The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-12
BLOCK signals Not Advisable.

He wanted to know II the board OF d.
rectors mad taken action looking to the
ms IllatiOn OIL the elevated lines Of block
signals such az are used Ia the subway.
Mr. Belmont said the matter mad been
discussed and the conclus Oh reached tina;
such signals We're not advisable on the
elevated road.
Mr.. Shonts WAS queried In regard to his
subUrdlnsues. There was AR Ross OF the
purchasing department The Coroner
wanted TO know II Mr. Ross got $780, a
year Nj ShOuts waved the query aside.
DO We need To 20 into salaries" lie
protested AS a matter of fact he doesn' t
get anything like that. hope YOU won't
put ideas like that iuuo his head. He's a
good man"
Il was faulty motor that was in
directly responsible for the accident and
Mr.. Shonts was asked about the need for
more frequent inspection. lie said he
wasn't In favor of running motors that
need repairing at every station" and that
he believed the company had provided
enough men 10 detect and repair defects
in equipment
Mr.. Shonts added his approval of Mr.
1 Hedley's work TO that given by Mr.. Bel
mont. Coroner Riordan asked II Mr..
Shonts's approval included such matters
! as sending out the train which caused the
accident and commented on there having
been no one AT the South Ferry station.
where the trouble was first discovered. 10
receive report before the train was sent
on It's fatal Journey He also inquired
about telephone through which the CON
ductor might have reported the trouble
Mr. ShIrts said there was a telephone
within 800 feet OF where the train stopped
at South Ferry ana added sharply:
We do have telephone on the plat
| form, but We don't have one every ten OF
| fifteen feet"
| referring TO another part Of the some
what involved query he said
Should a man take IA chance? Ger
tainly not. lie should know what he's
doing"
Mr. Shonts described the switch ana
track lights At ll6th street and said the
red lights on the rear OF train were sup
posed 10 protect IL from following trains
The lights constituted no protection in
this case" suggested the Coroner.
NO. was the reply, because the man
wasn't on his job az the rules require"
He insisted, as had Mr. Hedley before
HIM, that under the conditions-the train
was being operated from the fourth car
The rules require that the conductor shall
be on the front platform OF the first car.
There were a number of questions 40
10 whether the board OF directors Of the
marlborough makes frequent trips over
the line and II the members are Informed
about matters such as the placing OF
Nh Shonts. lie replied
The distribution of duties and re-
spousbiltties Is that upon which great
organizations are built up. 1t il a novel
dea to me- that the board OF directors
should know Of a lamp being placed on a
certain platform
TO which Coroner Rordan responded
| 'ln my opinion IL Is not too big a Job
for the board OF directors TO see thar a
lamp is placed on cortaiu platform"
MIR. Hsdley had testified of matters
more directly associated with the acct
dent. He said he approved OF the run
ming Of trains from tho fourth car when
necessary and described the duties OF
tho conductor
$4,000 Day for Operation.
After he had testified that the operat-
ing expenses OF the company are from
$4,000 TO $4,000 day he was asked
why the elevated road did not use steel
cars. He said that such cars are too
heavy for the elevated and that structure
would have 10 be rebuilt in parts to carry
steel cars. All OF the pier structure OF
! thu Sixth avenue line would have TO be
taken down and rebuilt, he said,
The Coroner switched from the ele-
waited 10 the subway TO inquire why all
| OF the subway cars were not built OF
cause when the subway was built "uhs
| all steel passenger car was unknown
He asked II the inquiry was an In
! vestlgatton OF tho elevated or the sub
way, and the Coroner. saying the point
| was we'll taken. went back to queries
about elevated road sidlngs Mr.. Hedley
| said that no additional sidingS were
| needed,
Asked II the crippled train which
crashed into the other at il6th street
could not have been put out of service
\ at the Rector street siding, lie said
Yes. but the dispatcher would have
: got himself into trouble II he had ordered
, n out, ms Il was not necessary"
! Mr.. Hedley testified in regard TO motor
inspection and said that in a year there
had been only thirty-four irregularities
I'm II ,OOO, 900 responses OF the motors OF
| the road.
The inquest will go on to-day at
| o'clock.
.Dunrn TN TT A VIM n ID nuJC