Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1907-08-01
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THINGS BROUGHT OUT IN FHE
INQUEST ON THE SALEM
WRECK.
ORDER WAS ILLEGIBLE
A Double Precaution Against Wreck
That Might Have Been Taken
Operators Have other Duties.
Probing for Facts.

The inquest on the Salem raiiroau
disaster under way before Justice JOS
Ign, in Worthwhile. has developed THESE
points up 10 date:
That Train Dispatcher Marcus a.
Bonsell, of the Pere Marquette, hau
such absolute faith in his belief thal
the freight crew had their orders,
had read them Alright and would De
guided by them. that the thought OF
holding the excursion train at either
Salem or South Lyon, which he haa
ample opportunity to do, never en-
tered his mind"
That the taking of double precau-
ton by notifying the passenger tram
Of the freight trains presence on the
Tine was not taken, such double precau-
ton being apparently unheard or Ao-
solute and full reliance was placed on
the ability Of the freight TO keep out
of the passengers way and no one
seemed for a minute to take into ac-
count the possibility of an error or
mistake in judgment on the freight $
part.
The intention of the Pere Marquette
railroad to shield its operating depart
ment at all hazards. This was partlc-
ularly noticeable in the cross-examina-
ton of Bonsell by Attorney Gilmer
Kuyper for the company. Kuyper LAID
great stress on the culpability OF the
freight crew.
That operators at stations along the
, line are required TO perform duties that
, take them away from their posts OF
, duty. II was admitted that the opera
n nf
! when he should have been. The eXpla
I nation was given that he was away de
i livering mail.
J. The illegbility of the freight conduc
tors train order, which led Conductor
Hamilton to misread IT, was fuily es
g tablished. although the fact was
J. brought out that careful trainmai
v would not have accepted an importan
Q mo. 81" order without assuring MIN
n self of its full meaning.
a Attorney Clarence ID. Clark, one o
:, the Jurors, has chancery case IN dc
troit Saturday, which may compel a
&c adjournment of the inquest from TT
y day night until Wednesday morning
Ii this is done Engineer Rogers. nov
recuperating from his injuries in ri!
s. mouth, is expected TO testify In person
N instead of by deposition as no
id planned Great Importance attache
~ to Rogers testimony as 1T is expec
: ed to conflict with that Of Conducte
:, Hamilton.
=. II developed that the Brotherhoc
a. of Locomotive Engineers Is taking
IT. hand In the case, being represente
at by Attorney James Mcnamara. This
supposed to be In the interest OF no
ers.
lg, There is no intention on the part
We the prosecution to allow Conduct
IN. Hamilton to slip through Its finger
ID. He sleeps, walks and eats with de
"a, uty. He is breaking down under 9
~ strain. and Thursday morning requir
- the services of a physician TO bra
VS. him. Hamilton's greatest worry is &C
eA corning the possibility of Engine
&C. Rogers giving an entirely dinere
en- version Of the accident.
Additional evidence of the Pere Nj
ouette.s purpose to saddle the emit
,ut responsibility for the Salem wreck
pit the freight crew and to shield It's ira
DIS. dispatching department from blar
ain was shown In Fridays testimony.
"a THE man supremacy responsible
- the man charged with carrying out
- ders," was the concise and perslst'
vac declaration of Gen. Supt. Trump.
Is Evidence was introduced TO sh
the that three Of the IL cars making
,te- the excursion train had been in
tn! vice So years, three "a years, and
rest not less than IA years.
be- 1t was shown that the AYERS
ing length of service in the operating
lest partment of the road, with few exc
i'm. lions. is less than two years-tha'
zee. to say, that this department is pl
,ar. tically In the hands OF new men
,,oo the time.
A significant feature OF the inqt
Tue was the statement OF Trainma'
ice Everett K. Kane, of Detroit, after
ons ing that under similar circumstan
no since the wreck, the operating dep
He ment would have acted just the sa
the The Pere Marquette hasn't lear
she. anything by this wreck, then? II
has nothing TO revise?" he was asked.
Mot a thing" was his answer.