The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-19
BEGIN WRECKINQUIRY
Commissioners Inspect Scene
of New York Disaster.
ONE MORE VICTIM SUCCUMBS
Total List Of Dead Now Numbers
Twenty-One-TsyO Additional Fa-
taIities Expcctesi-COrOner's In
quest started at TremOnt-LocOmO-
tIves suid to Have Been Defective.


set into play to-day TO determine the cause
of the wreck of the Brewster express, on
the electric lines of the Harlem division,
New York Central. on Saturday night,
coroner's jury was impaneled to hear tes-
timony. and the members of the State
railroad commission made an independent
Investigation and inspection of the scene
of the wreck preliminary 10 the opening Of
a hearing before that body. which VIII
take place in the commissions offices, l
Madison square, at 10 O'Clock Wednesday
morning.
While investigation into the respensi-
bility for the disaster of Saturday night
was getting under way the roll of the dead
was added to by one. Ernest Noil, of
Mount KiscO n Y died in Lincoln Hos
pital early in the morning. He had re-
ceived compound fracture of the right
thigh and internal injuries. and his case
was considered hopeless from the first the
doctors said. This makes twenty-one the
number killed in the wreck.
Fordham Hospital physicians said to-
night that two of the wreck victims are in
a serious condition; that their death is ex-
pected. These are Miss Mabel Smith, OF
Katonah. and Miss Elsie Sniffen of White
Plains Miss Smith had splinter of
wood driven through the right eye socket
into brain. and since she was taken to the
hospital she has been unconscious most of
the time. Elsie Sniffen is suffering from
a compound depressed fracture of the
dome of the skull. fracture of the left
arm, and of the humerus. Though both
patients have been showing remarkable
vitality, the doctors entertain no hope for
their recovery.
CorOner'S Investigation.
Assistant District Attorney Smythe
opened the coroner's investigation into
the wreck at the coroner's office, Ire
mont, this afternoon. Eighteen witnesses
had been subpoenaed to appear. among
them Ira A. Mccormick, division super
intendent of the new electric service on
the Harlem division of the New York
Central Mr.. Mccormick testified 70 one
important fact, new in the development
of the investigation following the wreck.
This was that both the motor engines
that drew the Brewster express out of
Grand Central Station at SIP Saturday
night were defective.
The division superintendent explained
that two engines had been used because
of the fact of this defect. common to
both, when it was necessary only 10 use
one 10 pull "a train of the weight of the
Brewster special.
Both Engines Defective.
The forward engine. he said. lacked
two contact shoes. the iron feeler which
grips the third rail and carried the power.
on the right hand side. The rear motor
SIN, 1.,f+ do
The junction of the two motors made
practically one engine, said the witness.
The division superintendent then testi-
fled that the weight of one of the new
electric motor engines is ninety-six tons.
while the locomotives in use on the
steam lines weigh about one hundred
tons. inclusive of their tenders. The
weight of the TWO motors was not suf-
hcient to have caused the spreading Of
the rails at the curve below the Wood
lawn avenue bridge Mccormick thought,
1T is still a mystery to me how this
wreck happened" said he.
speed Of Fifty Miles
Mr.. Smythe questioned the division su-
perintendent closely on the question of the
speed that the company had expected. and
the witness said it was between forty
tlEAt anu lily Li-icS an Aitut-
He testified further that one rail was
showed out OF place near the spot where
the first car of the train had overturned.
and at this point the spikes were not
pulled out, but sheared of as if bitten by
the jaws of some powerful pincers.
Z. 5. Baliiett chief engineer OF MAIN
tenance of way for the Harlem division
Of the newly installed electric system,
was called to the stand late in the day
but the taking of his testimony was de-
layed until the jury could be taken over
the ground of the wreck. The jury was
SO late in returning that his examination
was deferred until tomorrow.
Scene OF Wreck Inspected.
Three members Of the State railroad
commissioning. Joseph NJ Dickey,
Frank N. Baker, and Henry NJ. Rockwell
with Charles R. Barnes. an expert on
electric railroads. to-day went over the
scene of the wreck on the New York Cen
tral Railroad near Bedford Park on Sat
urday night At the close of their trip
they returned to Albany
The members of the commission we're
accompanied by New York Central Off
cials and a host of experts. The COM
mission went 10 work early in the day
and lHe members were busy ulltli iate IN
the afternoon. They took careful notes
of the condition Of cars. rails, roadbed.
and motors. and developed a theory,
which they decided not to make public
until the hearing was over.
Commission Has Theory.
From what was said by Capt Dickey
for the commission this afternoon in the
Murray Hid Hotel. the theory is likely
TO concern the condition of the motor
cars which were at the head of the train.
The roadbed construction, the curve just
before the spot where the wreck hap
pened, and the condition of the wooden
cars, all We're declared to be the best
that could be-
AT the inquiry" said Capt. Dickey.
eve shall have before us the electrical
experts Of the company to testify as TO
the locomotives themselves We shall
examine the man from the general cleo
trio company which makes the locomo-
tives. Our own expert viii testify. too.
We shall have the towermen at that
point. and along the road. They will tell
us whether the train was on time at the
various stations. The Inspector who was
travelling in the locomotive car drawing
the train also viii be called on.
Catch Man in Baltimore.
James II. Wood, aged twenty-nine. living
at I102 New York avenue northwest was
1..-,.,-i,+ 70 c4fx- from, aIfsv,o-,, voc