New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-11
A CRASH IN THE AIR.

ELEVATED TRAINS IN NINTH-AvE. IN COLLISION
AN ACCIDENT THAT is PRONOUNCED UTTERLY
INEXCUsABLE.
A collision between two trains on the Ninth Ave-
nue. Elevated Road yesterday morning caused much
excitement among the passengers, but no one was
injured. Engine No. 80 left the South Ferry with
three cars, at 6:25 u. M The engineer was Louis
Page, and the fireman William Bender. The train
reached the neighborhoOd of Fifty-thlrd-st, where
the upgrade said to require higher rate of speed.
and passed on at lively pace as it neared the
Fifty nnth-st. station. Sixth-ave.' trains that 90
not 90 to Harlem turn down Fifty-third-st and run
to Ninth-ave.. and thence to Fiftyninth-s a train
OF the SIxth-aye. line had just reached the station
when the Nnth-ave. train came along and ran into
the rearcar. The SXth-ave train thrown forward
several wards. The cars were partly filed, and the
passengers were thrown from their seats. Their
alarm great, but the extent of the disaster was
uickly asccrtaIned. and they rushed out on the
track aud made their way Ill safety to the station
platform. so far as could BE- ascertaned no one was
seriously injured.
The morning was very fOggy and the red lights of
the could not be seen at any great dstance
| he cab of th0 engine OF the Ninth-aVe. Train
was smashed in and the draw-bar ana front END
were brolk N, as also the muller pipe ana
vacuum pipe. Cars No. 4S ana 90 OF the Nlntn
Avenue hpa had their Graw-baIs ana front ends
broneu, aud the rear end OF car no 0OI OF the
Sixth Avenue line was destroyed. he rauing on
tho rear end of car No. 524 was broken; also the
back draw-bar On car No. oil. The engine OF the
Ninth-aye. train was taken to the Nlnety-egntn-
81. repair shops, and the Nluth-ave cars were
sent 10 he kecior-st. yard. The Slxth-aye. cars
were sent to tue shop ut Nnety-thrd-Sk and Ninth
ave.
Engine Dispatcher Graham said that Engineer
Page Claimed that he was running aJ the rate OF
eight miles an hOur but judging from the damage
DONE he must have been running at about twenty
miles all hour.
General Manager Hahn told Il TRIBUNE reporter
that the engineer ana fireman had been suspended
pending an investigation. lie sad the accident was
utterly IncXcusable. The Sixtl-ave. tram had
the right to bo where 1t was and the klnth-aye.
tram should nave kept back until the other had lett
the station. ~
Fireman Bendcl's statement WAS as follows: We
started at Ol1 a anu reached tlttleth-st all
night, aud ran very slowly TO the signal at fIIty-
thlrd-st The signal was all right tor US to proceed
to FIfty-niatn-St. We very slowly up the grade.
and when were within q trans length Of the
station Fifty -Dini hist. saw red signal gwen
Inc engineer reversed the engine aud applied the
brakes IuL could aOt stop the tram IN time u pre-
vent running into the rear end ot tram standing
al the FIfty-nIuth Street Station"
j. Iemperly standing In front OF bis Dlack-
smith shop, between FIlty-elRhth aud rltty-nlnih-
sts, when the collision occurred. tie told the re-
porter that the fog dense that IRON here he
STOOD lie could scarcely make out thoered lights OH
the ot the trains as they passed. lie said tnat
there were Two SlXth-avc. trans at the station,
one waiting for the Other to leave tue station, anu
that the Nlntil-aye. tram bumped into tue second
train, Another SGXth-ave train came up just a1ter
tue accident and would bave run into thc Ninth
ave tram but for the energy ot tho Draheman
who leaped 10 the track ana ran toward tue APP
preaching tram shouting and signaling win u req
hight aud finally climbing the signal apparatus 80
that he would certainly be seen Dy the engineer.