New Britain herald., 1914-07-25
1 WESTPORT WRECK INQUIRY RESUMED
Witnesses Examined as to Which
 Car Had Right Of Way.

Car Had Right Of Way.
 EmPLOYES CLAIM POWER WAS LOW Trolley Company Inspector Says He
 Examined Line on Night of Accident
 and Found Good Power and Sig
 nal Lights Burning Brightly.
 Westport, July 25.-The question of which car had the right of way over the line between Westport Gen. ter signal box and the box at the Country club, was still before Coro- ner Phelan today upon the resump- tion of his inquiry into the trolley wreck here of Wednesday in which four persons of Sunday school pic nic party lost their lives. Employees who were on cars which were run ming between Norwalk and Westport were the witnesses. Charles Heidler of Norwalk, a motorman but who was acting as a conductor on car 29O which was following the car No. 294 which was run into said that he saw lights burning in the Country club signal box as he approached this switch. He said he saw Nadin mo- torman of No. 294 go to the signal box and insert his key in the Nor walk side of the box. He assumed that he exchanged lights although he did not actually see him turn the key. He said that the lights in the box burned dimly indicating to him that the power was low. Heidler said his car was following Nadin's car about 500 feet distance, and the speed was about ten or twelve miles an hour. The cars kept the same spacing on the run from Norwalk and he judged that the speed was the same on both for this reason. The witness did not see Cook, con- ductor on Nadin's car at any time on the ruin after they started so he could not tell in which position Cook rode. The witness said that the lights at Peet's Swamp switch which is west of the Country club switch were burning low when the cars reached it and he thought the power must be low. A8
 Inspector Dunn Testifes.
 Richard Dunn of Norwalk, an in- spector for the trolley company, said he went over the line from Norwalk to Westport that night and there was
 good power and the signal lights burned brightly as usual. Peet's swamp and the Country club signal box lights burned as usual.
 Coroner Phelan asked the witness what reason he could give for such an accident as happened He said that he recollected another accident due to failure of the system. One of the lights might burn out, as often occurs in Norwalk, and this would
 make the signalling defective. The witness said that if the power that
 night had been insufficient, as some
 of the witnesses had stated, it would not have been possible to have moved the cars, and surely not at the rate of speed testified to. Clarence w.. Gray of Norwalk, a motorman on No. 29O, said that his car was following Nadin's s about 500 feet distance. Both lights were lighted at the Country club switch when his car passed He
 did not see Nadin go to the signal
 box, and did not know whether or not he did. The lights were dim, but he
 could see them at distance of twen- ty-f1ve feet, which was about the dis tance away at which his car passed the box His car was running about twelve miles an hour and he judged Nadin's went at the same speed as the cars maintained their spacing or
 about 500 feet.
 Lights Were Bright.
 John J. Dorney, conductor on the special car over from Norwalk ahead of Nadins car and following the car of Motorman Walter Smith, who tes- | tffied yesterday, said he saw the l freight car as it came to the Westport Center switch. His own car was on l the spur to be reversed for the l run back. He heard the freight car { motorman call out: "Is that your light, 1 Jack ?"-referring to the signal light l which was shining in the box l Dorney said he replied yes" Ray
 mond, the freight car motorman, re- i rlied: "All right. I'll take your l light and flag you over.'' Dorney said l his own motorman did not touch the l lights. He had no occasion to- The l lights were as bright as usual. His l car waited at the foot of the grade until the freight car climbed the hill. 1 On the way over from Norwalk ahead of Nadin's car he noticed that the l lights at the Country club were 1 bright.
 Elwell Attends Hearing.
 l At this point recess was taken It l was expected that one more witness | 1 the coroner would then adjourn his inquest to Bridgeport, resuming it l Monday.
 | Chief InsnectOr ElWell of tho nnhlio