The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-15

The Farmer has already pointed out that beyond the cross over, about 30 feet towards the Bridgeport station, from the signal tower, was located a switch leading down into the street grade in Railroad avenue. An expert investigator reported to the Farmer, after a careful examination directly following the wreck, that Tn his opin- ion the Federal took the crossover all. right and leaped the. track at the switch. The switch, the investiga- tor said, bore the appearances of hav- ing been only recently spiked down. Further reports of men at work on the roadbed within fortnight of the accident have continued to circulate since the wreck.
 The rear brakeman, testifying before Coroner Wilson, yesterday, swore that he sat near an open door, looking out and enjoying such breeze as he could on the hot night, when the tower flashed by. He testified that the speed of the train in his opinion was about 50 miles per hour.
 He swore that there was some talk between the trainrnen before they left Stamford, as to where they should take the crossover. They wanted to take 1t at Stamford. For some req son it wasn't taken. There was talk between the engineer and conductor. he thought he wasn't sure, as to talk ing the crossover in Bridgeport. He understood that they were to switch over near Bridgeport, but it wasn't part of his duties to attend to this so he paid little attention. He left that to the conductor.
 The rear brakeman then described the wreck. He said that as he sat at the open door he could see the tower flash by. He estimated the speed at 50 miles per hour. But he added that he believed the car he occupied must have been a car length past the signal tower before he felt that his car was derailed.
 This it must be borne in mind, would bring the car to a point at which the Farmers investigator sur mises the switch-not the crossover the wreck.
 The brakeman also testified that there was dissatisfa ction because the crossover wasn't taken at Stamford rather than further east. But he en- tered into no part of the discussion of that point, for he left it to the conductor.
 Coroner Wilson interrogated Po- liceman George North at length as to the condition of the cars after the wreck, and where the dead and in jured came from.
 It was brought out that not a single living being was brought out
 
 day coach.
 Every occupant was crushed to death, when the forepart of the car was torn to pieces on the stone cor ner of the viaduct, and when the car ploughed into the ground at Horan's fence.
 Further information disclosed by the coroner's inquest brought new light upon the death of Engineer Curtis and Fireman Ryan. When the locomotive was tearing down the switch and along the wall of the via duct, a telegraph pole, standing ad- jacent to the viaduct, swiped the en- zine cab. The cab was ripped clear earth with both engineer and fire man and upon top of the cabin came the other cars, some hurdling it, others crushing it into the street.
 So it is not at all likely in view of this condition that Fireman Ryan leaped out of the cabin as was at first conjectured. The bodies of both engineer and conductor, according to the testimony of North were found with the wreck of the cab.
 Coroner Wilson questioned Tower man Harris Hemingway of the Fair field avenue tower, and Cummings of Fairfield. as to the conditions of sig nals All this testimony it must be was given in the "se- cret' inquiry with Superintendent Woodward facing the witnesses and hearing every word.
 Whether Coroner Wilson has already questioned the railroad officials as to the working hours of the dead en- gineer, has not developed