New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-21
COMMISSION AT WORK.
REPROVED BY HEDGES
Gorcrnor's 4ppointcc Says Wreck
Investigators Are Wasting Time.


by the death Of another child victim the State Rail
road Commission began fits investigation Yesterday
into the wreck Of the Brewster express on the Now
York Central last Saturday night The Witnesses
called showed by their answers that they
most unfamiliar with the details Of the operation
Of electrical road The commission showed
desire to press embarrassing questions until lacked
m by job E. Hedges. the special counsel APP
pointed by Governor Hughes or by Deputy Attor-
ney General DonuelIy who represented Attorney
General JaCksou's desire have a finger in tho
pie
That indictments would he asked against three
officials Of the New York Central the rumOr
Yesterday. based on fairly good authority. The
men reported 70 he IN danger Of such action were
said TO be Ira A Mccormick. who made up the
schedule; Miles bronson and Samuel A Bedford,
who ordered the two engines to be coupled on.
E. II. Rogers the motormRn IN charge of the
wrecked train, not only has the company behind
him. but his union. said good authority
last night that the brotherhood Of Railway Train
mon had employed counsel for him and would fight
vigorously any attempt hold him responsible for
tho disaster
LITTLE PROGRESS At INQUEST.
Coroner sohwannecke's inquest did not make
much progress II started At l o'clock. IN the
Bronx coroner's office with most of the important
witnesses absent. As they had been subpoenaed by
the state commissioners The coroner did not like
this, thinking that the state officials had not shown
any consideration for his investigation. and he
sent several special officers out FOR all tho wit
they could find
Elsie SnlfTen OF Fuglewood y. J. died in tho
Fordham Hospital. after terrible suffering She
only twelve wears old
Miss Sarah Merritt. OF PleasautviNe. not
expected last night to live more than few hours.
Besides having her right leg smputated on Tues
day, she has severe internal injuries. Her brother
10 have testified at the inquest yesterday. but
he that he excused.
The investigation OF the State Railroad Commits
sion neld at its Offices No. l Madison avenue.
Job z. Hedges was there Governor Hughess
special Representatives but neither ne nor Deputy
Attorney General DonneIly got at all well with
the commission. The commissioners present were
George ". Aldridge, chairman: Frank NJ Baker,
Joseph NJ Dckey and Henry II Rockwell the
former New York Central conductor Mr.. Scholz.
the inspector Of steam cars for the commission
and Charles S, Barnes. It's electrical expert were
also present.
MCCORMICK HAS NEW THEORY.
A. H. Harris. who Is both counsel and e vice
president of tho railroad the first witness lie
testified that the accident was beyond human
agency to avert. He was succeeded by Ira a Nc
,,or7ick who was the first witness at the inquest
He had some testimony since he went before
the coroner. and had found new theory He In
timated rather strongly that II was bolt dropped
by a preceding train which had caused the accident
He did not explain how the locomotives and the
smoker passed over bolt safely before II threw
the other cars off the track.
Since the inquest he said he had learned that tho
train which had just preceded the wrecked train
out Of the station stopped at South Mount
Vernon. One OF the brake rods OF the first car
was there found dangling, the supporting bolt
which was about half an inch in diameter having
been dropped somewhere along the road The I'M
plicaton was that this bolt had landed just right
on tho rail az the Woodlawn curve TO throw tho
train over although three sets OF trucks jumped
II safely.
Mr. Mccormick who is superintendent OF the
electric division said then that It took about FOUR
days TO make a motornan out OF engine driver.
which was just tho length OF Rogers's service rs
ruotornan. lie repeated his testimony before the
coroner concerning the composition and tho speed
OF the train. He added that railroad clocks ofton
varied slightly. because Of the vibration caused by
passing trains ana that time computation Was 10
some extent a matter OF guesswork
DoNNELLYs QUESTIONS RERUKED,
Then Mr. DonnelIy spoke for the first time. ask
ing II the witness speaking from experience or
making guess. TIE witness said that his state
rnents were based on experience Mr. ponneuy
started to ask another question, when commits
glouer AIdrich said: II would suggest Mr. Don
nelly. that YOU would allow to conduct the eX-
animation. and hfterward. II you wish you may
ask any questions you wish
We'll" said Ar Donneny. Il did not mean TO
break IN. but thought you were conferring
After revertinK TO tho running time Of tho train
and saving that tho crew had orders excepting
general one not TO exceed schedule speed Mr.
Mccormick was asked by Commissioner Dickey II
IT was a frequent occurrence for contact shoes to
be lost The witness replied that great many had
been lost since the last Fuowstorm-
In reply TO another question he said that 1t was
possible for broken contact shoe 20 be thrown
under tho following truck. He added that tie com
pany was stIII seeking the cause Of the accident
Then he repeated his description OF the appearance
OF the wreck on his arrival. Here Mr. Donneliy at
tempted 10 break In with another question ana WAS
reprimanded by the chairman.
Il am here" retorted Mr.. ponneliy. 'hecause 7
thought that I might be OF assistance To the com
mission but 1 I not
NO" replied Commissioner AIdrich, bat you
may make notes II you wish to-"
Mr. DouueIly folded up lot Of papers then and
learned back in his chair with an air Of great IN
concern
The witness went TO say that # was pos
sible that a dropped shoe might throw a train OF
the track He said that he had seen similar acct
dents caused by comparatively small objects
HEDGES ASKS ABOUT EXPERIMENTS.
Mr Hedges up to this time had asked no ques-
lions. although he had suggested several to tho
commissioners. Now no asked
Had there been any trains run over the track
without passengers before tho schedule went into
etect?" Il had train ran over" vas the reply.
Glow many days before the accident had the
schedule gone into eject? A.-On January % We
put on the multiple unit train
Q.--Was the experimental train ran the same as
o.-outsde Of the run on tho two-niIe nstruc-
ton track on the night before the schedule was
put into effect the men had no eXperfnGei No
before A.-Yes. a number OF times
Nj Mccormick gave way TO Iuther r Zonngor.
engineer Of maintenance OF way for the Pounsyl-
vania Railroad. who gave the Central clean bin
Of health so far as roadbed and tracks con
cerued. He went to the Of the wreck
Monday. he said, and found everything In fine con
tho