The sun., 1873-02-19
ANOTHER RAILWAY CRASH.
a RUNAWAY LOCOMOTIpE ON rim
HUDSON RIVER ROAD.


-
The Terrible Crime OF u Freight Train r..
einrcr-Tbs Almost Miracuisus Pscnr, -
score Of Passeneers-A Conductor a.a
Brnkesman Killed.
At about TAO yesterday morninc soco-
motive No. R, which had drawn the early morn-
ing special train from New York 20 Yookers
was backing down the main track at that placs
IN tho turning table, and just before she rc,cb.a
the old or lower depot the engineer saw m.
switchman making the signal TO him 70 20 abead
Looking back he saw the special freight train
from New York only about 800 yards in his rear
Realizing his danger, he reversed his engine AMI
then pulled ont the lever. opening the thro,,I.
valve to its utmost extent, hoping thus To oo,.
run the approaching train. But IL was too lats
The locomotive slipped and slid for a moment.
and before her wheels took hold OF the rails tho
freight train locomotive struck her tender. al.
most lifting II over upon her, seeing which the
engineer and fireman eapsd for their lives eiso
they must have been instantly killed Tho oon-
cussion brought the freight train TO a stand
STILL but II gave an impetus to No. f, with her
throttle valve open, and with no engineer off shc
shot toward Albany, going at the rate OF SEVENTY
nve miles an hour. In less than half a irnute
she dashed past the Yonkers depot more than
half milo distant, and sped on toward Iiast-
ings, the next station.
RUNNING INTO TIE PoUGHKEEpsIE TRAIN
The I A. NJ. Poughkeepsle special train, carry.
The train was made up oftwo passenger coaches
one smoking car, and one baggage car. In the
and in the second were an elderly woman and
two girls about fourteen years OF age, Annie No
Haa nss aaa d L1p BoPp SoSs Pns rive
70 school. Conductor Cummings sicnslIed
sas upon tss fss9Ss5 fcn platform iS ass d stepped
where Mr.; Smith, the brakeman. was
the curve. about $50 yards distant. She was
under every, pound Of steam her pacity
Inclined grade OF nearly iifty feet 70 The male.
no person on the rain or AZ the depot noticed
parting train the last coach was opposite the
ticket ONCE and the crash that followed was
catcher. smoke stack, bell, and forward mount
inRs Of tho locomotive were stripped OF "a
the eas ns WAS 81 e. .p",ss nS wooa or
the after truck or wheels were afhxed, but the
heavy castings offered resistance thw saved
shock raised the forward part of the car over
four feet from the track and sent u with light
ming velocity into the ahead. The couplings
OF the train engine and baggage car were de-
tached, and that locomotive hurried OF ats
| bystanders an impression. for the moment THAI
the fugitive locomotive had plunged through
OF destruction and death.
AFTER THE CRASH
brakes were applied and the train was speedily
from the wreck through the doors and % Window nd
or rather through the large apertures where
had BEEN bruised, cut, % or injured by the ces.
cussion, but none seriously. The 6onductot
rg Sm o hs G hT Hs iss
brakeman, had been driven by the. rear car
through the splintered panels of the car in
SaSP tSe Stove hs lett n is fUo, ruin. S.
ioned In the broken floor. He begged for
| extricate him, but the telcscopcd vehicles do
fed them. The confusion was heightened bye
the shattered fragments; but axes were pro-
| cured. and the diving man WAS released before
the flames reached him. The nre was put out
! by oxtingufshers from "A sugar refinery in the
noighborhood. The rear car, fortunately being
new and strong, shielded the entire train. and,
| probably, saved a score of lives. The locomotive
demolished Ave feet of the house work ard
racked the remainder as to necessitate re build
ing The other passenger coach. having been inn
paired by several years use, was terribly
wrecked; every door, window, and seat was
displaced, and the floor and roof were battered
Ihrongs OF villagers were gathered at the
scene, aud rendered their aid to the suffering:
Cummings and Smith were sent to the hospital
In Yonl<crs in relief train from that place, and
some OF the passengers took conveyance N the
same tram, while the others were forwarded 10
I their destinations by tho uninjured cars OF the
Poughkee sic train.
| WHOSE THE FAULT.
Tho railroad officials at Yonkers say that "
ANYBODY is TO blame for this accident 1t Is the
had been on the lookout he would have seen
| the red danger signal. His train was what Is
| termed 10y railroad men wildcat thni
and IL must keep out Of the way Of
all other trains. Patrick Larkin, the switch
man at the lower depot, when the nrst collision
took place, says that his signal was right. He
saw the freight train approaching, and knowing
that the locomotive Of the Yonkers special train
was on the track, displayed the red signal. This
can be seen more than a mite from the switch
tower. The switchman says that III the engineer
had not been asleep he would have seen u,
A few minutes after one o'clock In the after
erside Hospital. Mr.. Smith, the brakeman. had
just died. A look at the body showed that ho
had received a severe confusion on the fore
head, and that his left foot had been very badly
mashed. Dr. pooley, the surgeon IN CHARGER
the hospital, thinks that the brakeman must
have been injured internally, a. the outward
injuries were not necessarily fatal.
| smith was a Young man and unmarried. Clm.
| m'ngs. the conductor was In dying condition
last evening His lip was cut, his head anu irit
arm badly bruised, and his left leg severely In.
| jured. In the opinion OF Or. Pooey he could NOT
| possibly live through the night. ,
| Late In the afternoon Coroner Meeter arrived.
He impanelled jury, and they viewe- 'ie BODY
OF Mr.. Smith.
WHAT THE RAILROAD OFFICIALS sNY
The Hudson River Railroad Com 'aGv change
the responsibility OF the accident - u Il alal,
| the engineer OF locomotive No. - N'uru ran
into locomotive No. -, because he run by he
switch signals south of Yonkers wuen they were
turned TO signal danger ahead, and also iof
running by trackmen south OF the station VINO
were giving the customary hand signals oil dAn-
ger ahead and also upon Dennis MAJOR, GU
gneer of locomotive No. -. for leaving MS
engine at time when no serious danger wss
| imminent, and leaving the zine with reNersso
| lever In the forward motion and the Urotuo
valve partly open. Both engineers have been
subpenAed TO the Coroner's inquest to-mOHo"
| afternoon.