of it. Engineer Per
due did not seem to make an fort to
stop. When the train paasea him he lifted
his lantern and shouted but he saw no
one in the engine. He thought the en-
gineer was probably looking after some
part of his machinery.
ss RODGERS, TIE OPERATOR
%. z. Rodgers. the operator who was
81, duty at .Bh', at the time the collision
occurred, said: q went on h duty at