Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-09-05

neer Miller testified on the other hand,
! Mr. Belknap said, that the torpedoes
were only two poles back, or 332 feet,
when he heard them.
| 'In either case" said the chief in
spector, 'it appears from their testi-
mony that the torpedoes were too near
to give adequate warning. The tests
after the Stamford wreck, last June,
showed that D locomotive similar to
the one on the White Mountain. going
55 miles an hour, could no come to
a stop in distance Of 1850 feet
Mr.. Belknap took a surveyor to the
scene Of the wreck. today, an made
measurements which he charted for
use at the hearing. tomorrow. He
found the distances in dispute had al
ready been cold ehiselled into the
rails This was done. he learned. at
| the instance of the Public Utilities
Commission, on the day of the wreck.
| Commissioner McChord. who will pre-
side at the inquiry. te1egraphed tonight.
| that he was detained in Washington and
would not arrive, until tomorrow morn
| ing The taking of testimony will begin
| in the federal court in public session as
! soon as he reaches the building. He will
! be accompanied by NJ. G. List, an attor-
| ney for the commission.
AS mapped out BY Inspector Belnap,
| the evidence will be adduced with refer
ence to the events Of the disaster. The
specific causes of the wreck having been
! established. the higher officials of the
road, including Gen. Mgr. Bardo and Gen.
Supt Woodward, will then be called.
! probably. on Saturday. to testify OIL the
| broader subject of operating manage
ment, in an inquiry designed to bring out
the fundamental causes of the many
| wrecks which the New Haven has suf-
| fered in the last two years
President Elliott of the New Haven
called the newspaper men into his office,
| today, and submitted to a rapid-fre bonn
| bardment of questions. He said he had
purposey refraned from examining the
E! testimony already taken "in order that
| my mind may be unpi eiudiced until final
determination of the causes of this ter
rible disaster has been reached u f=.
| You have asked me many questions as
| to where the responsibility lies he
said. "a am leaving that to the proper
tauthorities and | wish to state in all SIN
certify that we will do everything in our
/ power to assist them. | have conferred
with Mr.. Belnap, who has told me that
he was much pleased with the attitude
/ we have taken"
rhe many questions relating to the op-
| GRAFTON of the road and to what steps
had been or would be taken to insure
| greater safety to the travelling public. he
declined to give an answer. on the ground
1 hat huHTf /.
| duties, he had not had time to fully IA
| miliarize himself with conditions The
| road was prepared to substitute steel
| cars for wooden ones as fast as possible,
! he said. He furnished statistics showing
| that. since Feb. 8, 1872, the road had or
| dered a total of 2fl steel ears which had
not yet been delivered. Fifty-six ears
| are now in operation and 80 more are to
| be ordered soon.
Mr.. Elliott will leave for New York,
| tomorrow. to attend the regular Friday
| meeting of the roads executive commit
| tee.
Murray WAS also served with a sub
poena to appear al the Interstate
Commerce Commission hearing but
whether he would be released to the
federal authorities in the event of his
liability TO obtain bail, tomorrow was
4 question that had not been settled
tonight.
The action of the coroner was TAX
len upon his initiative We had no
| knowledge that such a step was to
| be taken You can say with the ap-
proval of Chief Inspector BeInap that
| What the coroner or the states attor-
ney may do will have no effect upon
| our inquiry, said the inspector
| At the hospitals it was reported that
TIE condition of the five most critically
injured was unchanged.
From his cell in the Jail, tonight Muir
ray talked to newspaper men and de
scribed his efforts to stop the White
! Mountain Express just before il crashed
into the Bar Harbor.
When our train came to a stop" he
said, Il Immediately went back of my
| own accord to place signals | had tor
! pedoes. a fuse and red lantern with
me. | had gone back short distance
| Just how far | don't know, when | heard
| our engineer whistle, announcing thai
our train was ready to proceed At thai
| time | could not have covered the dis
tance required by the rules. AS a precau.
4
| might be short distance behind me,
i placed two torpedoes on the track l was
Just about TO light the fuse and stick il
between the rails when | heard the roaI
Of the approaching White Mountain Ex.
/ press. [ dropped the fuse and grabbed
the lantern and ran in the direction OF
the oncoming engine | had gone but &
few steps when it shot by me-
Murray denied that he was standing or
the track throwing stones, as reported
when the White Mountain bore down
That was one of our trainmen VIII,
had nothing to do with placing signals.
he said.
Murray sent message to the genera
| manager of the New Haven, tonight, ask
ing if the company would go his bonds
4 ID