Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-10-06
PRELIMINARY
HEARING
Continued from First Page. |

p
through window. He gave no new
testimony except that he admitted that
the engine OF the Scranton train was
waved back with red lights before ties
were placed in front of it.
Daniel Blizzard, a section foreman,
who was next called, testified as the
others did and added his own expert
ence of hitting a man when the ties
we're being thrown and in turn being
hit. For a while after that he was OBJ
livious to what transpired. On cross
examination he professed Ignorance of
car of pick handles being on the train
from Scranton and a load of Italians
figuring in the case, and in response
to direct question said he received
no order that night to remove an OBJ
struction from the track, but was sup
posed TO work without an order.
Dennis nineen, another section fore
man, gave his version of the frog lay
ing.
j. E. Adamson, chief special agent
of the d. l.. & W told of arriving on
the Scranton train and signalling the
engine TO go ahead to the crossing at
Mill street at the time ties were being
placed on the rails by citizens and
workmen. In the course of his testi-
mony it developed. on cross examina-
tion, what a difficult matter the serv-
ing of the injunction on the railroad
people was, the man who tried to serve
it being thrown from the engine. The
witness, replying to question. said
there was too much noise for him to
hear instructions given the man to
serve the injunction. He denied any
knowledge of an attempt to throw Mr.
Pascoe over safety gate. After tell
ing of th3 running forward of the en-
gine to stop the work on the frog he
replied to Mr.. Scarlet's question as to
the danger of running into the crowd
and whether he would have stopped
ollC Ghsluo ny say ihS uoh hho"
what | would have done " That's
very good answer" the attorney re-
piled.
E. NJ. Rine, division superintend-
ent, told of the railroad men having
acted under his orders ana like the
other witnesses gave an account of the
happenings of the night of the twenty
second. Asked if the engine was tax
en- from the track as soon as the in
junction was served, he said it was ON
the track from 80 to 5 80 IN. He
denied trying to throw Mr. Pascoe ov-
er the safety gates and said: "No, |
did not strike him, I'm gentleman. "
The witness told of Mr.. PascoO's men
lowering joint that was necessary to
be put down before the engine could
leave the crossing. The engine was
under Mr.. Rine's order to run on the
crossing, the order being given at mid
night. He denied knowing that trains
later ran over the crossing at unusual
speed to knock out the frog and said
he gave an order to have thrm 90 as
usual when told they were going foo
fast.
Division Engineer Ray next took the
stand and explained maps and plans
for overhead crossings by Mill street,
Ferry street or an alley route and gave
figures to show that from an engineer
ing stand point the overhead crossing
was possible. although Attorney Scar
let clearly set forth what the blocking
up of Cos feet of Danville's main street
would mean and showed that even the
turning of a load of hay N thorough
fare thus obstructed would be "a COM
plicated process Citizens would be
inconvenienced by the inability to get
off at store entrances and one of the
rou tes proposed woald run directly
through the vaults of tine First Ma
tional bank. The track would have an
elevation of IS feet and the cars would
have to 60 down steep grade and
strike the Bloom street track nearly
at right angles, which the attorneys
for the trolley people contend would
be more dangerous than grade cross
ing with guard gates and watchman.
Attorney Scarlet objected to the at
tempt to show that another route than
the Mill street one could be used.
However, when Attorney Hinckley
called on experts for testimony they
favored the Ferry street line. En-
gineer Baker of New York, "a protector
of several elevated roads, and Thomas
A. Wright, of Wilkesbarre, general
superintendent Of the Wilkesbarre
Mountain Valley Traction Company,
gave expert testimony to the effect
that so far as engineering work goes
the overhead crossing is possible. Mr..
Wright gave as a rough estimate $l4,-
900 for the cost of the construction of
an overhead crossing. not accounting
for right of way or incldeutals.