New-York tribune., 1903-01-30
DIES AFTER STATEMENT.
DID NOT SEE SIGNALS.
Davis, Engineer, Said He Vas Re
pairing Machinery.

statement does not agree with others from him
and that OF the railroad officials. He said that
while his attention riveted on defective
injector which he was fixing, he ran past the
block signal at westheld- where the red hight
was displayed. When he raised his head, after
the few moments required to fix the machinery
the first thing he saw was the red lights on the
rear OF the local train. His train was travelling
at such speed that by the time he had put on
the brakes the crash came.
His train left Flizab abeth two minutes late ne
asserted and he threw the throttle wide open 10
make UP the time. At Crawford the sighdl
lights showed clear road ahead III hao peeii
the custom for the local train TO take the
freight track there, and he supposed that IL hdu
done SO on this occasion. At the hrst olocA
signal east OF westf1eld he noticed green hsn''
Supposine that the signal would change 10
white every moment, he did not shut on steam
for fear Of losing more time 1t was ouilhe
The interval while he was fixing the injector
that he nassed the block signal west or west
field. where the red light was showing. Inc
Broad-st- crossing where Verson, the haefnah'
waved the red lantern which Davis 1a'leo 10
tfeed is close to the block signal
This story, told family, with many ore''NS ''--'
gasns 70 County Physician Westcott Ind re
told by him TO The Tribune is suppose0 ~ De
4.be substance Of his formal artc-770'-em state
ing so closely gu~.dea Ior presentation 10 'he
grand jury.
When ii BECAME known yesterday morning
,hat Davis was dead, leaving formal stale-
,ueut dictated to Chief Kiely and Justice OF 'he
Peace HUFF and a similar one to DR. Westcott'
all sorts of surmises were made as 10 their
contents
w G. Besler general manager or the ser
,sev Central Railroad, appeared to know then'
ha ST
his assertion that the engineer disregarded the
signals and that the accident was not caused
fv any defect in the signal system
The engineers statements again stir up the
,,rnors of defective boilers which have been
prevalent ever since the accident Many nave
SAID that the boilers leaked. requiring constant
" the attention of the engineer Further, they
said that the engine had left Jersey City in a
defective condition. and severely censured the
railroad management for its laXness in regard
TO so important a detail of its rolling stock
If the engine had been all right, they said, the
accident would not have happened AS TO the
engines condition. they said that instances OF
defective rolling sock had been common lately;
sometimes delays and minor accidents had re-
suited
Mrs. Davis has said her husband told her ne
could not see. owing to the steam from the leaA-
ing engine. Railroad men say that if the engine
have been sent out express run The ser
vice of which the train run by Davis was
part comprises an hourly train between New
York and Philadelphia. The schedule time Is
close TO the possibilities of the engine, so that
a slight leak would put the train behind time
statement from Mr. Besler, yesterday, at
1ributed to Davis, was substantially the same as
that from Dr. Westcott. 1t was supposed that
Davis found some part of the engine required
attention and that he bent down to look after
it This might easily have taken him two min
71tes during which time he would have travelled
TWO miles Davis like all other engineers, was
supposed to be constantly looking ahead, but
ordinarily he should have had clear track for
ten miles at least without nothing TO worry
about until he reached the crossings in Plain
field. He may have taken chances rather than
cali the fireman around from his side OF the
cab or from the fire door.
Mr. Besler denied that train order sent 10
Crawford for No. 621. the express. was received
100 late TO be delivered The order was received
in time he said. and a red signal was set,
usual to inform the engineer that there was
an order for his train at that station. The
order told No. 621 TO pass No. 13, the Esston
local beyond where the accident occurred.
duplicate Of this order had been received by
The conductor of Nc. 13, and was in his pos
session when the express into the local
from the scene of the wreck" said Mr.. Besler;
-'yet il was disregarded, as well as the red Ian
sern swung by a crossing tender further All
the warning signals. seven of them were dsre-
sgarded."
Mir. Besler said that the formal statements
from the fremen and engineer We're locked up
pending the beginning of the investigation. He
knew nothing Of their contents.
This statement from Davis does not agree
with the he had previously made to his
brother in which he admitted seeing the caution
signal, but paid attention it, supposing
that the home signal would flash white as he
approached il.
The statement conflicts. too TO some extent
with the story Of John Eicke. the station agent
at Crawford, who tried to signal Davis with a
red lantern. Eicke said Davis was not only
looking ahead. but leaning far out Of his cab.
Eicke seemed to think Davis might have been
taken suddenly ill
An opinion prevailing in Plainfield was that
the engineer was attending 10 his private toilet
at the time and did not notice the signals sup
posing, Of course, that the track was clear.
Davis's body was yesterday taken 10 Phila-
delphia, where the funeral viii take place
The ofhciai investigation is being continued.
Yesterday County Prosecutor Nicholas J. Eng
Iish had q long conference in his office at Eliza
beth with Coroner Bunting and ex-Mayor
Charles J. Fisk of Plainfield, foreman of the cor
oner's jury No information was given as TO
the business discussed.
1t had been planned to have the Union County
grand jury discharged yesterday, but Judge
Vail announced that instead ne would adjourn
fts sessions until Monday, February 9, to allow
the coroner's jury to investigate the wreck and
announce its findings. The coroners jury will
meet on Monday afternoon at O'Clock. The