Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-19
Give Guarded Answers as to Cause
of Accident.
THEORY OF ATTORNEY sMYTH
Assistant to Jerome Believes Great
Speed and locomotives Weight
Caused the Rails to Spread.


NEW YORK, February 19.-The coroner's
inquest into the death Of the twenty-one
victims Of the Brewster Express wreck at
Bronx Park bridge last Saturday night was
resumed this morning at the office of Cor
oner Schwannecke in the Bronx.
The first witness called was r. s. Bal
lett, chief engineer of maintenance of way
for the Harlem division of the New York
Central A number of passengers who were
in the wreck filled the small court room.
Assistant District Attorney Manley, who is
assisting Assistant District Attorney Smyth
in the examination of witnesses had this to
say today:
''The evidence so far heard seems to YER
ify the theory of our office, that because
OF the great speed and the weight Of the
locomotive the rails were spread. We do
not say that the track was imperfectly
banked, but it is very evident how the ac-
cident occurred. Had the rails been more
securely fastened to the ties. the accident.
of course, could not have happened
Mr.. Balliett said he has been connected
with the New York Central railroad for the
past two years.
WAS the roadbed where the accident oc-
CURED entirely remade last summer"
asked Mr.. Smith.
mot entirely" was the reply 1T was
reballasted and new ties were laid. There
were no new rails laid
Spikes Cut Through.
Mr.. Balliett said when he reached the
scene of the accident he found that the
northern end of the rails Lad spread about
five inches and about an inch at the south
ern end. He found all the spikes except
one in the ties on the west side cut off as
If by a planer. The remaining spike, he
said, was bent over. The motion of the
rail was lateral and not rolling one. The
witness discovered no signs of weakness
in the spikes, the ties, the track or the
plates. The fact that most of the spikes
had been sheared off did not suggest to him
that the train was travelling at excessive
speed This question followed:
Was the spreading Of the rails the cause
of the derailment?"
Il believe it was the witness replied
''Then if we find out what caused the
spreading of the rails we will discover
the cause of the accident?'
That is my personal opinion"
when a train goes around a curveP
the witness added. there is always q
lateral pressure on the outside rail- This
pressure increases with the increase OF
speed and weight of the train. 1t would be
for the elevation of the rail at a curve,
and then something would have to give
way"
Have you found any other cause
than this for the spreading of the
rails?"
The witness answered, guardedly, that
as yet he had not found any other cause.
Reconstructed the Road.
employed by the New York Central rail-
road, followed Mr.. Balliett. He had
charge of the reconstruction of the road
last year at the point where the acct
dent occurred. Mr.. Smyth put the wit
ness through long technical examina-
tion regarding the mathematical exact
ness of the fatal curve and the resisting
power of the rails He said the curve
in question was a segment of n perfect
arc. The witness said that the rails
were laid with the outer one higher than
the inner to Withstand the maximum rate
of speed and weight which would be ex-
erted by the train.
I'VE calculate to allow for a certain pres
sure on the super rail which is within the
limit of the holding power of the spikes"
declared the witness. The safety calcuIa-
tions are made speed higher than that
allowed by the schedule 1t is all covered
by a certain formula which is used by all
Where do you get your speed from?"
asked Mr.. Smith.
From the time tables" the witness re-
piled.
How old is that formula?'
About five years." was the reply.
The witness said that he used the same
for Ia for ha
had always been used for the old style
steam engines.
well, don't you allow for the difference
in weight and speed of the new motors?"
Mr.. Smyth asked.
Yes, roughly" was the reply.
Here Mr.. Boardman was asked about the
degree of curves.
He said that the curve in question was a
one.
What is the limit of speed which is safe
on that curve and that elevation?' was next
asked
Strain on the Curves.
IT do not know. On some curves a speed
of thirty miles an hour is the limit" was
the reply. "A train going at the rate of
forty-sx miles an hour" continued the wit
ness, "exerts no strain on either rail. Above
that speed there is constantly increasing
lateral pressure on the outer rail-"
rs there any one employed by the New
York Central who can calculate the exact
speed which that particular curve could
safely stand?' Mr.. Smyth pointedly asked.
st would prefer to have some of my SUI
periors answer that" the witness made
cautious reply. II do not know of any
such calculations that have been made"
The witness said that sixty-fve miles an
hour waI the maximum rate OF speed which
was designed to be used in the speed for
mula when the curve was laid out. He
could not tell Just why he had used the