New-York tribune., 1918-11-04
Investigators for District
Attorney Check Up
Motorman's Story
Young French Girl
From Douai Victim
Disabled Car Jumps Track
in Removal, Causing
Long Tie-Up

Wreckage of the Brighton Beach
hve car elevated train was hauled
rom the death tunnel under Flatbush
Avenue at Malone Street, Brooklyn,
It dusk yesterday by B. r. 7. en-
ployes. working under the supervision
Of District Attorney Lewis and mem
pers of the Public Service Commls-
sion.
The cars were photographed by
flashlights from all angles at the d'-
rection Of District Attorney Lewis.
Experts of the Public Service Com
mission made thorough examination
Of the electric controls and air brakes
n the train. At late hour last night
heir tests Of this apparatus were not
complete, but Mr.. Lewis announced
that the air brake on the last car WAS
N working order. The fuse in the
fourth car was found to have been
blown OUT. which would have made the
brake on that car imperative. The
District Attorney said he would reveal
today the result of the air brake tests
on the three foremost cars. William
Lewis, the motor man Of the train, has
said that the brakes failed. These
tests are intended to check up his
story.
Wrecked Car Causes Tie-up
While a wrecking crew was towing
one of the demolished cars to the
b, r. T. yards it jumped the track at
I'll To- III
and the tie-up on the B. r. I. system
which resulted was still in force at
1880 p. m Power had to be shut off
and all trains on the bridge stopped
Public Service Commission inspectors
were sent to investigate.
The Public Service Commissions en-
gineers found the entire train had tel
sscoped SO that instead of measuring
$50 feet in length it only measured
225 feet
At the Brooklyn Morgue the last of
the dead was identified in the after
noon. This proved to be Miss Alire
Schwaan, French war refugee.
At the same time it was established
shat the corrected list of dead con-
tained eighty-five names, the previous
list having contained several errors
because of Implications in identieca-
ton.
Miss Schwaan had been living in 95
Lenox Road with her friends, Mrs.
Bertha Hennion and her daughter,
Emilienne, who also was killed in the
wreck. The Hennions fled from Douai
ahead of horde of spike he lmeted
German soldiers four years ago and
came to New York. Miss Schwaan. a
lifelong friend, followed eleven months
ago. She was employed in the Belgian
Consulate here, and her chum. Emili-
enne, was manager of the French de-
partment of the importing concern
Andre We'll 4 Co.
Identification Difficult
Miss Hennion was identified Satur-
day morning, but all efforts to locate
Miss Schwaan were unavailing until
yesterday, although it was known the
young women were accustomed to ride
home together each night. James II
Oliver, OF Al Winthrop Street, Brook
lyn, friend of the young women, had
been to the morgue four times
Police Lieutenant Finn, of the Po-
lice Commissioners office, said yester-
day that Oliver was loath to believe
French girl he had known. Miss An.
nette Wander Linden, another friend
of Miss Schwaan, went to the morgue
Yesterday afternoon and established ed
the identification by the blue serge
suit and the stockings of the victim.
Besides Miss Schwaan. these victims
were identified yesterday:
CHRISTINA KEMPF, 203 Parkside
Avenue.
CAROLINE LYONS, 1916 Avenue r.
SADIE MUM, 25 Rugby Road.
PASCHAL ALFARO 100 Robinson
THOMAS J. GIvNAN, 1901 Voorhees,
Avenue.
Peter German, 16o Saratoga Avenue
brooklyn, B. II. 7. tower man at Frank
lin Avenue and Fulton Street, was
round yeSter~~y by Detectives Nc
Laughlin and Campbell, Of District At
torney Lewis's staff. They told Mr.
Lewis that while the police of Brook.
lyn we're searching for German he was
staying at the East New York division
headquarters of the B. +. I. with Z
dispatcher named Egan.
Mix-up in Signals
Mr.. Lewis said German told hin
there were no signal lights on tn,
Brighton Beach train operated by Mo
torman Lewis. German explained tina
this indicated to him that the trai,
was City Line train, and he threv
the switch accordingly The Distric
The fact that the top semaphore was sc
would have indicated to an experience,
motorman that the switch was Sc
wrong for Brighton Beach train. Bu
Motorman Lewis drove ahead, and the,
had to stop his train and back it be
hind the switch.
German was subp9naed to appear a
O'Clock this afternoon in the Count
Court house. at 100 Schermerhor
Street, where the zoe Doe proceeding
ever which Mayor Hylan is presiding
are being conducted.
Besides German these employees o
the B. r. 7. were subpoenaed yester
day: Supervisor of Motormen Wilbu
Lewis, his assistants, Joseph McCan
and John Middleton, and Division Su
oerintendent Thomas Blewitt Al
were located and served by Detective
McLoughlin and Campbell