Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-02
GREEN MOTORMAN
HELD FOR WRECK
ON BROOKLYN 81"
Death List %; New Driver Just
Employed Was Taking Place Of
Striker; Cars of Wood
GOING AT 3O-MILE SPEED
By Associated Press To Every Evening
Lewis the motorman Of the
wrecked train admitted To me
that this was his first run over the
road He said he was going 30
miles an hour. Navor of New
York,

New YORK. Nov. 2. With the death
toll placed NJ * hv the Brooklyn police,
rigid investigations were under way to-
dav by the Public Service Commission,
District Attorney Lewis of Kings county,
aud Magor Iiylan TO determine the blame
for the wreck last night Of a Brighton
Beach train of the Brooklyn Rapid Trans
II Company IN the Malbonc street tunnel,
Brooklyn
Yestcroays 3 strike cf motormen and
motor sWitchrnen Of the company. which
WIS coinfidenf with the tragedy. VAS
settled during tin carly morning hours,
company officials agreeing to rcinstatc
twer,t y-une discharged union employees
The company previously had refused to
ohcy tie order nf he War Labor Board
and take back the mon
Interest ~ the Investigations cent red
on William Lewis. mOtorman of the III
iated tram Who was arrested on 4 charge
81 hgnlciie ~ his home early today.
after nc had fed from the scene IN terror
Mayor lIylan, Who visited Lewis III ihe
tlatbush police station soon after his
arrest issued tins statement
uoToHNaS's : FIRST TRIP ON ifNE
Lewis admitted ~ me tina. tins was
his first run over tho road He SAID he
was going thirty miles m hour NJ man
should be allowed to run i train without
at lenst three months training
President Timothy : Williams, II the
transit company. asserted that although
Lewis was n motor switchman he vas 4
trained man and capable of running i
tram Lewis was pressed INTO service
sterdaY, It was said, on account of the
strike
Another phase Of today's Investigation
that attracted interest vas the fact that
the trnin Of FIVE cars was composed IF
wooden cars, declared to he at least TWEEN
tv-fiye years old Most II the cars were
reduced tn sIdinters The Public Service
Commission ordered the company To re-
place lts antiquated wooden rolling stock
with steel several months ago. but The
company contended war conditions made
II impossible.
Identification of the dead, the majority
OF whom were local residents progressed
j slowly at the norgue today. Many vie
TINS were 50 badly mutIlated that ldentI-
ficatlon was almost impossible More than
100 persons were injured IN the crash. ac-
cording to police estimates, and Il was
believed some Of these will die
CRY 5 WORST TRAFFIC Dis AsrER
All during the rught thousands were
attracted To the scene of thc disaster,
the greatest traffic accident IN The clty's
history Hundreds of ANXIOUS men and
women IN search Of relatives went 70 police
stations. where the bodies were taken.
The bodies later were removed - the
klngs county morgue
The striking employees OF me transit
company returned 70 work ;oIa. and
traffic on the BROOKLYN subway and eie-
waited lines vas restored 10 normal.
Regret was expressed by the men that
their attempt to force settlement from
the company has resulted, Indirectly IN
the Wreck
nder the terms OF settlement the com
l,anY agreed II relnstate the discharged
union employees with their seniority rights
In case OF further disagreement. II vas
mutually agreed 10 submit the differences
to the Public Service Commission. Fhe
company also agreed to enrr INTO Al
agreement with union officials concerning
better working conditions.
II Was reported that h citizens COM
mlttee Was being organized to ask the
government to assume Federal control Of
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
ACCUSED MoToKMAN AKRAIGNEr.
William Lewis, the tram dispatcher
pressed INTO service rs a motorntn, and
Samuel Russot, q guard on the train,
were arraigned in police court today on
charge OF homicide and We're held for
examination on Thursday The magis-
tratc refused to grant a request made by
an attorney for the transit company that
the defendants be admitted to bail
Lewis told Mayor Hylau and the dis
trict attorney today that he went 70.
work lt ) o clock Yesterday morning Us s
train dispatcher aud that ut 80 IN the
afternoon he WAS assigned Is = motor
man on the brighton Peach line. being
i willing. after nearly twelve hours Of work
4 10 take this new job because he wanted 70
earn extra money for his family
uRAhEa FAlLED ~ WORK
" hen hi, tram vas moving down gr4dt
toward the tunnel just prior to the accI-
dent If WAS going thirty miles an hour
Lewis is alleged 10 have explained to th,
authorities. and he Was unable to lie
crease It's speed because he brakes dlo
not seem to work properly Lewis de
cIared hc rescued several women befor,
he became panic stricken and fled from
The, tunnel He is 25 wears old