New-York tribune., 1903-01-31
TORPEDO FIRST WARNED.
4 FOURTH EYPL4N4 TION
Some Of Dduis'S Statements Contra
dicfo,y-LdsCyerS at York.

While the Union County officials are busy col
lc,.rine evidence as 10 the wreck at West1leld
1au-,ers acting as counsel for those injured are
also collecting evidence. One of these lawyers
gave 10 A Tribune reporter yesterday state
mont which he viii put in evidence, that before
Davis the injured engineer, was taken from the
scene OF the wreck. he told one Of those caring
for the injured that the first warning he had
was the report OF a torpedo Then. imne-
diately after l heard the torpedo. / saw the red
lights on the rear of the Easton train said the
engineer. according TO the statement made 10
The lawyer. but was going fast couldn t
stop her. l couldn't even Jump oelore 'he
crash came
This was the fourth statement attributed to
the engineer II agrees with that made by Davis
n mis- wife that his cab was full Of steam; also
with the one made 10 DR.. Westcott. that he was
repairing A defective injector One of his broth
ers however. said the engineer had told him
that he saw the danger signals and ran past
Them This statement and the substance Of the
her three differ materially II Davis could
not see because Of escaping steam, il would ac-
count for his peculiar attitude when passing
Crawford crossing John Eicke. the station agent
at Crawford. said that Davis was hanging far
out Of the window Of his cab. peering far
ahead. stories came from Eliza beth yesterday
that as the engine went through the town clouds
of steam were seen TO escape General Manager
Fesler however. asserted that the engine was
in thorough repair when it left Jersey City.
sim another statement comes from Dr. Albert
Pitts house surgeon at Muhlenberg Hospital
who told last night the gist Of an explanation
: ade by Davis before he died. Davis, he said,
declared that when he was passing Crawford the
signals were white, and he got down in the cab
70 fix an injector which was cut Of order. He
biS he cala he
was within hundred yards Of the Plainfield
local Looking ahead. he saw the red lights,
blew the whistle twice and threw the air
brakes when he was sixty yards from the local.
He found Il Was too late TO avert disaster, but
stuck to his post knowing that a fearful wreck
would be certainty.
The dead now number twenty-three- ]. Ever
lit Reighton died at Muhlenberg Hospital at
10 o'clock last night. and William NJ. V Clark
died there at : d. IN. Reighton was eighteen
yaGrs cid, and was employed in a wholesale
cotton house in this city. He lived with his
parents at No. l-245 Park-ave-, Plainfield. He
made such plucky fight for life that the doc
tors became encouraged He was growing bet
ter until he discovered that he would have to
lose both legs. then he declared that he did not
10 live any longer.
William NJ Y. Clark was vice-president Of the
National Paper and Printing Company, of No
101 Reade-st, this city, and Nutley, n. j. He
was born thirty-two years ago in Dunelen
His home was at No. 134 Crescent-ave., Plain
field.
County Prosecutor Nicholas G j. English,
Chief kiely Of the Plainfield police, Coroner
Bunting and Foreman Fisk of the coroner's
jury conferred at Elizabeth yesterday after
noon Fifteen witnesses were examined, and
l)ayis's ante-mortem statement was read. Sew
at he
were inte1ragated. Prosecutor English refused
t. disclose the evidence until Tuesday, when the
coroners inquest viii begin, saying that he
needed more evidence, and if this were made
public II might interfere with getting the other.
He added that the Jersey Central need have no
reason 10 Worry rs the engine was operated
by the Pniladelphia and Reading; also that Mr..
fscsler and the management were doing every
Thing POSSIBLE 10 help him, offering TO furnish
maps. copies e train orders, ana 10 present Tor
examination the train crews
Mr. Fisk said that there was nothlhg IN the
engineers ante,,nortam statement differing from
the one Davis made to DR. Westcott- The en-
EiuecT he caid. had declared that his engine WAS
esky. Then Mr.. Fisk expressed himself forclbly
the style Of engine which would render sdch
aas occurrence possible. There should be TWO
in the cab" ne declared. There ought 20
bc Il laW making il compulsory Ii Is almost
criminal to have kind Of engine Mhere such
thing couIO occur
Fhe first session of the inquest has been post
pened unJil Tuesday, because Mr. GaNll, one
81 the jurors, must positively he ia Boston on
Nonds.-
Many claims for damages have been placed
lr Tho hands Of Plairfeld lawyers.