New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-23

FALLING IRON STRIKES a MAN IL THE STREET
A CONDUCTOR REPORTED HURr-DTHER PER-
SONS SAID To DE IXJUaED-DErAGLs REFUSED
BY THE MEN.
Trains on the Ninth Avenue Elevated Railroad
stopped yesterday for the first time at the nnlin-
ished Rector Street Station. As a train was eav-
ing this place for the South Ferry, at
$3.50 p. M. an extra train, drawn by engine
No. 95. of which Edward Lewis was in charge,
struck the rear car of the train ahead 1t appears
from the statements of bystanders (the engineer
cOuld not be found last EVENING" that very quickly
after the collision Engineer Lewis reversed bis
engine and withdrew slowly for a short distance.
Many of the windows were broken in the rear car
of the first train, and the rear platform was
smashed. The engine which ran into 1t was
backing down and drawing two without pas
sengers. Ii was q good deal damaged, and the empty
train was towed to che end of the track by the next
tram. Afterward the damaged car and engine
were taken to the repair shops.
At the moment of the collision portions of tho
broken car platform fell with crash to the street
piece of iron, which was said by spectator to be
portion of the coupling, struck a young
man who was passing beneath the track
sqriarely upon the head and knocked him down. He
sprang up instantly, however, and ran to neigh
boring drug store whence he was directed to the
Church Street Police Station. There he was taken
in charge by an officer and assisted to the Chambers
Street Hospital. At that place he was
found to be suffering with compound fracture
the skull. The scalp was badly cut and the broken
skull was somewhat depressed, as to press upon
the brain. The young man gave his name as James
Sullivan Of No. 374 Van Brunt-st, Brooklyn. Ills
age is seventeen years, and he is employed as a
clerk in this city. Later in the evening Sullivan
was removed in ambulance to the New
hn
performed to remove the depressed bono from the
BRAIN 1t was stated that his recovery was mat
ter of chance but that his youth was in his favor.
inquiry of the employees Of the railroad as to the
cause Of the accident was met as is customary in
such cases, with evasive replies. One of the
officials at the South Ferry Station said that
extra trains made no stops at any OF the
stations, and that Engineer Lewis supposed he had
a clear track. When he saw the train ahead he APP
piled the brake at once, but 1t did not operate
in time to prevent the collision. From
other employees il was learned that
n brakeman on one Of the trains sustained an injury
ON an arm His name or the extent Of his hurt
could not be asccrtaincd by them. While THE
TRBUNE reporter was at the Chambers
Street Hospital Dr. Sterne, surgeon OF the
Manhattan Railroad, came in and asked
about Sullivan. He told the surgeon at the desk
Gated. When asked the conductors home by
the reporter he declined to give it or 10 state
whether any of them injured in the collision
lie then went 10 VISIT the wounded man in the
New York Hospital.
A great many persons visited the scene of the ac-
cidrnt during the evening, largely exaggerated
reports as 10 its seriousness having become current
Tie man in charge of the Rector Street Station said
| that he went on duty directly after the ac-
| cident, but be knew nothing about it. He stated
tst tho trains were supposed to run at intervals OF
! seven minutes. and volunteered the information
| that as there no timetable he
| dId not know whether they went on
time or not Persons who witnessed the accident
stated that a young man named GottlieD liagin
was also injured by the falling pieces of the
wreck, but nothing was known Of such
| a person at the police station. NJ the
| Church Street Station It was sad that
soon after the accident he sent an officer TO the s-
perintendents Office to learn the particulars. but
that no information about the matter was gwen to
Superintendent +. T. Onderdonk was found
nj his house i'll Sixteth-St. by q TRIBUNE
reporter last evening When questioned nregard 10
the accident, he SAID: " lhe collision occurred
al ) o'clock. The regular down train was stop
| ping at the RectOI-st. station, "Wd an CAu
| IRAN of two cars drawn by Engine 70, OF which
Lewis was engineer, ran INTO the lcar car. ne ea3
| of the engine was damaged somewhat ana
! the .rnihng and coupling OF tue car Ncro
broken. LOWS states that he was NOV
| ing at the rate of eight miles an hour
He saw the train and reversed the engine as qucky
as he could hut not III time to avoid the collision
Ii Is wonder that he was not hrt, Tor the engine
| was moving with It's cab forward. There were only
| two persons IN the which was struck
n conductor Of the Sixth Avenue Road
and n brakeman The name of each - Van
| Ordcn though they are not related The bra keman
tas about 10 step out when the car was struck. ana
! by fhe shock he was thrown down, striking on ms
| shoulder, and receiving a bad hrulse' CONDUCTOR
! Van Ordcn uulujurcd. "
"The engine was a small one. Lewis had
orders 10 follow the regular train, ana not To
| stop at the stations gong down, aS ne was
running an extra He is a very careful man
ana a good engineer. IL is possible that he imagined
that the tram ahead Of Gm had started. va IL may
be that as to-day was the first day OF our stopping
! at Rrctor-st ON this road hc may have forgotten
the fact was too busy removing me tf!lh
and engine from the regular track to question nm
lie will he examined regard To the accident TO-
! morrow. The delay caused by the accident was not
oycrlificen minutes. cannot estimate the amount
| of tho damage, bat It is slight. coupling was
knocked into tue street, and understood some one
was struck by IT, but did not learn the extent OF
| the injury