The San Francisco call., 1908-07-08

AEAF - - -----
A most significant verdict and dis
aupOiurirg one 70 the railroad com
uauy. which had striven so hard 10
throw the entire responsibility 1or the
disastrous fourth OF July wreck upon
the shoulders OF Engineer Barry was
returned by the coroner's jury az the
conclusion OF the inquest held over the
wreck victims today.
The Jury not only failed 10 bring the
expected charge Of manslaughter
against the engineer, but the jurors
held the company eqUaHy responsible
with its emplOye for tfBe catastrophe.
on account OF the fact that Barry, q
new man on the run, was not properly
piI0ted when he came into Oakland
IN addition the jury took occasion
10 .ceusure the railroad company for its
failure 10 erect speed limit signs in
side Of the city limits Of Oakland, and
frferenttally accused the company Of
criminal careIessuess IN allowing an en-
gineer 10 run q train over route with
which he was not thoroughly familiar.
MUST EXCEED LIMIT
Il developed during the testimony Of
Engineer Barry that he did not know
where tie city limits OF Oakland were
located and that he had never known
just where DE came under the restrlc-
-l0l Of the city speed limits. Barry
repeated his published statement that
although the city ordinance forbids
trains 70 run above maximum speed
of % miles an hour within the city
limits. the c0mpany's schedule requires
au engineer 70 make al least 25.6 miles
au hour between ElmhUrst and Oakland
pier in order 10 get 70 the pier on
schedule time.
When asked whether this statement
was true. Assistant superintendent Al
Baker ~ the Southern Pacific company
evaoed the question by declaring that
the city ordinance regulating speed is
printed on all the company time cards
and THAI Il takes precedence over all
other company rules. Baker admitted
however. rhat the company schedule
actually does require its engineers 10
make over - miles an hour in the city
limits. This schedule. ne enigmatically
declared. is not intended for literal OBJ
scrralce.
"Eleu an engineer is being schOOled
over - route that is new 10 him, how
does tle company determine when he
ls qualified 10 run a train over the route
without plotting questioned the corO-
ner ~ = Hperintendeut Baker.
BARRY ASKS FOR PILOT
Baker replied that the company is
accustomed o depend upon the en-
giueer's assertion that he is sufficiently
familiar with the new route 10 carry a
train over IL successfully.
u was on the strength Of this ad-
mission. coupled with Engineer Barry
statement that on the day Of the wreck
he had asked for a pilot TO bring him
from EluAUrst TO Oakland pier and
that his request had been refused by
the company officials. that the jury
framed its criticism Of the corporation S
careless methods Of schooling engineers.
The members Of the jury seemed
strongly impressed with Barrys plea
that he had done everything IN his
power 10 familiarize himself with the
signal system Of the new run during
his short experience and a strong ten
dency was manifested TO relieve him
from the whole responsibility for the
disaster and 70 shift the blame upon
the shoulders Of the corporation which
had forced him 10 carry passenger
train through q district which was not
only unfamiliar but which was not
provided with signs marking the re-
stricted speed district
W c. Mark, the engineer of the
Fourteenth street local. said that he
had q signal for a clear track and that
he did not see the approaching Santa
Cruz train until a moment before he
struck st He was going about /;
miles an hour when the collision took
place. He said that he did not leave
his engine until after it had plowed
through the sEnoker Of the Santa Cruz
train.
TELLS OF 80 MILE SPEED
T. X. Corey, conductor OF the Santa
Cruz train, said that his train was 60
ing about 20 miles an hour when they
passed Alice street, and that he knew
that the city ordinance limited the max
imum speed at that point TO % miles an
hour.
Dr. o. D. Hamlin testified that all OF
the wreck victims except Johnson had
died as a direct result of skull frac-
lures. Johnson was crushed about the
arms, limbs and chest
Barry said that he had worked IL
years for the Southern Pacific and had
been employed as a locomotive en-
gineer since October, 1902. The greater
part OF his work had been over the
coast division from Santa Barbara 10
san Luis ObispO. He said that he had
never been IN a collision before. Barry
described his transfer TO the Oakland
Santa Cruz run and said that he had
made three student" trips over the
road, accompanied by engineers who