The Detroit times., 1915-07-20

tomobile. The crossing Is safe
enough II people are careful"
do you drive an auto yourself?"
asked Attorney +. b. Brown, repre-
senting the Pere Marquette railroad.
mo: I'm scared OF EN-" was the
reply.
Mr.. Williams promised 70 take a
look at the Green-ave. sign the next
time he was out that way. to see
whether II was In need Of repaint'
Ing.
Fred Germer. engineer In charge
OF the train that ran down the motor
car, told graphically OF the crash.
He didn't see the automobile until
after the collision, he said. but the
fireman had seen the auto coming
from his side OF the engine and had
called out
There's an auto trying to get
across and can't make IT,.
What did you dor"
II applied the brakes and grabbed
the whistle at the same time. and
stopped in about 500 feet. little
more than train length"
do you consider that good
stop" Queried Mr.. Keidan.
Yes. sir"
How fast were you going?"
"As nearly as I can Judge about
Is miles an hour"
Don't you know that, as a matter
OF fact a train running Is miles an
hour can be stopped in $50 feet?"
/ g. ha oEiIAnd a
little?"
Ibid you use any sand?"
IL don't remember"
Previously Germer had said that
his usual speed in leaving the city
was about 20 miles an hour, but this
depended on conditions. On this par
ticular occasion he was going slow
er. he said, for the train was on time
and there was no special occasion
for any greater speed.
There was nothing In his rule
book. he said. that forbade him to
| blow his whistle at all crossings In
| the city limits, but II had always
been understood that the whistle
| was not to be used in the city. His
bell was ringing at the time OF the
accident. he testified. as II always
Is except when the train Ia making
protracted stop. His bell, like all
those on all modern engines. oper-
ates automatically with air.
Witness said he had been In the
company's employ for 35 years.
Harry Wellman. OF Bay City, hre-
man on the Pere Marquette train,
followed his engineer on the stand.
| He swore that their rate OF speed
was only Is miles an hour-he was
very definite about tat the time
OF the crash. But in leaving the sta
, ton they had shot down the viaduct.
which Is about a mile long accord
ing to his estimate. at a speed OF
between 30 and 40 miles an hour.
Wellman said he saw, the auto
approaching when 1t WAS about IS
feet from the track, and that 1t APP
peared to be slowing down for a stop
at the crossing. After reaching the
crossing IL came TO full stop, and
then started ahead again. II was
then that he shouted q warning to
the engineer, but the next instant
came the crash.
"why didn't you tell the engineer
when you first saw the carr" Well
man was asked.
II had no Idea there was going
to be an accident. Machines often
come to a sudden stop just before
they reach the track and the driv-
ers give US the hee-haw as we pass"
AZ bearing on the fact that the
train went TO Solvay-ave. and be-
yond, a very long block. before COM
Ing TO a stop. the interesting fact
that the sand apparatus failed to
work was brought out.
Patrolman Robert Benson testified
as to the position Of the train after
the accident and other details Of
the tragedy. The inquest was ad-
| tcurned at 1915 until Tuesday
morning, at $3.50.