Year: 1868

Statement Of An Eye Witness-Wretchcd Com


diti0n Of the R0nd-ROtten Cr0ssties-


COrOnerss Investigation.


At half-past four O'Clock yesterday, at Bellevue
Hospital, Coroner Rollins empaneed al jury to in
quire into the Of the death of Oscar Lobdel,
who on the afternoon Of the 18th inst. was taken
from the Long Island Railroad depot at Hunters
Point to the hospital his legs crushed, his abdomen
injured and his mouth and jaw cut and bruised in q
fearful manner.


Preliminary to giving the reader the material
points In the evidence taken yesterday afternoon IL
is, perhaps proper in this place that the following
facts should be given they received from the
father OF the deceased and news vcnder Patrick
McGovern-an intelligent boy who was on the cars at
the time OF the accident


"The tran,n said McGovern, "left the depot at
Hunters Point about fifteen minutes to four O'Clock
on Wednesday afternoon eastward bound. There
were one hundred and fifteen passengers on board,
and shortly after we had started, that is, when we
had proceeded distance Of about two miles and q
half, Oscar left the smoking and was on
the platform, about to enter the first passenger
car where was, when, without the slightest warn
ing the cars struck each other, the platforms over
tapping and tearing apart violently and In this place
Oscar subsequently found, apparently on his
knees, quite insensible, and his right check resting
In the palm OF his right hand The causen continued
McGoyern, "waS the rotten condition In which the
crosstes at the curve where the accident happened,
are The engine, striking against the rail, forced
1.-THE tie Ties TO which it is fastened being
sound-t0 move out Of Its place-that Is, the track
spread, and hence the trouble. Passengers examined
the crOssiics and declared them rotten. One gentle
man took his knife out OF his pocket, and, opening
Of its blades, plunged 1t frequently and with


into the wood 10 which the rail had been fastened.
] heard these people say that the company did not
pay proper attention To the road; that they were
negligent, Indifferent to the lives Of passcngers and
that the crosses were rotten that IL was not safe
to run trains them. Those who had charge Of the
train were blamelsss. They are cautious men. The
wood was SO rotten that tile spikes which had been
driven into them had by the jarring OF the
wheels, worked out. II the crossties were
sound and the road properly. inspected, as
1t ought to he, the accident could not have happened
II the spikes had worked up little and the timber
sound they ought to have been driven home again;
and If they were and came out when the wheels of
the locomotive struck the track, thus drawing them
out, isn't 1t clear that there was nothing to hold the
rails IN their placesf man was caught at the time


In the first passenger car and injured. He taken
to the hospital. was knocked down, but not hurt.
When we were taking Oscar across the ferry he came
to his senses and recognizing me said, pat, I'm
going, goodbye tell mother when you see her, that
I hope TO meet her in a better world lie didn't say
anything To me after that. lie died about nine
0'c0ck.U


The father OF the deceased, Walter c. LobdeII, in
private conversation stated that his boy had been in
the service for time OF l.. N. shears, agent
on the Hudson River New York Central, Harlem and
Long Island Railroads, and that 1t his business
to take papers TO the sub-agent at Hunters Point
depot &c. The boy, he added, did not like to go
railroad trains. He had been seriously frightened
once on the Hudson road where an ACCIDENT had
happened, and his employer did not therefore insist
on his going them. On the day OF his death he
dell added that he had not been able TO see
his son until yesterday afternoon, having
been away, and that he understood that
his wounds consisted OF cut on the lips
that both legs were broken and the abdomen cut
from which the bowels protruded. The boy had just
entered his seventeenth year. having been born ON the
Sd of March, 1852.


when the jury had viewed the body, the engineer
OF the road, Warren ID. Morris, was called and es-
titled substantially as follows:-


Have been a railroad engineer twelve years; was
engaged TO run q train on the Long Island Railroad
about five weeks ago; the train on which was left
the depot at Hunters Point on Wednesday last at
thirtyfour minutes past three =. NJ there three
cars; the cause OF the accident the spreading OF
the track and letting the engine or when the ac-
cident happened the engine ran about the length
OF two cars before stopped and then tipped over;
remained on the engine and put out the fire, after
which went back to where the boy lay jammed be-
tween the platform Of the smoking and first passen
ger cars and endeavored to relieve him. but II was
fully ten minutes before succeeded In extricating
him. when | had, at length, relieved him carried
him TO the rear Of the train and laid him on door
In care OF physician who happened TO be on
board; did not see him again until put
on a train TO be taken to Hunters Point;
he was able TO speak, but did not ask him
how he came to be injured for that | understood
from his position; have examined the rail- since the
accident and found that the ground In conse-
quence OF the frost coming out Of H. had swollen and
that this had caused the '.chairr In which the rail
rested to get out Of its place, the latter having
moved about a quarter OF an inch: the spike had
loOsened; the smoking car went or the track first,