The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-09-04
NEW HAVEN ROAD
FACES INQUIRY
INTO DISASTER
Interstate Commerce Com
mission Promises Searching
Investigation o. Wreck of
Bar Harbor Express.
FACTS WITHHELD
FROM THE PUBLIC
Coroner Proceeding in Pri'
vate; Engineer Miller and
Flagn1an Murray Held in
Jail Without Bail.

jail w F&llIOul bdAls
NEW HAVEN. Conn. Sept. B.
With twenty one dead and five dying
as the result of the wreck near New
Haven yesterday morning of the Bar
Harbor express, the New York. New
Haven G. Hartford railroad faces to-
night public inquiry into the causes
of the disaster BY the interstate COM
nerce commission. 1t will begin Fri
day and will be the most searching ever
conducted by the commission into any
railroad catastrophe
This was announced tonight by H. W.
Bclnap, chief Inspector OF the commits
sion. who arrived here today. Com
missioner McChord will preside. Mr..
Belnap. who will conduct the examins-
tion of witnesses, said the inquiry
would "get down TO fundamentals
and determine whnt causes in the gem
eral operation and management of the
road we're responsible for the series of
fatal wrecks afflicting the New Haven
for the last two or three years, culmin-
ating in Yesterdays most disastrous Of
all.
Testimony Withheld.
Until the interstate commerce COM
mission s witnesses tell the story the
official explanation given out by Off
cials of the company will be the only
version of the causes Of the wreck OBJ
tainabe Coroner Mix persisted today
in refusing to make public the testl-
mony of Engineer Miller Of the White
the Bar Harbor train, or Of Flagman
Murray of the latter train, both of
whom he examined yesterday in pre-.
Iiminary investigation. This attitude
also was taken by c. c. Elwell, chief
engineer of the Connecticut public util-
itics commission. who attended the
hearing. The coroner will begin to-
morrow his formal inquest 70 fix, he
ssid. "the criminal responsibility but
this also viii be private affair.
Present at Inquest.
Acting under telegra phic instructions
from Commissioner McChord, Mr.. Bel
nap demanded today that he be allowed
10 bc present al The inquest, To this
tle coroner acceded and promised him
q copy Of the testimony already taken.
President Elliott declared tonight that
a. far as he was concerned he was
wiling for the testimony 10 become
il out in Difference to the county Of
fetal He declared that when the
questions were raised of admitting
newspaper men TO Yesterdays hearing,
and of making public the testimony
then taken. the railroad deferred TO
the opinions of the coroner and repre-
sentative of the public service commits
sion. and said "It appears that the
public authorities feel that it is un-
wise at this time to make public the
testimony
Favors Publicity.
He added: ANY and all facts in
possession of the company will be given
promptly to the public authorities and
al the hearing Of the interstate COM
merce commission, which is to begin
Friday. all such facts will become pub.
lie property.
Engineer Miller and Flagman Muir
ray were still in jail tonight and the
coroner has refused TO accept bonds
Tor their appearance al tomorrow s
hearing. They will he among the first
L.
noed. IL was learned n dozen or more
survivors OF the wreck as we'll ss other
tralnmen involved and officers Of the
road. His findings will be turned over
10 the state & attorney. 4. 4. Alliug,
who, il he deems the evidence suffi-
cient. may lay the evidence before a
granu Jury. The findings may not be,
come public in that event until the
Jury has determined whether an indict-
meut should be found.
Inspector Belnap visited President FL
lott today and obtained the time sheets
of all the trains IN operation on this
division of the New Haven yesterday
morning. the records Of the crews of
the two expresses and other data need
cd
'.Thcre will be complete disclosure
Of the running time of trains, at the
investigation. said the Inspector.
We are going TO the bottom thor,
oughly. All the data furnished by the
railroad will be checked up by sworn
testimony before it is accepted y
The Identification of all the victims
OF the wreck was completed tonight
when the body of q woman, known
hitherto only as "Mary Jane, - was
identified as that of Catherine Swee-
uey, IS years old. Of New York.
Survives Both Wrecks,