The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-10-04
PHELAN
 HOLDS PUBLIC
 WRECK INQUEST

WhEOk INQUESI
 In direct contrast to the method of | wreck by former Coroner Clifford B. Wilson, the present coroner, John J. | Phelan, of Bridgeport, began his in quest into the Saugatuck wreck this mornin.
 Coroner Phalen declared he would not e1npanel a, jury but would conduct the 1nvestigatio nhimse1f and go to the very bottom.
 He said the laws of this state do not make it compulsory that a jury be drawn, but that on previous occasions juries have been empanneled. He considered the enlpane11nent of jury might confuse responsibility He also said that his investigation would not be private, in the strict sense of the word: Those having a vital interest in the wreck, and newspaperme will be privileged to attend the hearing.
 Seated on a box of canned goods in the small freight house of the N. Y., N. H. & H., at Saugatuck and with a stenographer taking notes with his book upon a stove, Coroner Phalen examined the first witness. about IO-oV tOOoys
 Bartley Gordon, of Riverside ave- nue, .Saugatuck, section foreman, who has been in the employ of the road eight years as a, fireman and who is considered a reliable person with a tn orough knowledge of railroad af- fairs, was the first witness.
 Gordon said he was at work with a gang of men making repairs about 700 feet east from the cross-over when the wreck occurred.
 He gave the names of the men as follows: Tony Coffin, Patrick Me Grath, Joseph Black. Mike Tediski, Jos. santo, Angelo Iorto, John Domi- nick.
 were repairing tracks No. and g when the second section of train 53, known as Boston Express came along on track No. 1 at a very high rate of speed. Gordon showed a. familiarity with the railroad signals, etc. He said a. distance signal about 5000 feet west of where the train was wrecked and a home" signal at the station was set at ssdanger." A small "dwarf'' signal further along at the point where the cross-over began was set crosS-over4 was properly set Gordon at a later time said, however, that he had not paid much attention to the latter signal.
 As he heard the train coming down the track he glanced up The express was then about 2,000 feet from him and coming at a very rapid rate. He inm ediately realized that something was bound to happen unless the en- gineer slowed down. He ran as fast as he could over the south side of track No. 1. towards the train, waving his arms and hat violently. He saw the engineer leaning over of cab win dow and he felt as though the en- gineer must have seen him, but the train did not slow down and .appar- ently the steam was not shut off until the eszexpress hit the cross over. Cor don said that he narrow escaped be- ing struck by the train. .s
 He said he was ablesto judge pretty closely as to the speed. The way steam was coming out and the rapid ity with which the; train approached him made him feel sure it was going between 50 and 60 miles per hour He ran a distance of 15O feet. When train reached west end of crOSS-Over, the steam was apparently stopped as the vapor did not pour so freely from the engine. Black smoke came in volumes from the engine.
 Gordon very dramatically told how the thought came into his head: My Godi He must be dead.''
 The distance and home signal are operated by the towerman and when one is set at danger the other must be. They were the only two signals at this point which should have been observed b ythe engineer.
 Gordon also explained that before the train approached the switch at the cross-over he heard the click of the rail as they came together at rail. He was questioned as to the usual speed at which trains take this cross over. He said trains have at times past gone the south at a. high rate of speed, but with steam shut off. This train it took the switch sway ed violently. The tracks were firm. In his opinion the train left the rails 50 feet after it passed the cross-over. He thought the curve iii the track and the violent swing made the train jump the rails.
 Gordon's testimony made it appear that the engineer was running wild
 Coroner Phelan next examined John Allen. Bridgetender Allen on his shanty on the Saugatuck bridge testf- fed that train was gaing all of 60 miles an hour. He said that other train had gone across the bridge and cross over at full speed. Allen will be further examined.
 Coroner Phelan was assisted by Deputy Sheriff John M. DonnelIy of He had given instruction last night to train-master to have the train crew on hand today, but his request was overlooked. Some effort was made to have inquest in secret | 5eSSion