The Portland daily press., 1882-09-23
Another Account .

New YORK, Sept. 22.-Word was received
at police headquarters tlis morning that ter
rible accident had occurred at $50 o'clock on
the New York Central Il Hudson River rail-
road in the tunnel at Eighty-sixth street and
Fourth avenue, and that ambulances had been
sent for, as number of people had been injur-
ed. Later there was another call for addition
al ambulances, indicating that the number of
persons injured had been very great
Investigation show that the accident was
caused by the express train from Harlem,
which was heavily laden with passengers, and
coming to the city at full speed, running into
the rear of the express train, also heavily
laden with passengers coming to the city from
New Haven on the same track, but running
slower. The disaster occurred in The New
York tunnel, which begins at Ninety-sixth
street and ends at Fiftieth street, at Eighty
sixth street, within ten blocks after both trains
had entered the tunnel. The Harlem tracks
and the New Haven tracks meet at Mount
Vernon, some distance above the Harlem
river, and trains at that point run down to the
CITY on the tracks of the New Haven road
From that point to the Grand Central depot
trains follow each other very closely and the
most extraordinary precautions are necessary 10
prevent accidents occurring. When train
has entered the tunnel going down, signals
are always instantly displayed to warn the
next train of the fact. This morning the
weather was unusually heavy, dense rain
falling and thick fog prevailing The tun-
mel was quite dark. On such occasions extra
precautions are usually TAKEN 1t is usual,
when trains enter on the New York Central
track at Mott Haven, for signal to be shown
denoting the fact, and the locality of the train
is telegraphed over the railroad wires to the
Grand Central depot, where the officers keep q
sharp lookout for the respective trains and
manage the track SO as to keep the trains
apart. At Eighty-sixth street there is a sta
tion in the tunnel, with entrances and exits up
@r,4 tba III eoAN of
this station, but through trains do not.
Both trains this morning were through
trains. The New Haven train, coming from
the longer distance, and. generally being
the heavier train, usually slows up
somewhat upon entering the tunnel.
lighter and running more frequently, usually
enter the tunnel at high speed. By some
carelessness, this morning. the Harlem train
either was not properly warned of its close
ness to the New Haven train, or its engineer
did not see or heed the warning, and the train
was allowed to go at full swing. 1t struck the
rear of the train ahead with such tremendous
velocity 81 to derail many of the cars of both
trains, and its engine ploughed far into the car
ahead, literally crushing under its wheels
many of the New Haven passengers. The col
lision filled the tunnel with the wreck, and
there were Jammed up in the great pile scores
of men, women and children, and many dead.
Most OF the living were wounded, and very
few were uLhurt. Both trains are always
made up for the especial accommodation of
that class of well-to-do people who come down
to the city between $50 and $50, and each
was crowded with merchants professional
men, the higher order Of clerks, school teach
ers and pupils who attend the special schools.
The scene at the wreck was simply indescriba-
BILE, and the darkness of the narrow place in
which the victims were struggling made it
more horrible. Access to the scene from the
outside was extremely difficult The engine
fires being scattered soon fired the debris, and
then the horrors were multiplied The news
greatest excitement of the kind not witnessed
since the Westdeld disaster. Business down