New-York tribune., 1880-03-09
NEARLY A DISASTROUS ACCIDENT.

NEARLY A DISASTROUS ACCIDENT.
AN ENGINE on THE ELEVATED ROAD ALMOST
THROWN INTO CHATHAM sTREET-DELAY IN
TRAvEL-THE ACCIDENT DUE TO A swITCHMANs g
CARELEssNEss.
delay was caused In the running of trains
upon the the City Hall Branch of the Manhattan
Elevated Railway at 645 p. yesterday caused
by accident which was very nearly disastrous
Engine No. l12 was standing upon the
outside tracks at point little
west of the water tank which covers a
portion Of the structure In Chathamst.. near Cham
berS-st. The place where the engine was standing
was directly opposite No. 64 Chatham-st.. four
doors from Chambers-st. This engine had been
taking water and waiting the arrival OF an
incoming train before it started on the return
trip to Harlem The approaching down train was
drawn by engine No. 100, ana had not large num-
ber Of passengers board, at that hour the tlow
Of travel is in the opposite, OF uptown direction
This train was upon the north side centre track asst
neared the City Hall Station, and should have
run directly on, but the switchman on duty at the
point where Engine No. 112 was standing moved
the switch so that the train was turned to the out
side track. Engine No. 112 was directly opposite
The middle of the switch rails and was struck upon
tho pilot by the moving train, which was going at
somewhat less than the usual rate of speed between
stations.
Engine No. 112 was thrown about eighteen inches
off from the rails out upon the projecting ends Of
the ties upon which fOOtpath for wOrkmen runs.
and along which the switch rods extend to the
central switcb-hOuse, where. one man governs the
switches and signals The cOwcatcher OF the DIS
placed engine extended beyond the ends of the
ties out over the sidewalk. Had the force with
which one engine strnck the other been lite more
than 1t was nothing could have saved engine No.
! IL, with tho engineer and fireman on board.
from falling into the street below with
all the attendant dangers of an eXplo-
SION, for 1t was under full steam, beng
ready to start rs soon the switch should be
turned. The crash aroused the whole nelghbOrhOod
and large number of persons gathered In the street
wood-work of the footpath. Notice of the " block"
In the running Of trains to the City Hall terminus was
tccgaphed 20 the train dispatcher ana to the Chat-
lam-square Station, and all Ihird-ave trains were
Immediately ordered 10 run into the pocket there,
and upward bound trains were started from there.
After delay OF about ten minutes passengers f0r
the City Hall station were transferred 10 tne south
Ferry trains running down New BOwery and Pearl
SITS, and landed at the Franklin-square or Futon-st
stations.
The passengers on the train which ran into the
engine were much frightened by the shock. As foot
paths connect the point of the accident with the
station, they were allowed to get oil the
ears and walk 10 the terminus. There was O
large number of upward-bOund passengers In
train at the City Hall Station and the
accident caused the most inconvenience to them.
Those who wished had their tickets redeemed by
the ticket seller and most of them went uptown III
the street cars. few, however, walked to the
other station Of be elevated road.
A force of w0rkmcn was speedily set at
work to get tue displaced engine out OF
the way and after about hour the
men succeeded IN getting il upon the track again.
SO that the delayed train could reach the station
At quarter past the running OF trains was
begun again upon the tracks. on the south
side of tho street. After the stopping of
all trains on the Chatham street Line at midnight
the engine. No. ~, was re- owed for repairs The
injuries were not extensive, the knocking of OF
cylinder head being the principal one. 1t was
Thought that less than 800 would repair all
damage done to the engine and the structure
An eyewitness of the accident said that II was
almost IA miracle that the engine that was struck
did not como down into the street. The switch
man. by whose fault the accident occurred
was employed at one of the Harlem sta
rlous until TIE City Hall station was opened on
Monday MaIch1. His name not known 10
the other employees upon the Chatham Street branch