 |
| Photos of the New York Central wreck near Garrison, N. Y. |
Cortland
Evening Standard, Friday, November 5, 1897.
WRECK
INVESTIGATION.
Coroner Continues Work on the Garrison
Accident.
CLARE'S
THRILLING TESTIMONY.
Former
Boss of That Section Says There Was Always Trouble at That Place. Death List
Increased by One. Searching for Stenographer McKay.
COLD SPRING, N. Y., Nov. 5.—The second
session of the coroner's inquest into the cause of the death of the victims of
the disaster on the New York Central railroad, near Garrison, on Sunday, Oct.
24, was held in the town hall here last night. The most important testimony, as
tending to show what caused the embankment to collapse and the train to plunge
into the river, was given by Michael Clare, a former section master. His
testimony was corroborated to some
extent by two former section hands who had worked under him.
The only incident of the inquest that
bordered on the sensational was the refusal of Coroner William T. Wood, on the
advice of District Attorney J. Bennett Southward, to permit counsel for the New
York Central railroad to take any part in the proceedings.
Conductor E. O. Parish was asked some
questions as to the number of passengers on the train, and his answers showed
that at least one passenger, a Chinaman, is still missing
John M. Toucey, general manager of the New
York Central, testified:
"I reached the wreck soon after it
occurred. I found the road bed broken away for 100 feet on the down track; the
rails were in the water in a tangled condition; the cars were in the river and
the engine was out of sight. There was an oblong hole in the embankment and the
sea wall had disappeared. On the land side the edge of the hole was
perpendicular, as if cut by a knife, and I saw no indication of its being a
slide."
Michael Clare, the former section boss, was
next called. He is about 40 years old and lives at Cold Spring.
I have been a railroad man for nine years, having
worked on the New York and New England and New York and New Haven roads. I
worked for the New York
Central from Dec. 14, 1895, to July 5, 1897, and for 16 months had charge the
section between Garrison and Highlands, which included the place where the
accident occurred.
The road had consisted of gravel before the
[dressing] of rock ballast was put on. There was a retaining wall to keep the
bed in place, but some of the wall was in such condition that the stones were
constantly pushing out.
A new wall was built last fall outside of
the retaining wall for the purpose of widening the embankment and thus
straightening out the curve by throwing the tracks further out into the
river.
A part of this wall fell a month after it
was built. The wall was not rebuilt during my time. About 60 feet of this wall
fell out at one time, about 120 feet north of where the accident occurred. The
new wall was built close to the old one and some of the latter was torn to get
stone for the new wall.
I had considerable trouble with the road bed.
Some weeks the outer rails would sink below the surface line three or four
inches. I have seen it go three months
without settling and then again it would not stand for a week or two.
The embankment back of the wall was filled
in with blue clay, cinders, stone and gravel. The water at this place is from
45 to 60 feet deep. The company has dumped carloads of stones there to get a
solid foundation, but they would seem to disappear as fast as put on.
Oliver Clark, Harry Robbins and Anthony Foy
of Highlands, who formerly worked as section hands under Clare, testified that
they had at that time heard Clare say that it was the worst section of track on
the road and more men should be assigned to work on it.
The inquest was adjourned to Nov. 12, at
7:30 p. m.
In an interview General Manager Toucey said
that the wall which Clare had described was not a retaining wall, but a sea
wall, intended simply to keep the water from washing out the gravel. He further
said that the fact that the track settled was of no special significance,
because all tracks, he said, settle more or less.
 |
| Sir. Julian Pauncefote and family. |
Reopening
of the Anglo-American Treaty Issue.
BRITISH
OFFICIALS AGREEABLE.
Mr.
Julian Pauncefote Returns From London and Will Confer With Secretary Sherman on
the Subject—Will Be Allowed to Take Its Coarse.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5.—Sir Julian Pauncefote,
the British ambassador, who is just back from London, probably will confer with
Secretary Sherman at an early day concerning the reopening of negotiations of
an Anglo American treaty of arbitration. There is said to be no disposition on
either side to press the subject unduly, but rather to allow it to develop
along natural lines and responsive to public sentiment.
Mr. Sherman made known to the British authorities
some months ago that the president would view with favor a reopening of the
negotiations, and was hopeful that a peace treaty ultimately would be secured.
The British officials were much gratified at this suggestion, but no
negotiations were entered upon.
Since then Sir Julian has visited London and
has had an opportunity to learn the views of the foreign office as well as the
state of British feeling on the subject.
All the tendencies on the other side are favorable
to arbitration, although there is a general indisposition to take up the treaty
question as long as there is a chance that it would meet the same fate as the
Olney-Pauncefote treaty.
As a result of that treaty an arbitration
league has been formed throughout England, its aim being to bring about a peace
treaty between that country and this.
While Sir Julian was in London he was called
upon by Mr. Creamer, the member of parliament who has been foremost in advocating
arbitration, and who visited the United States on that mission. Mr. Creamer is
as hopeful as ever that arbitration between the two countries will be secured.
Airship
That Will Sail.
BERLIN, Nov. 5.—The Schwarz aluminum
airship, fitted with a benzine motor, was tested on the Tempelhof field in the
presence of a number of generals and the chief of the army airship department.
The airship rose 100 feet, floated in the
air for 12 minutes and at first obeyed the man steering it. But later he was
unable to steer it against the strong wind which prevailed.
The experiment was considered to be partly
successful.
PAGE
TWO—EDITORIALS.
Expurgating
"Les Miserables."
For downright intellectual illumination
commend us to the Philadelphia school board. What it does not know about the
proper kind of books for a girls' high school nobody need want to know. The principal
of the girls' high school presented a list of textbooks for the approval of the
intelligent board.
Among them
was an edition of Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables." The great Frenchman's
masterpiece had been abridged and specially prepared for school use, but the
Philadelphia board did not even know that. They had heard somebody say
"Les Miserables" was a naughty, naughty book. The board members
mostly had not read the book themselves, whether because they were too virtuous
or too stupid does not appear. One of them said in open meeting that the story
was too "shocking" for anything. Judging from their subsequent
action, a majority of the members had not even heard of "Les
Miserables," but when they heard this man say it was shocking they voted
against it on general principles.
The story got into the newspapers, those
terrible foes to the peace of mind of respectable citizens who make a bad break
and don't know it. First a stare, then a broad grin, then a peal of laughter
rippled even through Philadelphia until finally it percolated the dense skulls
of the enlightened school board that something was wrong. Then they met and
agreed to permit the expurgated "Miserables" to appear on their list.
Somebody ought to prepare an expurgated
edition of the family almanac for those nice old gentlemen, the Philadelphia
school board.
[Cortland]
Vital Statistics.
Health Officer W. J. Moore submits the
following report of vital statistics for the month of October:
Total deaths 10—males 6, females 4; social
condition—single 2, married 5, widowed 3; nativity—United States 10; ages—under
one year 2, between thirty and forty 2, between forty and fifty 3, between
seventy and eighty 3; causes of death—epilepsy 1, paralysis l, consumption 2,
pneumonia 1, disease of the stomach 1, Bright's disease 1, lack of development
1, peritonitis 2; birth's 12—males 7, females 5; marriages 6.
HARE AND
HOUNDS.
Special
Run to be Made from the Y. M. C. A. Saturday Afternoon.
A harrier's run, taking the form of a hare
and hounds chase, will be started from the Y. M. C. A. rooms Saturday afternoon
at about 3 o'clock. The hares will be Capt. E. H. Richards of Harrier's club
and one whom he will choose. The two young men will go in any direction which they
see fit, scattering bits of papers every few steps to give the scent. The rest
of the club, constituting the hounds, will be turned loose upon the chase ten
minutes later, and will follow the scent, tracking the hares over a course
which is intended to be about three miles long back to the Y. M. C. A. rooms.
If the hounds return in less than ten minutes after the arrival of the hares
the victory belongs to them. If they have failed to make the run in as quick
time as did the hares and they have consumed more than their handicap of ten minutes
the victory belongs to the hares.
DELIGHTFULLY
ENTERTAINED.
Tea and
Whist at the Home of Mrs. G. A. Brockway, Homer, N. Y.
Mrs. George A. Brockway delightfully entertained
a company of about fifty Cortland ladies at her handsome home in Homer last
night. The party went up on a special car leaving Cortland at 5:30 o'clock, and
upon the regular car which followed the special. The house was brilliantly
lighted and gave a remarkably pretty effect within and without.
As the ladles approached, the doors were
thrown hospitably open by Mrs.
Brock
way's oldest son, William N. and they were cordially received by the hostess.
A very elaborate and delicious supper was
served at once. Each lady found at her plate a chrysanthemum as a souvenir, and
the decorations of the rooms were also of yellow and white chrysanthemums.
Progressive whist followed the supper. There
were twelve tables of players and twenty-four hands were played. The first and
second prizes were awarded to Miss Marguerite Force and to Mrs. Dorr C. Smith,
respectively. They were a beautiful piece of hand decorated china and a
handsome china candlestick.
At 10:30 o'clock the ladies took the special
car again and returned home.
AN
IMMENSE HORNET'S NEST.
It Was
Genuine, the Hornets Were There, but Chloroform Did Them Up.
There is a large hornet's nest in the drug
store of C. F. Brown. This is not a figurative expression, but tells the exact
truth. Mr. W. F. DeCoudres of McLean was in town yesterday, and left at the
store a hornet's nest which measured 15 inches in length and 11 inches in
circumference. Mr. DeCoudres found it in an apple tree on his farm. After the
nest had been in the store for some time, the hornets began to swarm out, and
for some time consternation reigned supreme among the clerks. But a liberal use
of chloroform quelled the disturbers of the peace.
BREVITIES.
—The Kindergarten dancing class meets
to-morrow afternoon at 2 P. M. in
Empire
hall.
—Cortland sportsmen are having good success
in shooting gray squirrels and partridge these fine days.
—The members of Zion A. M. E. church served
a clam supper in Collins' hall last night which was well patronized.
—The Woman's Relief corps will give its
annual samp and milk supper Saturday evening, Nov. 13, in Grand Army hall.
—Druggist C. F. Brown has the contract for
furnishing chemicals and laboratory supplies for the Normal school for the
year.
—The many friends of Mr. George W. Wolcott,
who has been seriously ill with pneumonia, will be pleased to know that he is
improving.
—Jas. F. Costello is acting janitor at
Fireman's hall and superintendent of the fire alarm system until the
appointment of a superintendent to succeed Mr. Bickford.
—New display advertisements to-day
are—Bacon, Chappell & Co., Blankets, page 8; Palmer & Co., Keep Warm,
page 4; Baker & Angell, Something New in Shoes, page 6.
—The New York State association of School
Commissioners and Superintendents, which was this week in session in Saratoga,
has selected Binghamton as its place of meeting next year.
—Train No. 122 of the Elmira & Cortland
branch of the Lehigh Valley going west, jumped the track at the Van Etten
crossing this afternoon throwing Conductor Peter Harman from the platform and
breaking his left leg.—Ithaca Journal.
—The Bessie Morton Co., supporting Baby
Blossom, which begins a week's engagement at the Opera House on Monday night,
Nov. 8, will on that evening present for its opening the well known and popular
play "Hazel Kirke," instead of "Little Nugget," as previously
announced. The latter will come later on the week.
HOMER.
Gleanings
of News From Our Twin Village.
HOMER, Nov. 5.—Mr. Geo. Wolfe, of Wilkes
Barre, Pa., arrived in town yesterday afternoon and will be employed in the
studio of G. E. Priest on Main-st. Mr. Wolfe comes here highly
recommended as an artist.
Mrs. Chas. Bates of Elm-ave. left this
morning for Syracuse where she will spend two weeks visiting among relatives.
Mr. H. H. Smith of Syracuse was in town on
business this morning.
Among those who left for the Salt City this
morning were Messrs. A. H. Bennett, Chas. Barber, Harry Barber, and C. O.
Newton.
The New York papers of yesterday contained
an account of the suicide of
Thomas B.
Schali of Baltimore, who is well known here, having bought cabbage and produce
for many years. Mr. Schali committed suicide by shooting himself. He had been
affected by melancholia for some time and his health for the past year had been
unusually poor and he had suffered much.
The century's greatest marvel, the animotiscope
under the management of
Frank T.
Percy, will be exhibited at Academy hall this evening under the auspices of the
Homer academy. This is the first appearance of this wonderful invention in this
town. Nature in all its activity, beauty and life is truthfully depicted upon
the canvas.
The Young Men's club has in consideration the
Brown block on Wall-st. for its home and expects to soon make a lease of same.
The club now has nearly fifty active members and many more are carefully considering
the subject of becoming members. The work has been started and with a little
aid and the determination of the young men to make it a success it is a
certainty that inside of a month Homer will have a Young Men's club of which it
will be justly proud.
The Rev. L. J. Christler will deliver a discourse
this coming Sunday evening which every Homerite should hear. His theme will be
"The young men of our village, what are they, their advantages."
A series of special revival meetings are in
progress in Salvation Army hall every night except Monday at 8 o'clock. The
hall has been thoroughly cleaned and is well lighted, heated and ventilated. A
good work is being done among those out of church and out of Christ. Captain
and Mrs. Brice, new arrivals from Buffalo, are in charge.
The Homer academy football team has arranged
for a game with the gashouse terriers of Cortland to be played to-morrow at 3
o'clock.
No comments:
Post a Comment