The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-04
WRECKED TRAIN HAD
NO MARKER LIGHTS
New B. r. T. Witness Explains
Why the Brighton Express
Took Wrong Track.
PARTS OF A BODY FOUND
Six Employees Summoned to
Mayors Hearing-Officials
Seek Clues in Debris.

/ Mayors Hearing-Officials
Seek Clues in Debris.
! While District Attorney Harry II.
Lewis and members OF the Public Ser
vice Commission were busy yesterday
picking up all the available bits of first
hand evidence at the scene OF the b.
/ r. r. Brighton line wreck, In which, ac-
cording to the latest estimate, SIS per-
sons were killed and more than 100
seriously hurt, subpenaes were served
on six important witnesses who are to
appear to-day before Mayor Hylan In
the magisterial inquiry through which
the Mayor hopes to Ak responsibility for
the disaster
: The most important OF the new wit
nesses subpenaed Is Peter German OF
$50 Saratoga avenue, the towerman at
the b. r T. junction Mt Fulton street
and Franklin avenue, where the Ill fated
train was shunted onto the Fulton street
tracks by mistake. There appears to
have been some difficulty in locating
German. All day Saturday while the
detectives were hunting for him, II is
said, he was at the East New York d.
vision headquarters of the b. X. T. IL
was there that he was finally found by
Detectives John Mclaughlin and Albert
Campbell.
The story told by German TO the au-
thorities added further confirmation TO
the theory that Anthony Edward Lewis.
the motorman on the wrecked train. was
green hand and unqualified for tho
task to which he was assigned. AZ the
train did not show the proper marker
lights indicating that It was bound
along the Brighton Beach route, Cor
man said. he set the switches for Full
ton street, which automatically dropped
the semaphore on that side.
Had Lewis known his job. German
said. he could have told by the sema-
phore that he was on the wrong route
and he would have stopped his train at
once and signailed the towerman 10
change the switches instead Of proceed
ING down Fulton street for distance
and then backing up to the Junction as
he did.
u. II. r. Employees subpGrred.
The other new witnesses subpnnaed
are Thomas Blewitt OF $50 Seventy
nth street. south division superintend-
emit of the D. r. T.; Wilbur Lewis Of $50
. Decatur street, supervisor in charge OF
motcrmen for the line. and latter's three
assistants, James Miller OF CSC Sixtieth
= street, James Mccain OF 1903 Eleventh
avenue and John Middleton Of sS Logan
, street, all OF Brooklyn. They have been
summoned to appear at the old Kings
County Court House, 100 SchermerhorI
| street, where Mayor Hylan, exercising
, | a Mayoral prerogative. which has not
|; been invoked by the Chief Executive OF
r the city for many years. will sit as a
\ committing magistrate.
Il The fact that Mayor Hylan has de
cided to sit as committing M'ris
! tra:c in the wreck inquiry did not deter
. him from Joining in the kerry swir
, OF statement making yesterday. In al
interview he retorted hotly to the &C
: cusation by Public Service Commissions
= whitney Of taking personal and poll
y teal advantage OF the disaster" ant
p Of asking the b. r. T. for Jobs FOL
I his friends. He declared Commissions
: whltney's statement both silly ant
/ malicious. and that the Public Service
Commission had proved itself nothinl
: more than a go between through whici
n the corporations seek to seize tn
: rights OF the people"
e The Mayor also denied that he had
= any previous knowledge that the strik'
; on the u. II. r was to be called ant
h said he would ask District Attorne!
= Lewis to summon officials OF the r. r. T
/. and the brotherhood of Locomotive En-
Il gineers to prove IL. He told or various
e steps he took to stop the strike.
: wanted TO stop Green Men.
II "My first thought after Gritfing toll,
II me Il was too late" said the Mayor
n was to order policemen to every station
d to prevent inexperienced men from tax
e ing out trains. But knew II did tina
n the Il. r T. and other interests woui'
raise the cry that I was stopping IN
trains In order to win the strike
In the Mayors opinion the who e sit
nation was proof that the final solution
e was municipal ownership. The people
q. ne said, are becoming convinced tina
y only by using their priceless preroga
y. tives, instead of giving them away. cal
. genuine public service be obtained o.
n railroads"
- The Public Service Commissioners VIII
n met District Attorney Lewis at tn
: scene OF the wreck In the tunnel at Nal
bone street yesterday afternoon wer
m, Charles Hervey. +. ]. II. Kracke an
n Travis II. Whitney. They were as
=, sisted by Police Inspectors Thomas II
:. Murphy, Samuel A. McElroy, Polio
= Lieutenant Frank Finn and a gang o
a laborers.
y While the wrecking gang was workinr
n among the splintered remains OF tn
train, under the supervision Of JOSEF
e G. Conner. the expert for the lNoii
Il Service Commission, thousands OF spec
If tators watched the tedious proceeding
II from the embankment. II seemed n
d though the majority of Brooklynites ha
% altered the course OF their regular Sun
Is day afternoon walk so as to pass BY tn
II scene Of the wreck.
lie The more enterprising sightseers rod
n up and down on the Brighton Beac
is trains and stuck their heads out OF III
car windows or TANNED the car plat
r forms, fighting for a place OF vantag'
III as the trains neared the Prospect avenu
station. The caution observed In rur
ming the trains through the cut wa
4. noticeable The average speed appeare
TO be about three miles an hour in N
~ open space and about half mile a
hour through the tunnel
"A Pictures Taken of wreckREe.
= The investigators made extensive us
-. OF tape lines in measuring distances an
made copious notes OF everv detail in n
~ survey Of the wreckage. While this wa
lg going on official photographers too
e : fashlight pictures OF the wreckage II
Of use In the court proceeding. Along Il
=, tracks in the tunnel one worker four
~ several parts Of "A human body. inclu'
T. ing a woman's scalp. A gold penkni
o. and a silver vanity rag bearing Il
W monogram II. NJ. were also dug up.
NJ Perhaps the most imDortant IA