The New York herald., 1876-12-21
A MISPLACED SWITCH.

DANGEROUS cokLIsIoN ON THE ELEVATED
| RAILROAD TWO MEN INJURED - NOBODY
| KILLED.
Through the gross and criminal carelessness OF .
switchman an accident occurred yesterday afternoon
the Elevated Railroad which only the kindly inter-
vention OF Providence prevented from resulting in
serious loss OF lie The PAS down train from Fifty
ninth street and the 2:52 up from the Battery
colded at six minutes past three p NJ. just above
vandam street, the siding running from vandam 10
Houston street 1t appears that the swiichman twho
had up to late hour last evening euded the search OF
the poioel had misplaced the switch at vandam street.
Instead placing switch for up that the
latter should move up the main track IL turned
toward the siding. Hence, whilo the down train was
coming down upon the siding, the up train instead Of
moving straight up on the main track glided of upon
the siding and at distance of about nfty feet above
Vandam street the two trains collided with tremen-
dous force. Each train consisted OF engine and
two cars In the down train about twenty -lvo
passengers, several ladies' and children, and the up
train full There were quite a number OF old
| ladies' IN both trains.
A REMARKABLE scExE
| AS the two trains met with laundering crash a
long shrek OF up from the cars while the
passers by In Greenwich street underneath stood
rooted to the spot mortal fear that the swayng
should fall over their heads AS they rccov-
their they for their and gave the
Elevated Railroad wide berth. Meanwhile a scene
OF tho widest excitement ensued People living in
the negnDorng houses TO the windows and
out the housetops, crying to each other,
while tho shreks from the women and children in the
trains added to the confusion and general alarm
When the trains struck the passengers expected Of
course that they would be precpitated below. and
this been the there Is doubt that many would
have bccn crushed under the wrecked died
from the shock But fortunately neither train
thrown from the track. The up train moving with
greater celebrity than the down train the latter
nurled back for distance. officer Hart tho
Eighth precinct. who happened to be The spot at
the time, stated that the engine Of the down tram
which was in its rear, uncoupled by the Shock
and shot back as Tar nearly Leroy street, but This
is denied by employees OF the company
lNJuREp.
The fireman OF the up train, James +. Jehn, heard
and thinking that all lost he madly capcd down
TO the roadway where he was soon after picked up
unconscious by tho police carried TO the Eighth
cinct station house and thence removed in ambu-
lance his residence. No. IA St Marks place John
Bladscy, the conductor OF tile down train stand
Ing on the platform and thrown back with great
force nurlng his lett shoulder and legs, while the
engineer Garrett Briggs, was hurt in the ribs. Other
employ es also sustained slight Injuries.
TRoUBLAsoAE DESCENT.
In the cars the greatest CONSERVATION prevailed,
even after the immir cnt danger oil being precptated
below had passed of. The crash hau completely
smashed the engine OF the up train and the steam,
which had luckily been let OF ~ the engineer hiied
the nearly su1ocaon Several OF terrified
women tainted, and, according 10 the statement
OF the several children also swooncd away
and vomted from fright At the first all had
eaped from their seats 10 themselves, but
thrown thor faces several sustained ght cuts
ana bruises which, however were not us enou
to be reported at the police station But steam
filled the cars the men smashed in the windows,
thus cutting thor hands, and some who werc more
frightened than the rest proceeded to jump the
platforms, and would probably have done had not
Oicer Hart halloed 70 them to keep still in the cars
lu6A ho fnfc chadn nfnka
HELP FkoM THE PUBLIC.
Sergeant Reilly OF the Eighth precinct arrived in a
few minutes with posse Of about fifteen men, and
with the aid of ladders the lucky pms
sengers who had SO providcntiaily escaped only
death but even serious INJURY. came down with slow
and trembling steps. 1t was no slight TASK to bring
down Of the old ladies children who had
tainted away from fright ana who were palo as ashes
and quivering In every limb; and the great crowd OF
curious sighseers and street roughs which had
while gathered, as well as the intense cold, by no
means added TO the pleasures Of their situation But
the fright not confined to the women aud chill
dren-even the s,urdiest were thoroughly scared
and they shook themselves aud stole away could
easily be that they had experienced pam
full sensation Of mortal fear which they yet got
quite Carriages quickly fetched 10 remove
tho ladies and their children all pas
ssngers soon lett the scene OF tho accident
The nelghborhood renamed the scene of consider
able EXETER throughout the afternoon The sight
OF the wrecked engine OF the up train, which had
crashed INTO The track and which for some time Kent
spoutng forth steam and water, and Of the battered
engine and platform OF the down train in the rear,
seemed afford the crowd great satisfaction, for they
down from Fifty-ninth street the employees Of
the two trains down report the facts OF tho
collision to Mr.. Wayman, The superintendent All,
with the exception OF Jehn, well enough ap-
pear at the office Of the company, where they gave
doeiul account Of what had happened Mr.. Cowlng,
the secretary, promptly declared that the criminal
swtchman would lose his head, but this worthy
individual who seemed to be nameless-ior none
of the officials or employees knew his name-iailed to
appear, and nobody could tell whether he drunk
or absent at the time. Mr.. Cowng promised thar the
matter should be fully Investigated and all the parties
who were TO blame should be forthwith dismissed
sRcOND PARTY TO BLAME.
1t appears that not only the swtchman Is 10 blame
but also the engineer OF the down tram Garry Briggs
The down should have waited motionlcss upon
the siding until the up train had passed up; but the
engineer evidently determined to pass down from
the siding the instant the train had cleared it,
and hence the down tram was moving Gown upon the
track only few fcct from tho switch and thus when
the collision occurred both trains were in motion.
Had the down train remained stationed further up on
tho sliding the up train might have been stopped,
at least sackcncd and the force Of the collision
lesscncd
CONDITION JEIN.
Jehn, the fireman, wns examined by Surgeon Cook
at the Eighth precinct police station found 10
have sustained serious internal injuries He said that
he could not recoect anything beyond the agonized
exclamation of the engineer, My God" aud that
the he took his perilous leap to the ground he
became unconscious.
Up 10 a late hour workmcn were engaged removing
the debris of The crushed car There
interruption in the travel on the Elevated Railroad,
trains after the accident seemed be lust as
crowded ever although the occurrence OF the
dent became known at all the stations and was
the theme OF much animated comment. The com.
pany's pecunary loss is slight and docs not exceed
$4,000
MORE RING THIEVES.