Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-05
7 estim0ny I lends to Show
Engineer Took Switch !
When Signals Were Sci Against
Hlm--Reyised List OF Dead.
Signaiman Obliged to Jump Down
Embankment to Escape Train. Nd

Westport, Conn. Oct. 4.-Testimony
tending to show that Engineer George
L Clark. who was killed in the wreck
of the Springfield Express here. last
night. ignored signals that had been
set against him and took the cross
over switch at a high rate of speed,
WAS given before Coroner John j.
Phelan at the inquest into the death
of the seven victims of the wreck, this
afternoon. 5t
This testimony was given by Bart
ley Gordon, foreman OF the section
gang, and Michael a. Coyle, tower
man. Gordon was experimenting con-
struction work in front of the station
when he heard the express. He real
lied, he said, that the train was COM
ing at an excessive rate of speed
SO he ran forward, waving his arms
in frantic endeavor to attract the
attention of the engineer. AS the train
did not slacken speed he was obliged
TO jump down an embankment TO save
his life.
THE engineer was leaning out of
tie cab and he must have seen me-
Gordon said. Coyle declared three
separate signals had been set against
showed it was going at from 80 to so
miles an hour.
Coroner Phelan will continue his in
quest tomorrow. ss
No more bodies were taken from the
wreckage, today. None of the injured
are reported to be in critical condi-
ton.
Westport, CT. Oct. THE death list
from the terrible wreck of the second
section OF the Springfield Express.
westhound over the New York, New
Haven 81 Hartford Railroad for New
York. late yesterday. numbers seven.
OF the several score of passengers.
who were more or less injured, only 10
remain at the Norwaik hospital. to
which they We're taken with others,
last night. All are resting comfortably.
this morning, and are expected to re-
cover
The dead are as follows: Mrs.
James c. Brady of New York
City, wife of a son of Anthony N.
Brady of Albany, ~. Y. Miss Mary
Hamilton, sister of Mrs Brady of Al
bany. n. Y: Mrs. e. Palmer Gavit.
sister of Mrs. Brady. Albany. n. Y:
Mrs. C. S. Ransom of Albany. anoth-
er daughter of Anthony N. Brady. of
Albany; Engineer George l.. Clark.
Harlem, n. Y: Fireman j. ]. MolSer.
Springfield. Mass. Mark Wheeler, mail
clerk, who died at the hospital.
Medical Examiner Powers, who be-
gan ar inquest at the undertaker's
rooms, to which the bodies We're TAX
en-, last night officially made the
statement. this morning, that the list
numbers only seven. 1t had been
thought there was an eighth body
that of woman, but this was quickly
disproven at the inquest During the
search of the wreckage. during the
night, hand was found but this be-
longed to Fireman Moker
All that remained of the train, this
morning. We're Keeps of smoking
wood, masses of twisted metal from
three Pullman coaches, which were
burned, a battered locomotive on It's
side, two westbound tracks fearfuliy
torn up and a bridge spanning the
street by which the station Is reached
almost wrecked.
All night, by the glare Of torches
and lantern light, the wreclSers and
their massive cranes pulled apart
the blackened mass of what had
been the Pullman coaches. The
day coaches, which had been left
standing and one Pullman, which was
blackened and somewhat shattered.
had been placed on the rails and haul
ed away. Carefully the fragments
were searched, as fears were held
that in the ruins of the first Pullman,
in which four women were either kill
ed or burned to death. would be
found other human remnants. Daylight
brought relief for the search revealed
nothing but severed hand which at
first was mistaken for that of q wo-
man, but later fitted to the arm of
Fireman Moker.
tracks prevented any material delay
of trains, during the night, but it will
require some labor and time to re-
pair the roadbed.
The bodies OF six persons. which
| had been taken to an undertakers
were officially viewed by Medical Elk
aminer Powers, at o'clock this morn
| ing, and he opened his inquest at
once.
The bodies We're taken to Albany
| during the day. on a special train. The
cause of the wreck given by the rail-
road officials in the statement issued
from the offices of the New York.
| New Haven & Hartford Railroad at
| New Haven is, that Engineer Clark
| had failed to regard the standing or
Continued on Page Seven.)
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