The Great Strike on the 'Q' Part 8

Only under emergencies? Yes, sir.

You would not say generally it is a wise thing for a railroad to do; would you? I would say under circ.u.mstances such as we were left in there it was a wise thing for us to do.

I ask you generally? If I had time to make a thorough examination of a man I certainly would do it.

William H. Pearce, a witness called on behalf of the C., B. & Q.

railroad company, being first duly sworn, was examined in chief by Mr. Dawes, and testified as follows:

Q. What is your name? A. William H. Pearce.

What is your business? a.s.sistant engineer of tests in the C., B. & Q.

State under what circ.u.mstances you took this engine on the 27th day of February last? Upon learning of the strike, I, with several other young men, signed a letter to Mr. Rhodes offering to go out in any position which they should deem it advisable. I was detailed by the Master Mechanic to go to Mendota and take that train to Fulton, with the understanding that I was to have a pilot; we struck the train; we had as pilot the roadmaster. We left Mendota five minutes late, and we were about six minutes late when I first see the St. Paul train.

How far was that out of Mendota, do you remember? It was somewhere about in the neighborhood of sixty miles.

You had lost a minute in sixty miles, had you? Lost a minute in running sixty miles.

Who were with you on the engine beside the roadmaster? When we started out of Mendota there was only Mr. Chapin, the civil engineer of the Chicago Division, and the roadmaster, Mr. Seegers, and a machinist who came from the Aurora shop. After leaving Garden Plain, which is the last stop before arriving at the crossing, the conductor also came on the engine.

Were you familiar with that division, had you ever run over it before? No, I never knew it; I never run over it at all.

Now state, Mr. Pearce, how this accident occurred. We were going along, I should judge, about forty-five miles an hour. I will preface it by saying that the roadmaster was very careful all the way coming up, and I had no reason whatsoever to fear any lack of duty in warning me of any such place; we were going about forty-five miles an hour, and I had to look out for my water; it was getting a little dark; we were going west; of course it cast a shadow and I could not see the water gla.s.s; after losing a little time that way I tried my gauge c.o.c.ks; when I got through with that I looked up and I saw this St. Paul train; that is the first intimation I had of the crossing.

What did you do then? I shut off and put on the brakes.

Right off, did you? Yes, sir.

You struck this train as described? I struck a train; yes.

Did you do everything in your power to prevent that accident? Yes, sir; I don't see how I could do anything more.

Commissioner Rinaker: Tell exactly what you did do? A. I shut off and put the air on.

How far were you from the train, in your judgment, when you did that? I should say in the neighborhood of 600 feet when I saw it, and I would say right here about the speed, that that speed, down grade, would require about a thousand feet to stop; it has been proved by the Burlington tests.

Mr. Dawes: What became of you, do you know? A. I only know that from hearsay. I know I was knocked off the engine and they got me up; I was leaning against the drivers, they told me, laying up against the drivers; the engine jumped the track, I understand; I don't know; I didn't remember anything until the next morning.

Is your sight good--your eyesight? Yes; I think my sight is normal, with my gla.s.ses.

You can see at a distance, can you, as well as ordinary individuals? I think so.

In reference to your hearing? Well, I am hard of hearing in a room, but I am not hard of hearing on an engine.

Had you received any warning before coming to this crossing, as far as you remember of it? No.

It is fair to say that the roadmaster says he warned you; I say that in justification of him. He says he did.

You did not hear any notice; that is what you swear, isn't it? I did not hear him.

Are you, in your own judgment, from your education and experience, both in study and on the road, capable of running a locomotive engine? On such a train as that, yes; it is a branch road, and there are comparatively few trains; I would not care about going on a main line.

Cross-examination by Mr. Sullivan: Who was the pilot who was furnished you? A Mr. Seegers, the roadmaster.

Can you not hear without putting your hand up? I don't wish to be offensive, but I want, as a matter of fact, to find out. Not in that tone. I can hear, yes; but I can hear better by putting it up, as anyone could reasonably argue; probably you can yourself. It is not necessary to do that where there is any noise or confusion going on.

Could you have heard a notice to stop, or a notice that there was a crossing, if Seegers had given it to you? I would have heard as well as any other person.

Then you would have heard him if he gave such an order or gave such information? You are very well aware of the fact you have to speak more or less loud on an engine to anyone.

Did anyone speak more or less loud to you as to notify you that there was a crossing there, and that you should stop 400 feet from it? No.

Did you notice the crossing board on the Quincy road? I did not.

There is a board 400 feet from that crossing, four or five feet in height?

Mr. Dawes: Who says there is a board there?

Mr. Sullivan: I will show there is by another witness.

Mr. Dawes: There may be, but I have not heard anybody say so yet.

Mr. Sullivan: How long would it have taken you to bring that train to a full stop, running at the rate of forty-five miles an hour?

When I say how long, I mean in distance; at what s.p.a.ce from that crossing should you have attempted to bring it to a full stop in order to stop it? A. If I knew the crossing?

How long would it take a train to stop? It would take in the neighborhood of 1,000 feet.

You could not have stopped it at the rate of speed you were running if you had noticed it at the 400 feet distance? No, sir.

When you got out of the cut was any information given to you that it was necessary to stop there? I received no information. The first intimation I had was the sight of the train.

Mr. Sullivan: Was there an engineer on the cab with you at the time? Yes, sir.

Wasn't that engineer who was on the cab at that time held responsible for it? He was.

When you were held responsible for it you never in your life run an engine that length before, did you? No, sir.

If you had been working at the engine-house, and there was no such emergency as this, would you have considered yourself competent to do it? Not on a road in which I was entirely unfamiliar.

You were entirely unfamiliar with this, were you not? I was entirely unfamiliar.

Did you shut off steam before you saw the Milwaukee train? No, sir.

How far was it from you when you did shut off the steam? Fifty or sixty feet.

Did you reverse the engine? No, sir, I did not. With a well designed driver-brake there is no benefit in reversing the engine.

Did you bring the lever down in front? No, sir.