The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-10-28


 inquest into the Westport wreck. Sat urday after hearing testimony from 9:30 a. until D. m- Throughout the day Coroner Phelan consistently followed his determination to get every fact possible and piled questions into his witnesses with a&thoroughness that occasioned comment He heard a, great deal of evidence of importance Most of that given during the forenoon session Saturday was printed in The Farmer Saturday night
 Coroner Phelan announced after the hearing, to a Farmer reporter that his report on the inquest would not be forthcoming for two .Wekes at least.
 1T have volume of data to go over and a great amount of eyidence,' he said. ''It is going to take much time to consider this thoroughly and I want the public to be patient It is impor- tant that I take sufficient time to con- slider every bit of evidence that I have received and the public should be pa tent I think my report will not be ready until two weeks at least"
 H. w. Belknap, chief inspector for the Interstate Commerce CommiS iSSion, of the witnesses Saturday. especially in getting at technical points, He sug- gester questions for the Coroner to ask.
 Atty. Benjamin T. spock became noon session Saturday and made sev- era1 sarcastic remarks and asked sev- Aera1 impertinent questions which call ed for mild reprimand from the cor oner.
 Jacob A. Cantor, Robert Lacroix and James H. Hopkins who are marketing peared before the Coroner to straight en out some questions as to the merits of that device. Officials of the rail- road contended that MT Lacroi, had would not have averted the Westport wreck because there was clear route and in ease of clear route the device does not apply the air brakes.
 MT. Cantor was the first witness. He read a letter from President McHenry of the. railroad, dated Oct. p in which MT. McHenry wrote that he was surprised to learn of MT Lacroixs s earlier testimony to the effect that the device would not have prevented wreck The letter also mentioned sur prise at the fact that the Staten Isl and road had had the Lacroix system removed from it's lines
 MT Cantor said that so far as these, charges are concerned MT. McHenry had assumed them all not from true facts. He said that the, device has been taken from the Staten Island road because that road had old train block system less expensive which it desired to use and also be-. cause the contract to keep the system installed, had expired. Witness said tion that MT. Lacroix had said his de- vice wouldn't have prevented the wreck.
 Mir Lacroix then took the stand There followed a great deal of confu- sIOn as to what the questions and an swers of the witness and the attorney sion became more Or less confused. Mir Cantor and Attorney Spoek dis played animosity for one another and made sarcastic retorts and finally: the tenn would not operate when there was clear route ahead whether the, signals were set or not.
 MT. Lacroix contended however that he could so arrange his system and device as to make it applicable to such a situation. MT. Hopkins who is La croix's assistant took hand in the discussion and c. H. Morrison, signal engineer of the road had mething to ask and say The coroner appar- ently became satisfied that had the device been in use on the road the day of the wreck it would have stopped the train before it sped over the fateful device were satisfied that they had upheld the merits of their apparatus; the railroad officials were apparently satisfied that they had proved their isfied to adjourn for lunch.
 In the afternoon Herman B. Have nor, assistant chief draughtsman for the railroad. was the first witness af- ter the lunch hour. He gave testi- mony relative to the speed of trains, and the speed of train which the rails.
 
 cally and theoretically He said that a Mo- 8 crosSover such as was the cross over which the fated train travelled, is allowed IS miles an hour as its 10 frog A No. 10 frog contains a curvature of 6 degrees, 48 minutes where a stiff frog is used and ' de grees, 36 minutes where a spring frog is used The theoretical speed which a No. 8 switch will take is 21 and nine tenths miles an hour. A No 15 cross o1rn los hon e. ticaIly and 35 and five tenth6 miles theoretically. Beyond the 21 and nine tenths miles on a No. sscrossover ana aTo 15 crossover the oscillation, impact and so forth would make it eminently un- safe to travel at high speed There was a good. deal of technical discus sion as to& theoretical results and con ditions under certain speeds and situa-' tions.
 margin of speed limit on the longest crososver in the road is s46 and nine tenths miIes.s MT. sIavenor said he did Haven and Hartford road doesn't put in long sercssovers. He didn't know of any material reason why they weren' t put in.
 Attorney Spock said that to put in 8 longer crossover at Westport would 1 do away with the division fences at the not be more desira ble than to kill peo- ple. on short crossovers. He replied l that the road kills more people who | attempt to cross the tracks at the 1 tations, some even going so far as te l climb over the division fences, thar are killed in crossoVer iWrecks. Alsc l it would be necessary to change the location of the switch lower To buflc l longer crossovers would make it nee l essary to reconstruct the signal tow CT and practically the whole comple- ment of present equipment and sys- ten1S.
 H w. Belknap, chief inspector fol l the Interstate Commerce Commission l asked a question or two, relative tt l switch construction.
 | MT. Havenor declined to answer tn, l coroner'S question to whether tn. 1 railroad could or couldn't put in a, No l on cr.ossnver at WeStpOrt in place O.