New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-06
SAY PELL, IN AUTO,
RACED WITH TRAIN
Tragedy Due to His Effort to
Pass the Crossing First,
Railway Men Assert on
Witness Stand.
PElL HIMSELF AT WHEEL
w. X. Vanderbilt, Jr., SO Test
ifies at Hearing-Tells How
He Found Bodies y Mrs.
Laimbeer Still Ignorant
of Husbands S Fate.

Laimbeer Still Ignorant
of Husbands Fate.
tFrom a STAFF Correspondent OF The Trbune.l
Long Beach. Long Island, Aug. 81
William X. Vanderbilt. Jr., whose low
racing roadster was just behind the
limousine in which s. Osgood Pell, Mr..
and Mrs. William Laimbeer and the
Pell chauffeur were run down last Sun
day night at the Wreck Lead crossing
Of the Long Island road, testified be-
fore he Public Service Commission in
vestigators to-day that Mr.. Pei was
driving the car when IT was struck.
He also said he could not understand
why It happened. as the headlights of
the train were plainly visible from
either direction from where the Van
derbilt car was.
Jervis Van Buren. one of the train
guards. who probably saved Mrs. Lain
beers life by fastening a tourniquet
about her left leg. which was bleeding
profusely from a cut just below the
knee, testified that while he was hold
ing Mrs. Laimbeer in the automobile
that was hurrylng her to the Nassau
Hotel young man on the running
board told him that Pell steered his
car out Of the line Of automobiles ap-
preaching the crossing, and started up
fun speed as though 10 beat the on
coming train to the crossing. Van
Buren said that this man, whose name
ne did not learn. said that persons in
the cars nearest 10 the crossing shouted
in vain to Pell to stop.
George Easton. the motorman OF the
train. under a grllling -examina-
tion by former Congressman Charles
Pope Caldwell. of No. ~ Broadway.
Manhattan. admitted that after he saw
that the Pell automobile was appar-
emily trying 10 beat him 10 the cross
ing. both going at twenty-five or thirty
miles. ne did not apply his brakes or
again blow his whistle, after the usual
crossing signal.
Thought Driver Would Stop.
why didn't you do something TO
preyent running the car down If YOU
realized collision was inevitable?'
demanded Caldwell.
L didn't think any driver would be
foolish enough TO keep on" replied
Easton.
When did you set the brakes them"
when | saw that the driver didn't
intend 10 stop" sa.c Easton. That
was 200 feet away" he said.
The hearing before Martin :. Decker,
ih. chairman of the commission, lasted
until 43O o'clock in the afternoon.
Before adjournment Mr.. Decker served
notice on Henry w. Thornton, general
superintendent OF the Long Island
Railroad. that the road must employ
ragmen at both crossings on the Long
Beach road below Jekyl Island until
after the last night trains have passed,
and. furthermore, that trains must not
pass the crossings at a speed exceed
ing fifteen miles an hour.
Apart from any question OF respon-
sibilitv for this deplorable accident
said Mr. Decker, 81 am chiefly con-
cerned in occurring more safety OF
operation Of your trains; therefore
want YOU. Mr.. Thornton. TO see that
my orders are carried out at once
THE Long Island is ready to put on
ANYTHING the commission requests re-
piled Mr.. Thornton. In this case | am
Glad 10 say that the extra fagmen
have already been ordered tonight
w X. Vanderbilt, jr., was the hrst
Witness to-day. He said he offered to
,oke Mrs Per home in his car from
the Castle Trouville. Long Beach the
restaurant where he had been dining.
with the Pells and the Laimbeers as
his guests owing to delay IN get
ting away from the Casino, the Pell
limousine. he said, preceded his car by
about five minutes.
Mr.. Vanderbilt Finds Bodies.
"At Wreck Lead crossing" he said,
"we came upon a blockade. / stopped
nv engine and told Mrs. Pell that
would get out and see what was the
trouble At the crossing | heard sew
oral persons had been killed. Taking
mn bralteman's lantern. | stumbled
over a body that resembed Mr.. LAIN
beers. Then somebody said there was
a dead body further down the tracks.
hurried to il and thought it looked
like Mr.. Pell. / picked up hat lying
near by. and saw his name In II.
"I knew then that Mrs. Laimbeer was
nrobably killed or injured. / knew for
a certainty that Mr.. Pell was dead. but
could not think OF any way 10 break
tho news to his widow waiting out
tbere in the car. While | was think
ing of some plan DR.. Lee, OF Manhat-
tan. whom / knew, came along. and |
asked him TO go back with me and
helm break the news 10 her. He said
he would.
"We returned to the car and ] told
Mrs. Pell that a bad accident had oc-
curred. and advised that we go back
IN the Nassau Hotel and telephone TO
Mr. Pell In Manhattan little later
and tell him that we were caught in
the blockade and were all safe. We
h.ap i'm the hotel two minutes