RE-ENACTING DISASTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2092, 29 May 1907, Page 1

RE-ENACTING DISASTER.

The French expedient of compelling a prisoner charged with murder to “reconstitute the crime” in the Ijresenee of police inspectors is similar to a device . employed by the Paris Surete Department, and the dramatic efforts of Sir Jerome in the Thaw trial three weeks ago .to rehearse the roof-garden tragedy will easily be recalled (says the New fork correspondent of the .Daily TelejdSifaph). But an attempt which is shortly to be made in tlio suburbs of New York, to re-enact a railway disaster, is extremely novel and extremely -American. On February 16th disaster befell thp iiew elect ric express bn tlie- North .1! a item river line, when the train left the track and twenty-seven lives were lost and 147 persons were injured. Every physical condition surrounding the wreck will be reproduced, and even the human element will be present. For the same hand that held the controller qn tlio fatal night will drive a duplicnto pair of electric locomotives around the same fatal curve at tlie same rate of speed, with tlie same weight of cars tearing along behind, the s.ame weight q£ passengers, calculated pound by pound with sandbags, to make up the balance, if not enough intrepid human beings are found to accept the invitation of the NbW Yqrk Central Railroad and the State Railroad Commission. Judging from appearances there will bo few sandbags, because most of the company’s railway officials have volunteered to be aboard the replica of the ill-fated train. Tlio sole idea is to find out what is wrong with the Now Y'ork Central’s new electricallyequipped roadbed.