New-York tribune., 1903-02-26
SAYS SAND WIS FROZEN.
Coroner's Inquest Into Ne7Ca'h Ac-
cident Begins

The inquest by a coroners jury into the cir
cumstances of the grade crossing tragedy at Chr
ton-ave.. Newark, week ago, was begun at the
court house. in Newark, yesterday. There were
fifty-two witnesses present. The lawyers were
County Prosecutor Chandler W. Riker, Edwin H.
Williamson of McCa-ter Williamson & McCarter'
counsel for the Lackawanna Railroad, and Charies
Borcherng counsel representing the North Jer-
sey Street Railway Company.
The first witness Edward e. hempf, VINO
had prepared a map OF the vicinity of the fatal
crossing. He showed that the distance from the
north crosswalk in Orange-st TO the hrst TRACK
of the railroad 192 feet and 10 inches and that
the grade in the 1872 feet of four different ratios
with Il total fall OF feet
Mounted Policeman William Stuckey, who was
duty Clifton-ave. crossing last ThursdaE'
had daughter in the car and was not aware OF IT,.
He testified that he reached Eighth-ave. and Cliff
ton-ave just north of the crossing, when the gates
began to go down. He continued down Chfton-aVe
until he was about fifteen feet from the gates
which had descended. and then went back toward
Eighth-ave., and turned again toward the crossing
He added:
When turned the second time the car NOV
ing slowly. and then | heard some of the children
crys and then the car broke through the gate:
had my eyes on the and thought it would stop
the locomotive struck it about eighteen ncheS
from the front of the dashboard.
The witness said that he had afterward looked
for the trolley sandbox and could not find it.
The tracks were covered with snow. Policeman
Frederick A. Thorne corroborated the previous
witness Half hour after the disaster he saw
a italian sanding the tracks at the crossing.
William Mennen, OF No 30 Futton-st., a graduate
at the high school, who passenger on the
car testified that he had noticed nothing until the
neared the railroad. He then that the
gates were down. but thought nothing of danger
until the crashed through the gates. He had
been on the rear platform an instant before the
collision, and he jumped. The train was then
about twenty-five feet away he heard neither
whistle bell. The conductor was on the back
platform, standing in the doorway. 1t was SO
crowded inside said the witness. that he could
get in collect the fares. He had however
taken up the fares of those on the PLATFORM VINO
got at Orange-st
Antonio Geneveso, who employed by the
traction company to sand the tracks at Clifton
ave. crossing. testified that he had been in the
company's employ for nearly eight months. II was
his duty to put sand and salt on the tracks in
Clifton-ave. to the railroad. There was box of
sand in OTange-st., two blocks up, and another
box in Orange-st, near Sheffield. two blocks
east. These covered by ocloth, and at
the side of each a barrel of salt. The witness
asked if he had worked in Clfton-ave. the
afternoon before the accident. He said he had
The testimony continued:
Q.-What did you do? A.--Fut salt on the tracks
~Q.-Put any sand? A.-Yes, where there was
the morning of the collision to salt the Cliff
ton-ave. tracks all the way from Orange-st. to
the railroad There was half foot of snow
the rails, and he sprinkled salt to within
few feet of the railroad.
Odd you put any sand the day of the
The inquest was adjourned until to-day.