The evening world., 1911-01-31
Yard Employees and Victims
of Disaster Testify Alike
at Inquest.
WITH CIGAR
Man Hurled a Block From the
Wrecked Building Thought
First of Dynamite.

'oNar Nruser' tne New forK central
yardmaster who gave the order for
switching the electric train that
smashed into a Pintsch gas pipe and
released 10000 cubic feet OF gas, which
Is said to have caused the de~ath-dealtnR
explosion In the Grand Central criminal
yards on Dec. 10. was recalled to the
stand when the inquest to fix the re.
sponsibility for the disaster was re-
sumed to-day before Coroner Holts.
hauser and a jury.
Assistant District-Attorney Lavelle
was particular In settling who employs
Kruger The yardmaster said he was
employed by the New York Central
alone. The lawyers for the New York,
New Haven and Hartford Railroad
carefully brought this out.
Reported Brakes Wouldn't Hold.
Did Albert, Seagroatt, the motorman
of the train that knocked over the
humping post, say anything about his
brakes being out Of order when he re-
ported to you after the colllsion?" asked
AIR. Lavelle.
HE did not said Kruger. "he only
said his brokes wouldn't hold and tha
his wheels slipped"
u IL nav l1pTnt, Waterman OF
the terminal. followed the yardmaster.
Mr.. Lavelle's efforts to learn the iden-
tity OF his employers brought a state
ment from Alexander s. Lyman, gen.
eral attorney for the New York Gen.
trial
TIE management of the terminal
he said. SIS given to A.. r.. Whalen, who
is Jointly appointed by the President Of
the New York Central and the New
York. New Haven and Hartford"
Hawthorne said he went to the ONCE
OF Engineer Coon in the battery house
which was blown nearly to pleces-at
Fiftieth street and Lexington avenue at
about SIS the morning of Dec. 10, to
make a report.
II saw Thomas Stage, a Waterman,
there" said Hawthorne. II got a Whit
of gas and told Stage to open the win
dow and let the smell out. / started
to walk through the carpenter shop. l
went about seventy-hve feet and then
I felt something hit me on the head,
and when ] came to ] was lying on my
hands and knees under the Forty-ninth
street bridge"
What did YOU think ha6 %happened''
asked the Coroner.
II first thought the dynamite maya
zine had blown up said Hawthorne.
Hundreds Of Explosives In Yard.
Have you ever seen a dynamite ex-
%plosion;" asked Coroner Feinberg.
Hundreds OF them in the yard"
To Mr.. Lavelle's questions. Haw-
thorne said he had seen workmen car
rying dynamite and other explosives
close to the carpenter house, but never
through 1t. Thu railroad officials have
vigorously maintained that the explo-
sion was not caused by dynamite.
Thomas Stag, the Waterman. was
among the killed. Hawthorne spent
thirteen days in Bellevue Hospital.
His hands were %bandaged when he tes-
titled to-day.
Joseph +. Tourney. the policeman
who was blown across Lexington ave-
nue. at Fiftieth street, was the next
witness.
when I reached Fiftieth street AMI
Lexington avenue he said, Il smelled
gas strongly. l walked to the southwest
corner and spoke to Thomas Stagg. the
Waterman, about 1t. He was in the
window. He said a pipe had been broken
In the yard and II was being repaired.
~ asked him II there was any danger
~ explosion and he said he thought not.
UHe had a cigar In his mouth but | didn't
q notice II It was lighted.
II walked back to the northeast cor
ner to take a child across the tracks.
Il Then ! noticed Stagy opening the win
Il " WV A'BH v NAt tAlblONlOl
came"
Were there any children with you?'
asked Mr.. Lavolle.
Yes; two Children
Hurled, claspine Child.
What did you do when the explosion
came?'
II grabbed one child and We were
blown together across the street against
the railing OF the Chlld's Nursery"
Were you i~njured?"
Yes"
What did YOU do them"
Il picked up the child to carry her
to the hospital. ! fell twice"
Tourney sand the explosion was not a
sharp report but a low, continued
'rumbling sound. like a building being
shaken to pieces.
Charles A. Mcdonald. another police
man, testified that he had smel'ed gas
as he was going off duty near Fif,ieth
street and Lexington avenue and had
been stunned by the explosion as he
was entering the station on Fitty-frst
street.
Max Grab of No. 2157 Fifth avenue. a
carpenter, who was working in the
shop and was blown into the lumber
shed OF the power-house by the eXplo-
sion, said lie had frequently seen
Waterman Stagg smoking In the car
penter house, A few minutes before
the explosion Oral had smelled gas and
seen and heard the hiss Of escaping
Vapor or steam.
"A moment later he said. IN re-
Spouse to Lawyer Thomas w. Church
III. representing the Plntsch Gas Conn
pany. II saw a big red flame shoot up,
then a green flash as big as this jury
box, and then | knew nothing more"