New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-27
1" CRASH NOT DUE TO
DEFECT, SAYS HEDLEY
Examination Of Equipment, Ac-
cording to Vice-President,
Showed 1t Was Perfect.
clJARD BLAMES COMPANY
Cars Need More Frequent Over
hauling, He Declares-Coro-
ner to Investigate-Motor.
man Not Badly Hurt.


Frank Hedley, vice-president and
roreral manager of the Interborough
porvay Company, declared yesterday
that the crash between the two trains
., the Third avenue Il" on Saturday
ofternoon. in which John NJ. Gleason,
natrolman, was killed and fourteen
persons were injured, was not due to
any defect in the controlling device of
the train which ran into one stalled
ahead OF IT,
AN examination made after the ac-
cident,' Mr.. Hedley said, showed thar
the equipment was in perfect condi-
ton
A guard on one of the Interborougn
elevated lines asserted on Saturday
night that the news of the accident
had not been surprise to the en-
ployes of the company.
Many of the cars need overhauling."
he said. IF the public knew just how
had some of them are they would be
less likely TO ride in them. Because If
the congestion of traffic the company
cannot lay off cars which need re-
pairs
When this statement was brought 10
Mr.. Hedley's attention yesterday he de-
MED ii was true.
The rolling stock of the INTERIOR
ough Rapid Transit Company on all
its lines was never in better condition
than it is to-day" he declared. The
fact that we have so few accidents. l
believe. shows that TO be true.
Our equipment is kept at the high
est possible standard; it has to be TO
be kept in service. IL is seldom that
train breaks down, and to maintain
such an average We have TO spend fab
ulous' sums of money. l repeat, the
condition of our rolling stock is bet
ter to-day than it ever was. | make
this statement without fear of contra
diction by any one that is competent
10 express an opinion.
AS TO the cause of Saturday s
wreck" Mr.. Hedley continued. we have
no statement to give out. 1t will first he
necessary to receive statements from
all our employees on the two trains, the
injured persons and as many other
passengers as possible. When those
are in and We have gone over them
carefully we will arrive at a decision.
AT present | do not know any more
about the accident than any one else.
/ was summoned to the scene shortly
after it happened. and what ] was
able 10 learn is already known. I have
not obtained a statement of any kind
from the motorman HIearm and do
not know what reason he gives for al
lowing his train TO hit the rear of the
one ahead of him.
When the cars were removed after
the accident, however, it was seen that
there was no reason TO believe that ii
had been due to any defect in the CON
trolling apparatus
The damage TO the wrecked cars was
not as bad as had been reported, Nj.
the scene of the smash-up under their
own power. the crash not having been
sufficient TO injure them seriously.
All the passengers who were injured
in the wreck on Saturday were report
ed Yesterday as resting easily, and UNI
less unforeseen complications set in
we're expected TO recover in short
time
II was the belief Of those who were
injured in the accident. and also OF
their more fortunate fellow passengers
who escaped unhurt. that the collision
OF the trains was due to carelessness
on the part of the motorman, Michael
Hearn. Following the accident, from
hich he escaped with cuts and bruises
about the face and body, he was ar
rested on a technical charge Of homi-
eide and taken to Bellevue Hospital.
The Coroner, it was said yesterday,
will conduct an investigation into the
causes of the accident The motormah
VIII be held until that time.
At Bellevue Hospital it was SAID that
Hesrn. who is detained in the prison
ward. was resting easily and would
probably be entirely well in Few
days.
Simon Levine, the ffteen-year-oid
boy who told reporters while he lay IN
jured on the platform of the Saith street
station that the motorman had been
looking out of a side window until MS
train was almost on the one in front
OF 1t, was able to leave Bellevue HOS
pitsl for his home, No. 2OJ East totn
street, yesterday.
He saw the impending crash, he SAID
and was running toward the rear OF
the car when the impact threw him 20
the floor. He was cut about the body
with broken glass. 1t is probable that
he will be asked to-day by the Inter-
borough company to furnish that ONCE
with complete account Of the AFFAIR
as he observed il. Many others VINO
were in the wreck will be asked TO tel
their stories