New-York tribune., 1907-03-02
INQUEST GOES OVER.
EXPERTS TO CONFER.
President Nescman Has NezC ErpIa-
nation of WOOdlo7cn Wreck.

The inquest to fix the responsibility for the
death of twenty-three persons as the result OF
the wreck Of the Brewster express near Wood
lawn on the evening Of February Is, con-
tinued before Coroner Schwannecke and jury
in The Bronx yesterday afternoon. President
William H. Newman of the New York Central
and Vice President W. ]. Wilgus, in charge of
the electrical zone, were the witnesses exam
ined.
At the previous session ASS stant District At
torney Smyth announced that he would ask the
jury to find the railway company and Mr.. Will
gus guilty Of criminal negligence but before do
ing so said that he wanted to give Mr.. Wilgus,
who was absent from the city. chance to tes-
tify, and also to give the engineers of the COM
pany chance to compare notes with Professor
Z. B. Lowell, of Columbia University. who had
testified that he had made calculations which
showed that the accident was caused by over
speeding
Professor Lowell took the stand yesterday
long enough to say that none of the experts for
the company had vet conferred with him This
was explained by Vice President a. II. Harris
general counsel for the company. due 70 the
fact that they had been working night and
day, and had only just got things in shape
for the conference.
Before going on the stand. President Newman
discovered on one of tho wheels of the front
truck of the smoker. which was the first car Of
the wrecked train He said that the indentation
had apparently been made by some object which
struck the wheel on the inside and the truck at
the same time, and that 1t looked very much as
though something had fallen and struck the
wheel and truck and then thrown the rest OF
the train from the rails. What this object was
he said. had not been ascertained, hut it might
prove the solution of the whole matter and
show that the wreck was caused by something
not heretofore suspected
It also learned at the inquest from a
representative of the company that at O'Clock
Thursday evening special train. which
n replica of the wrecked express. left the Grand
Central station with party composed of Vice
Presidents ". J. Wilgus, A. II. Smith and A. II.
Harris. General Superintendent Ira A. McCor-
mick and Bion J. arnold. one Of the experts On
the commission which had charge of the cleo
trifcatioE of the road.
The special wen: to Wakefield and back. and
on the northbound trip the schedule speed
maintained as far as possbe. This called for a
speed of $40 miles hour at the scene of the
wreck. and the Woodlaw= Road curve
rounded at this rate. On the southbound trip
orders given to the motorman ito let her
out" and the train went around the curve. it
said. at a speed Of egkty-two miles
hour No damage to the track or train resulted.
track or train resulted
President Newman testified regarding the
duties Of the heads Of the different departments
of the company and the method of selecting
them. He said that the responsibility for the
condition of the roadbed and the safe running
of the trains at the point where the accident
occurred was divided between Mr.. Wilgus the
fifth vice. president who had charge of the con-
nd Mr. Croifb tI,a ri r-ic ~
dent. who in charge OF the department Of
maintenance of way. He added that he himself.
as President in charge of all the departments.
was in a measure responsible.
who would be responsible II a schedule
should be established on the New York Central
which called fer greater speed than the con-
structon of the track would bear" asked Mr..
Smyth.
THE department OF construction. IL It were
a new track. and the department Of maintenance
OF way and the operating department" answered
Mr.. Newman.
In reply to questions of Mr.. Harris. counsel
for the company Mr. Newman said il was
true that he had expected the commission, of
which Mr.. Wilgus was chairman, 10 select roll
ing stock suitable for the standard track used
by the New York Central. and that he had eX-
pected the department OF maintenance of way
TO that the track was in ft condition. The
operating department he said, supposed
10 see that train schedules were not too fast.
and that trains not run too fast for the
equipment and track construction.
Mr.. Wilgus then took the stand. He defined
his duties chairman of the commission to
superintend the electrlfcation of the road. He
said he only had charge Of such changes in the
roadbed were necessary to install the
electric power. such placing the third rail.
The New York Central has offered Coroner
SchWannecke the use of n special train to visit
the scene of the wreck and make any desired
tests. The Coroner has not yet decided to ac-
cept the offer.
The inquest will be resumed on Monday
-o
TITDNy'VI CTTN D CENT fTEr