New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-06

THE ENGINE OF A CROWDED TRAIN GRA2Es 10
CovoI,vE on A SIDE TRACK-TnE LATTER, DE-
SERTED BY IT'S ENGiNEFR. FALLS INTO TIP
sTRrET-wnrRE THE BLAME FOR TIE ACCIDENT
RESTS.
The workmen engaged in rearing the walls Of the
new st. Paus Cathedral at Ntntn,,sye, ana r"M
Yesterday by the unusually prolonged whistle
Of a locomotive, followed almost immediately
lv q crash ON the elevated railroad Just above tue
station M that point. Looking III the direction oil
the sounds the wClkuen saw an engine and one car
backing along short siding: which ended abruptly
nj sixty frst-st The speed of the car and engine
increased steadily until tie car struck the bumper
nj the end of The switch. The force Of the blow
broke the bumper aud sent il fying INTO the ar,
and with scarcely pause the car dashed on Ine
switch into the street below, followed
closalv by the engine. The workmen al
lhe Cathedral and many residents OF houses ~
Nmth-aye fastened 10 the spot and were SURPRISED
fo see that no on either the locomotive OF
the car. In falling the car struck on ITS , ena
ana or 5CPpea oav @T5r an about four feet from
culhstone. Both trucks were torn On inc piaI-
forns al The ends were smashed. and the entire
share. The locomotive had lost ITS smoke
stack and cab. and the ends OF the cylinders
were battered. II stood upright, partly upon me
cirl,siono and close against The car. Ihe pave
m.nt near il was stTcWn with fragments Oh thr
broken cab. he smokestack lay several 1eet
away from the engine. H. .o:i,f
the locomotive. which frightened the persons who
Gr.t apDroached it aud kent them at
distance. Two men, who we're s a'' e. tIn
wrecked machine, soon appeared ana rakeu our the
fires from the engine. force of workmen was soon
engaged with jaekscrews and ha"seis III riRniing
lie engine and car and getting them IN position
10 be moved Inquiries rs to the cause OF the as
as;tr We're met by eyasve replies, ana ne uHnoS'
persistence necessary TO learn the 1actS'
Tho fireman and engineer soon leiC the place;
and it was said they had, been summoned
TO the man once rotcbor 'n at F 5
Robert De Graw, and the slaiion-naster John
Rlatchey, declined 10 talk aboGt the accident;
From other persons who saw the fall was learned
lhst a selions disaster had been narrowly avertcd
About 4:4j p IN. tho engine and car were stand
ing the siding. which Is over the curo-s one ana
is part of the old Ninth Avenue Road.
down trains winch -. start from FIFTY
ninti-st. The engineer, Walter Kent, and hre-
car was empty. The engineer was moving me en-
CINE toward the main-track when he as
covered that the track was not open for hiln
and that a down train for Sixth-aye., from Harlem,
was approaching the station Kent blew the
whistle as a warning to the approaching tram.
He then reversed his engine and brought IL
TO stop, but il was Still TOO near tne
main track for the approaching tram
70 pass without collision. Kent began 70 back the
engine and car, but before ne had gone lar me down
train passed and the two engines came to-
geher with slight crash. lhe engine OF
The down train was not injured mater;
ally, and the engineer, F.. Loveland, did
nor stop the train until the station was reached
There was very little excitement among the passen-
gers on the tram they had felt only slight shock
when the engines graZed each other. Had the col
lision been very little greater the train probably
would have been wrecked and trlghtful loss OF lie
would have followed. -
frightened by the collision and jumped from the en-
gine at once, or else they were unable
TO manage the engine because OF some injury
TO il and were DBL ged to get oil IN time to save helr
lives 1t is certain they were of the engine before
it had proceeded very far on the siding
1t said last night that when the car fell INTO
the street carriage containing d woman and
a child WAS passing and narrowly escaped INJURY
The damage to the engine was not believed to ex-
coed 81 600 but the car was so badly wrecked that
il probably will be taken to pieces.
Superintendent Onderdonk was at the scene of the
wreck last night. When questioned about the man.
ner of the accident, he replledi
Il was ont of town at the time the accident oc-
Cured As far have been able TO learn the facts
from different statements that have been made to
me- the accident resulted from the mistake or care
lessmess of the engineer Walter Kent The switch
man states that the right OF way belonged TO the
sixfh-ave. train. If this was the case. no blame
as he was guided by the signal which In
dIcated to him that the track was clear
interlocking switch is used. 1his switch eau;
not be opened or shut without the signal
FIRST being set. While the signal indi !.
track that he was to go ahead, the danger signal
was up for Kent and warned. him mott TO move from
the lside track. That is. this was the sitns-
man is true. But the trouble at the switch had
| nothing to do with this wreck here.
| Had Kent remained upon his engine
end of it. don't know why he jumped of, unless
1t was through fright 1t seems to me there could ,
| engine But the actions Of men In time Of
an accident are often unacoountable At the inves;
! tigatlon which will be made the whole matter will
| be thoroughly sifted.
| W. F. Oudernonk, the night train dispatcher on
| the Ninth-ave. line, said that Engineer Kent had
| been employed for some time, and was con-
| sidered a frst-class man. 1t was also
| stated that Kent bad exhibited great bravery
| on one occasion by jumping on an engine that was
| passln station with no one on board This fact
| last evening.
Workmen were busily employed for several hours
last night III preparing the engine and car for re-
moya aud in clearing away all signs OF the wreck.
| The engine and car were hauled away npon trucks
| about o'clock they were taken to the companya
car-shOps for repairs