The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-11-02
SAW TRAIN
GO DOWN
Inquest on Throushfare Dis.
aster at Atlantic City.
WENT AT GREAT SPEED
Aged Bridge Tender TestiIies as 10
Operation and Condition Of
Drawbridse.

ATLANTIC CITY. y. j.. Nov. a.
Coroner Gasklll opened an Inquest here
Into the disaster nc the Thoroughfare
trcstle drnwbrldge. when n train OF
three electric cars plunged Into the wa.
ter. causing loss OF about sixty lives.
The Inquiry was held In the Bartlett
building and NO great was the crowd
that the police had 10 Interfere
The direct subject OF the Inquiry was
the death OF Walter Scott the motor
man OF the train, who was among the
killed.
John Il. Kelley Of Chester. Pa. tcstI.
fed that he was In the front ear OF the
wrecked train just back OF the motor.
man. When tho train struck the draw
the front wheels jumped several Inches
and threw him OF the seat. The next
thing he knew he was I'm the water
lie broke the glass In window and
got out. He said the air brakes were
applied as soon AS the Jolt came.
Mrs. Elizabeth DrIscoll OF Atlantic
City was on a pier and saw the first
car bound and go over. The train. she
said. was going very fast. much faster
than she had ever seen them run. and
she had watched them many times.
DIR, +. Il. Colt OF Atlantic City. act
ing coroncr's physician. testified 10 the
examination and Identification OF the
bodies.
Daniel Stewart. the aged bridge tend
er. testified rs TO letting the yacht
Snbad through the draw. After the
yacht had passed he placed the red
flags. or danger signals. He said the
towerman relockcd the bridge. and
then he Stewart went 10 the center
and relocked the rails. raising them
about an inch and half above the
other rails. He said that the rails were
down and fast, and he gave the signal,
"All Is right" and the towerman pull
ed the lever.
The only trouble he has had with the
rails. he said. was In extremely hot
weather. when they would leave the
groove at the connection. II this hap
pened he would hit the rail blow with
a hammer. He reported this to the
company and was told to saw or the
section that projected.
The bridge previous TO Sunday. he
said. had not been opened for two
days. but on Sunday he opened II
twice. lie said when the train jumped
Off the trestle he ran out TO assist In
the rescue, but could do nothing. The
train was going pretty fast, and he did
not notice that II Stacked up for the
bridge. He noticed the electric flash
prior to the accident. Stewart admit.
ted that one rail could lock and the
other stick up. The rail that he sawed
out was on the northbound track and
the accident on the south. He said he
was slxty-five years old and had work
ed for the Pennsylvania Railroad com
pany for the past twenty-five years.
He declared that he locked the bridge
about fifteen minutes before the train
arrived.
Tower Tender John Spiker said he
unlocked the bridge for the Sinbad to
pass and locked 1t again. 1t was about
2:05 p. m. when he opened the bridge,
and he closed II at PIP.
When the train struck the draw there
was a bright flash, and the car bounced
over the ties. He noticed Stewart
pound the rails down only once during
the summer. Spker said he could lock
the draw with one end of the rail stick
ing up.
The inquest adjourned until Monday
morning.
The body of II. N. Burch, another
victim of the Thoroughfare disaster,
has been recovered from the mud near
the scene of the wreck. The divers
who brought Burcl's body to the sur
ace say that the body was in an up
right position, leaning against a piline
VI the bridge, and had apparently been
sucked info the mud feet first
Several leather bags. hats and pieces
Il clothing were brought up by the
.'vers