The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-26

glass fairly showered upon him. His forohead
over his right eye was bruised. and the skin
was broken. The officer did not doubt Tint his
regulation hat saved him from as serious.
hurt rs that Of Brakeman. Mullgan's. His
hands were dressed and bandaged at the police
j. j. Davenport. who had charge OF. the
switches "a Bl at the point where tho down
train ran over from the track tGl to the point Of
collision Lfl is an intelligent American Of %,
born in Illinals. and OF considerable railroad
CNperiencc. Ho lives in comfortable home In
from bovhood, at 20S West Fifty-third street.
where he was found last evening He thought
at first that his duty to the company would re-
gure him to keep silent until the official inycs
ttgation but. upon being informed that MIR.
Onderdonk, the superintendent had given his
residence, and was not opposed to his telling
There is nothing to conceal that know Of,
q, as the company took every possible preca9',2n ion
regular switchmnn there. but was merely on
duty to relieve the regular switchman during
q conductor on the road. and was among the
first employed. ! went on the road ~ October
asi on Dec 2i fell on thg track to the STREET, !
the New York Hospital until Jan. Is. and re-
ported for inside duty Fob. o. | was given
writing to do In Mr.. brakes onice. but was re-
lieved because they wanted q man who could
work Of relieving switchmen, as l am not
ductor. II was my business to attend tho
switches nt the new CITY Hall station whore the
minutes from 6t A., NJ; until 9l A. NJ.
ness to go np to Forty, i, street IT. and re-
times | havo been required to 20 over and
relieve the switchman who has charge OF the
switches on tho down track "a b. This was
what / did to-day attended the up switch all
right and then went over to attend the others.
My work was very simple and | knew II per-
fectly. There Is always a ilagman stationed at
tho down station at Forty-seeond street tkl.
whose business 1t Is 70 stop, gil down trains lat
right TO move train until he gets the signal
from tho nagman that the track is clear There
i T. also red target, that shows which way
in full view OF both, the engineer
Of the down train and the nugman.
Whom got the signal that an NJ train was to
be switched over to the Forty-sccond street
depot track. set the switches "a ID so that tho
up tram to the depot won't oyer all right while
the down train waited tat G. for 1t to pass in
front. As soon as tho up train to the depot
passed me- over the curves, shifted the switch
train; There is n slot for tho handle Of the
switch 10 drop into when It Is In the right posi-
ton. and firmly believe that did drop the
handle into the slot The haeman must have
thought SO. too. or he had no business to signal
tho engineer OF the down train To 10 ahead {;
and 1t could not have been very far out Of place
or tho largo target would have shown It. As
soon rs shifted the switch (A). | stepped 10 the
other switch lBl and moved that all right. Then
! stepped 10 the side of the track ton the side OF
~ for tho down train To- pass. by the time the
down train had moved the length Of u ear !
cried 10 the fireman on the down train as he
came up: Stop! the switch is wrongl'
II was too late to run over and put the switch
right, because the locomotive was NJ to me
before saw the trouble. The switch was not
entirely open but Just a litic--enough 10 allow
the hangs Of the wheel OF the down train to
catch It and open It wider. called the atten-
tion OF several persons nfterwHrd To the fact
TINT tho switch lat AZ was thrown away opon. as
have moved it, or the haRman lat X would not
have signalled TO 20 ahead.and the target would
have warned tho engineer and fireman OF the
down train that the track was not straight, but
that the switch would lead their train over to
tho east side. The man on tho engine OF the
down train heard me- and reversed his engine,
or the accident would have been more serious
II you moved the switch lat Al all right. how
do you account Tor It's being out Of place p in
The only way / can account for It is that it
jumped out OF the Slot. slighty-so little that 1t
was not noticed 10y either myself, or the nag-
man, or the engineer, nor shown much hy the
target-lut vet as ! say, enough for the ilange
Of the wheel 70 catch Il and open II wider
Engineer William I. Clark, who was driving
the LOCOMOTIVE on the up train, was found look
Ing critically qt his beheaded locomotive at the
repair shops. Inst evening.
wasn't hurt IN the least" he sald: but
was shook up little. OF course" MIR. Clark IL
a thick-sct man. and II said to be one of the
coolest and most nervy engineers in tho en-
p,Oy OF the New York Elevated road. He WAS
formerly an engineer on the Long Island Rail
Il was backing up" he said. whom requested
10 relate his experience; that is "a we can't
TURN our thElUfn hfouNis W. nave % UNke u
return trlp driving the engines backward. !
saw The down train standing nj the depot Mt
Forty-second street, and had Just shut on
steam and put on the brakes for my own stop
NJ the same station. saw the down train start
along and remember looking along the track
10 see II the Grand Central switch was all right
Tor my train. II was; just then | saw
that tho down train locomotive was on
tho switch. and making for my train.
| put on my brakes full force. nut
i WIS still going ~ sufficient headway
10 maze stop impossible. The other train. AS
IL had lust started. had made no headway TO
speak Of. for the switch isn't seventy-nve feet
from tho depot. saw that II WASH any use
there was going 10 be meeting ana braced
up Tor IT, Being NJ Tie back OF my engine. that
is. at the part exposed TO tho other engine.
didn't know what might come OF II. but had
no thought OF leaving the cab. | could have
stopped my train II | had had htty feet leeway.
Then there came the bump and ms my train
was going faster than the other that bounded
back. There wasn't more favorable place on
the road for train to leave tho track than that
WAS, and II shows now diilcult II is to derall
train. The roof Of the ear next 10 my engine
struck the smoke stack md Knocked II on. and
crashed in piece OF the door Of the smoke
box. There was little other damage done Tho
engine can be on the road IN day or two all
right My train stopped IN minute or less,
nnd then knew that no very serious damage
had been done. shall take an engine to-
morrow, and run ne usual;
waited road said that Mr.. Clark was entirely
without fault in the matter. Tho switch on the
up line on which he was running was all right.
and he slowing his train according tO the