Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1906-08-24
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Engineer Frank Van Nance and Flo.
men Niven l.. Robinson, who wer. on
the enigma that struck and killed ]. "
Mcdonald Monday morning. arrived
last night and testified at the ~ipouea,,
Their evidence was direct and positive
anu shows that so far MS they were con.
cerned McDoDald's death was not The
result of carelessness on their part.
Following is'usarly u complete report
OF Engineer Van Namee's evidence:
lett (!arliu in charge OF the engine
ON train No. . at Csc u. IN. about three
minutes late, Aug. Goth. pus sed Ava.
nal about Z minutes late, about 7:23 or
u, md about two miles east OF Ayanal
l saw I'm object On the Track and could
not tell exactly what it WINS for a moment
or two and then saw it was II velocipede
cur. The inst view i could not locate
any one. on it. reached I'D Tor tho
whistle and gave several blasts of the
whistle rs y warning. When ] noticed
there was something an it. and applied
tile brakes at once. In the meantime,
after applying The brakes. I noticed it
WIS Il man III Il STOPPING position Oh the
wheel. The train was stopped as quick.
~ Ms the brakes wonld stop it. In the
meantime, The trim had struck the
velorlpede and the man on it. IA coon
M the trnin WIS stopped, We backed up
abont three or four car lengths To whore
the baggage car would be opposite the
man to pick the remains up. We got n
strcicher out of the baggage car and
put the remains in the car and came 10
Elko and delivered them to the agent.
The man WIS deRd at the time we pick.
ed him up. h velocipcde was stand
ing and the man appeared 10 TO asleep,
or dead or dumb, and never made a
movement after the warning whistle
WIS given. The road bed is rolling
along there, up and down. and this man
was down III Il Gag and We could not see
him rs quickly lis though the track had
oech even. We were about three Tin
lengths, eight cars in ,rars, 1900 feet
away when we first saw him. We wero
going about forty miles IN hour, when
! first saw him and fifteen miles Der
hour when wa struck him. did stup
the train ~ about fourteen car Lengths,
did everything i'll my power rs soou as
realized what il was to stop the irnn.
! have worked for the s.. =. Co. for
thirty years tomorrow as a mar chinist.
apprentice and fireman Tor live nnd
I u9 mn ..ptEit,.nr FNx ,u,.1., A.. .---
This is my first misfortune OF m, thing
like this.
We were headed east and the sun WAS
thirty or forty minutes high nnh
obscnrcd my view : q | could no; SEQ
clearly tOr any gr"ut distance ahpad.
From the time ] first saw the object
TIL put on the brakes, my eyes were
liked on II, except perhaps the moment
that might be needed Ia take hnld Of
tho whistle lever | have every rcasou
to believe that the wounds on the man
were made by the engine striking him
He had time to get off the track after
| blew the whistle. lle could get of
safely within II couple Of rail len,ths
Of u train. Never say him move i1om
the first time ! saw him.
Niven j. Robinson. tho fireman,
testified thu, when the engineer blew
tho warning whistle he WIS buy with
the fire and thai he did not take par
ticular notice Of the signal at the time,
but when no did look he saw the
vclocirede on the track and an object OH
it As the train drew closer, no saw tho
object was n man and TINT he was
apparently dead. Ills evidence cor.
roboratcd thnt Of Engineer Van Nnmco
The jury found that Tho dereased wua
II native Of Canada, aged ~ ycnrP, and
that he came To lis death by beng
struck by the engin Of tram No. 9 OF tho
). j. Co, and TINT his death was due To
an accident that could not have been
avoided.
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