Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-19

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formula designed to cover a speed In ex-
cess of sixty-five miles an hour.
One of the jurors brought out the fact
that the same system of spking is being
used now as under the old formula o. FIVE
years ago. which was designed for steam
railroading.
John Keefe. general foreman, of tracks.
took the stand next He had taken charge
of a gang of laborers at the wreck and had
his men remove the rail which had spread
lie gave place to c. w. Eggleston. super
visor of tracks. Mr.. Eggleston said that
a track walker always inspected the tracks
daily. He said he would produce the man
who was first at the scene of the accident
ind took charge OF things.
Inspected the Wheels.
Spencer Case, q division master car build
or. said he had inspected the wheels Of the
wo locomotives before they left the yards
prior to the accident and found them all
right. After the accident he said he had
found the retaining ring on one of the
wheels of the front locomotive vas OF. The
retaining ring. he explained. was a piece Of
metal used to reinforce the rim of the
wheel The wheels of the second locomo-
tive Mr. Case said he had found intact.
He said that all the wheels Of all the other
cars were In perfect condition with the
execution of three and these did not vary
an eighth of an inch. He found no defects
in any of the wheels, trucks axles or
equipment of the cars that might have
,aused the accident.
Charles Klein. a car inspector, said he
had made an examination of the wrecked
cars after the catastrophe and found moth
tl,r,,,, hx,y-n
wreck
Benjamin J. Buell. who had charge Of
one of the wreckng outfits Saturday night
was next called He had inspected all the
wrecked cars and the locomotives, and had
also been unable to find any cause for the
accident
Members of the state railroad commission
yesterday made an independent investiga-
ton and inspection of the scene of the
wreck preliminary to the opening of a
hearing before that body. which will begin
in the commissions offices, 1 Madison ave
nue.. at 10 O'Clock tomorrow morning.
Why Two Motors Were Used.
Yesterday afternoon the most important
witness before the coroner was Ira A.
Mccormick. superintendent of the Harlem
division. His testimony related to the speed
IF the train and the weight of the two
motors. AS an alternative to the theory
that the last car was whipped off the track
by the centrifugal force of the train swing
ing around the curve at too high a speed. it
mas been suggested that the rails spread
beneath the weight of the motors In de-
scribing the electric locomotives, Mr.. Nc
Cormick said:
Each locomotive is thirty-seven feet long
and weights ninety-six tons. They have
FOUR driving wheels on each side and two
trailers The old type of steam locomo-
tive is from seventy to eighty feet long,
md class one locomotives weigh 164 tons.
mo change was made in the track for the
installing of the electrical service except
TO change the eighty-pound rails for one
hundred pound rails. No change was made
n the tilt of the track at which this ac-
cident occurred at that time We have
standard elevation for a track that curves
which always is maintained. This elevation
aries with the sharpness of the curve. the
weight and speed of the trains. etc Our
'ngineer reports that the curve where this
accident occurred is mathematically correct
The curve is what is known a three
degree curve.
Concerning the speed of the train Mr.
Mccormick testified that it was going about
sixty miles an hour at the time of the &C
cdent.
Superintendent Mccormick testified that
the motors were attached to the train
operated by the multiple unit system Two
ne said. had been put on because each one
had missing contact shoes. One had none
on the left hand side while the other had
none on the opposite side. Sometimes the
contact rail is on one side of the tracks and
sometimes on the other. which makes the
use Of the two motors imperative.
Statement of Passenger.
The first witness, ]. NJ. Haviland, is q
travelling salesman. and said that his con-
slant travelling had qualified him. he
thought. to judge competently the speed of
trains. He sat on the 1eft-hand side of the
train. facing the motor. playing whist with
three friends. He noticed nothing unusual,
ne said, until Bronx Park was reached.
Then l noticed sound as though some
thing had hit the car he testified; II also
noticed that we were going very rapidly
After the sound of something hitting the
car tfSre came a bump. This was after a
very short interval. 1 became exceedingly
nervous and apprehensive, and felt as
though something was going to happen.
When the crash came we threw the
table on which We were playing cards into
the aisle and crouched on the floor. and
the train sped on. coming to a stop gradu-
ally. There was jerk as of a sudden
stoppage.
FLAMES shot up along the side of the
car. and some one yelled FIRE. I re-
manned in the aisle and was the last man
to leave the car. When / got outside the
motor seemed to be on the track
Robert F. Balliett, engineer of mainte-
nance of way for the New York Central,
was called Before he could be asked any
questions Coroner Schwannecke declared a
recess and excused all the witnesses until