The evening world., 1911-09-04
UNUSED BRAKE
CAUSEDDEATHO
WOMEN At CONEy
Only One Man on Duty 10
Control Speed of Cars on
Giant Racer
CITY STARTS PROBE.
Building Inspectors Make Rigid
Tests to Discover Cause
of Fatal Accident.
CITY STARTS PROBE.

II there had been i've brakemen cen
trolling the speed OF the cars on the
Giant racer at Coney Island, yes,er-
days accident, which resulted In the
death Of, two women. would not have
occurred. was the declaration made by
Superintendent Thatcher after he and q
half dozen inspectors from the Brook
lyn Department of Buildings had sub
jected the mammoth structure to a
series Of rigid tests today. Superintend-
ent Thatcher found that only one
man, John Fennel. was In charge Of
the four brake levers. all concentrated
at one point. The emergency brake,
which would have brought the coaster
train to a standstill within Its "
length. had not been operated even once
during the whole summer According
to the figures Of Arthur Jarvis. the
president of tn coaster company and
its engineer, It has carri,d a half mil
lion passenger
THE rust on the emergency brake
said Superintendent Thatcher 10 an
Evening World reporter. in 'lcatss that
! ThF Hot bttn uoti NJ 80 shs $3.50
entire summer Had Z been applied
yesterday. the women's lives would
have been saved. But Fennel was alone
in charge and had his hands full. The
coaster Itself" continued Mr.. Thatcher
is the most perfectly constructed OF
Its kind In the world, and II proper
precautions are taken in handling the
cars there is no possibility Of an acct
dent"
President Jarvis Of the coaster com
pany announced that hereafter ther,
would be two men in charge Of thu
brakes. and in addition, angle line'
would be put up at the curves to pre-
vent the rains from leaving the tracks
no matter what speed they attain. Tit
terrific speed which caused yesterday
accident tore away twelve OF the two
inch girders on which the coaster tracks
rest.
A permit to begin operating the coaste'
again was issued by Supt. Thatcher THU
afternoon after It had been put to
drastic test. 100 cars being rushed owe
the tracks at fun speed. Archie Zim
mer. Arthur Middleton and Engineel
Jarvis rode In the first train. togetheI
with a score OF employees, to satisf!
Supt. Thatcher that the coaster vas en-
titled to a clean bin OF health.
Tit women killed were Miss Mar.
Kallighan, thrty-hve. Of Scranton. Pa.
ard Mrs. ALE Provost. forty. of No. 20
Harrison avenue. Jersey City. Others II
the car were Mrs. Mary Harding. forty
two. OF No. l4l Mott Terrace. Schenec
tady; Mrs Ruby Harding. forty. of Nc
50 James street, Scotia, N. Y; Jane
Kalllghan. thirty-elght. a brother o
Miss Gallighan, and William ]. Smith
t~wenty-eight. OF No. 300 Monitor street
Brooklyn. The Hardings and Mrs
Provost Were one party; Mr.. Smith. MI
Kallighan M Miss Kalllghan were an
other. The six were riding In the rea
car of a train OF three and were en-
tering the second deck OF the big iro
structure when the car swung wild a
i was whipped around an abrupt curve
II turned half over. throwing the wome
who We're killed. against the iro
stanchions, causing their instant dealt
The Giant Racer Is quilt OF steel an
concrete and 1t helped TO stem the or
ward rush of the flames that threatene
10 destroy the Island at the time tha
Dreamland was burned out.