The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-12
MOTOUMAN TELLS or WRECK
SURE TINE BREWSTER EMPRESS
WAS NOT GOING FULL SPEED.

fred n. smith OF the New York Central
Railroad Company for mRnslaugbter in
the second degree because of his alleged
responsibility for the conditions which
led up 10 the Brewster express wreck ON
February 10 last. when twenty-three pas
sengers we're killed and siXty-seven injured.
T.. r. Rogers, the motOrman Of the train
that was wrecked. was the principal wit
ness yesterday. His evidence showed that
not only had he, az he testified on Tuesday.
been qualified as a mOtorman after four
DAYS actual practice but that the night
he took ont the Brewster express was the
first time he had ever operated two cleo
trio locomotives 40 coupled a. to- make one
engine.
Rogers was making his thirteenth trip
"out," that il. from the Grand Central to
Wakefield, when the disaster occurred.
De Hancey Nicoll. counse for the com
pany, brought out that Rogers had passed
every examination required Of motormen.
either as applicants or as skilled men.
These examinations embraced his mental.
physical and practical qualifications.
Answering questions put by Mr.. Nicoll
from the Railroad Mans Catechism,'
Rogers said that he understood his CON
slant instructions to he always 10 take
the safe course when there was doubt or
uncertainty and never take a risk. Every
thing. said Rogers. was To he subordinated
to the safety and comfort Of the passengers.
even p~unctuality.
He had run two engines twice before
the accident. but in each case they were
independent engines and ha was in he
SECOND one. On the Brewster express
he ran for the first time a multiple unit"
engine. composed Of two locomotives the
motors of which worked together from
his controller. He was six minutes behind
time when he got to Mott Haven. owing
20 a delay in the tunnel. hut he was always
mindful Of the compaay's injunction that
time could not he made mp by exceeding
schedules. He observed tina; rule strictly,
he said, and ran his train in accordance
with the rule.
How fast could two engines coupled
go?" asked Mr.. Nicoll.
I've been told they could make seventy
Ave miles an. hour" answered Rogers.
Mr.. Nicoll then had Rogers explain to
the jury the various speed nOtchas on the
controller of n Central motor. He showed
that the series parallel" notch gave from
~three-auarters to half speed. while rhe fun
parallel" gave full speed.
Nv here was the controller when the
accident occurred?" MIR. Nicoll 8sked.
AT series parallel" answered Rogers.
What would the series parallel mean"
the lawyer asked.
AT the outside from fOrty-ive to fifty
miles an hour: certainly no more than
fifty" replied Rogers.
"And what was the schedule speed be-
tween Mott Haven and WooIllwn?T
About forty-seven to forty-eight miles
an hour"
Mr.. NicOll also brought out that in the
locomotive with Rogers were an operating
tpGpartpv pallaH na yG tho aEGlaf nuf GVIpDr-
intendent of the road. Mr.. Stevenson. and
the helper. Jacobs. Speaking of the delay
IN the tunnel. Rogers said that the night
was very foggy and the tracks greasy.
Didn't you know that this very grc9S;-
Ness of the rails was the chief reason why
two locomotives were put on that night,
40 you would have more power"
Il did not y said Rogers; nothing was
explained 10 me about IT,"
Rogers had previously testified tha, the
second engine was put on because one lacked
one pair OF shoes and the other lacked the
other pair, so the two engines made up a
full complement.
How can you tell what speed Won were
making ut the time of the accident?"
That" answered Rogers. is . thing |
cannot explain. ! judge my speed hv he
way the lights come up to ne and ay past.
Others have different wavs Of telling. but
it's all a matter If practice and experience"
Juror Jones interrupted to ass what
was the highest speed at which Rogers
a OWL OIthbAtN " A" NAfA I
that sixty-siX to siNty-eight miles was the
best he could swear to. Before the accident
he had never made over sixty. He told
of running for the benefit of the State Rail-
road Commission. six weeks after the acct
dent, a train practically "A duplicate in
weight and length of the wrecked train, over
the same course. The engines were couple
in the same way, and the cfief enSincer.
Mr.. Case, was in charge. taking %inslruc-
tiOns from Rogers. who saw that at every
point in the run the same speed was main
tanned az on the night Of the accident. Mr.
Nicoll was making quite a feature Of THIS
Attorney trying the case. interrupted TO
ask;
"Do yoh know. Rogers, if the track had
been double spiked meanwhile?"
The weakness Of the spikes. MANY Of
which were sheared of by the train before
the accident, is one Of the chief points in
the case against the New York Central
management. and Mr.. NicOll WIS up in
arms az once to profess that the condition
of tibet track had no bearing on his questions.
All he was anxious TO show was that the
speed had been Identical on each occasion.
Rogers did not know about the spikes
or il the voltage was the same as ON the
night Of the accident.
doesn't the voltage alter the speed
under given condifions:" asked Mr. Smyth.
1T does" replied Rogers.
"Then ] object 10 any further description
Of the test ride until II il shown that the
voltage was the same said the Assistant
District Attorney, addressing the Court.
The Court ruled with him.
Mr.. Smyth's Interruptions ranked in
Mr.. Nicolls mind. for at the next one Mr..
Nicolrturned around and remarked coldly:
mir District Attorney, il is customary
in the Supreme Court for one counsel at
a time to examine a witness. This is not
Coroner's court"
Rogers went on with his story OF the
wreck and how he knew nothing Of IL until
he saw a great fash and looked back TO
find his engines and the smoker running
free while the rest of the train was afiame
several hundred yards behind. Blue prints
and model OF controlling gears. both steam
and electric. were introduced in evidence.
and Rogers showed the jury just how he
ran his engine on the disastrous trip.
Herbert y. Ballet. chief engineer on the
Harlem division. testified that the locomo-
tives went az least a third of a mile before
they came TO a stop after the accident.
The distance IL important, as Rogers felt
sure that It did not take him more than five
or six seconds to observe that something
was wrong and put on the emergency
brakes. The distance covered, therefore,
will bear on the speed Of the train az the