New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-26
A WRECK AT CORTLANDT-ST
TWO ELEVATED TRAINS IN COLLISION

IN DANGER BUT NO ONE INJURED
Three accidents have occurred the elevated
railroads within Eve days each in the hours when
the fare Is cents. Last Tuesday afternoon. on tho
Second Avenue line, near Sxty-frst-st, car par
TALLY left the track The delay canscd by the acci-
dent considerable. Early next morning the
cylinder head of an engine blew out on the Third
Avenue Road. between Sixty-sixth and Sixty-sev-
enth-sts.. causing delay Of an hour. Yesterday A.
collision took place the Sixth Avenue line, which
delayed all the trains for than two hours,
blocking them from Rector-st. to Third
st., distance of about two miles. This
accident was the worst ono that has occurred In
several mouths. The collision took place at Cort-
landt-st.. and caused by extra train running
into the one on the man track. Below Cortlandt-
st. running nearly to the Battery, three tracks,
the central being used TO place empty cars up
on during the hours that full fare is charged Ex-
ira trains are also made up this track aud
switched off the main tracks Mt Rector and
Cortlandt-sts There is o switch at Cortlandt-st.
for the uptown track, about fifteen feet south OF
the station platform. At $50 IN. train consist
ing of four cars. and containing seventy-fve per-
sons, approaching this station. when an extra
train drawn by gne No. 22l, Samuel Allen en-
gineer. attempted to switch off from the central
track upon the main track. 1t struck the third
car of the regular train, which at tho
time slowing up at the station. Both
trains moving in the same direction, and, al
though the shock sufficient to wreck an engine
and three cars the collision did not nure any per-
son seriously. The car that struck contained
thirty shop girls who were employed at Macy's
and other stores uptown, and a few men. The car
instantly left the track. breaking the trucks, and
fell against the guard-rail. which gave way. Tho
only thing apparently that prevented car and pas
sengers from falling into tho street was largo
telegraph pole, against which the rested
until it was rghted by the derrick con-
structed on the sidewalk hour Later
TwS arms Of this telegraph pole pol wsT1 broken sa
extra train been new one, which would have made
a difference of several tons weight il was thought
doubtful whether the pole could have sustained the
shock The trucks were wrenched from the car, itss
sides were broken In. the seats We're loosened and
many of the windows shattered. Naturally. win
broken glass and splinters of wood flying about the
car and the itself resting at an angle OF forty
five degrees, there was great excitement among the
passenger The men began to shout for help and
the women screamed and rushed to the doors, only
to be thrown on the floor by the upsetting of the
car. As quickly as possible they were taken taken
from the station. The rear car of the train was
also thrown from the track and was considerably
damaged. The engine of the extra tram was COM
pletely wrecked, and the engineer received some
bruises. The next TO the engine was thrown
from the rails toward the downtown track.
Travel was delayed over two hours, while the
wrecked engine and cars were being removed. They
were taken to the repair shops IN Third-ave All
DAY long Were s Osy IN TePaIfS nP III e grS %
ber, bolts, nuts and other pieces of iron
lying near the station, the gatemen denied all
general office, at No. II Broadway About 10
O'clock the tracks were cleared and trains began
running again Up to that time trains from m ,g hign
the track. Many clerks and business men were
stopped between stations where it wss impossible
to leave the cars Some men, more daring than the
rest and eager to reach their places OF business slid
down the iron IRON pillars which o,,is9p support the the
e their ans at hs st station they could
and continued the trip in the street-car The
agents at every station continued TO sell tickets WITH
out telling the purchasers that they would be stopped
between two stations and detained two hours.
During the commission hours all the old cars and
engines are used.
General Manager Hahn said to a TRIBUNE re-
porter who called at his Office: " have really no
time to tell yon anything about 1t. IL was TRIVIAL
affair anyway to have all the reporters IN New-fOrk
running here about | have nothing to say about
it, and am III a hurry, too"
is there anyone in your Office who is aa'
q collision which endangered the lives Of seventy
five persons who were on the train that was
wrecked, and which delayed several thousand other
passengers from one to two hours !" asked the re-
porter.
mo there isn't was the quick reply of the
general manager, who at once left the room.
1t was learned however, that Engineer Allen Is
blamed by officers of tho road, including the gen.
era manager, and has been suspended pending an
said by an empoye in the Office that Engineer
Allen exceeded his authority in attempting to leave
the central track too s0On and as the danger signal
was displayed, the accident was purely the result
carelessncss his part. Mr.. Allen says that he
the danger signal and tried TO stop his train,
but the vacuum brakes would not work, and since
he entirely dependent upon them for stopping
the train ne could not prevent the collision
CUT TO PIECES BY A SIXrH-AVE. TRAIN.
A lame man hastily entered q Sixth Avenue
Elevated train going north at 6.35 o'clock last
evening, at the Twenty-third street station. Hs
was accompanied by friend aud little girl seven years
old. The had passed through the gate when
the child, who following them, dropped package OF
candy which she carried in hand. She stopped
pick UP the candy, tho train started, the father
made effort to grasp his child and
draw her upon the but she either misunderstood
him unable gain the platform aud she fell be-
tween the cars At the sight the father fell backward
Into arms OF his friend and uttered shrek which
could be heard through the Not until the train
had moved out OF the station u block and q half
stopped aud slowly back The child had fallen
between second and third cars, and her body lay
upon the track opposite the gatemans box The wheels
had crushed the skull transversey, and the body was
cut in two longtudinally The candy which had been
the Of the accident lay scattered In pool OF
officer Clinchy carefully picked up the fragments
of the body and took them IL bag to the Ihlrteth
Street PoIce Station. The father of the girl 10
the police said at No Ii6 West one huEdred-and
eghthst His friend, Maurice Jacobs, who was oh tho
train with him, conveyed him to his
home A TRIBUNE reporter last night failed
ind any such number either East or West Several
Menyene board the train after IL nad started
and the gate had been shut, and Mary the child in
the cars Another that she had gained the platform
and fell between the two inside the gate Toe re
mains will removed from the Police station thiS
ing at O'clock.
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