Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-09-29
FATAL RAILROAD ACCIDENT.

An Engineers Recklessness Causes q Sc
rious Accident to q Passenger Train
Two Men Killed Outright and Eight In.
jured-Several Fortunate Escapes.
NEW York, Sept. Il.
The Flushing train on the Long Island
Railroad, leaving Hunters Point Tuesday
evening, when at Montauk Junction, about
eight miles from the depot, was run into by
the Manhattan Beach train, which was sew
eral minutes late. The two locomotives
came together near the switch. The Flush
ing train consisted of four passenger
coaches and a combination car, each of
which was full of passengers. None Of
these were injured. The engine and
tender, however, were badly broken up.
The engineer of the Flushing train, Ernest
Kretzner, remained at his post, backing
down his train. and receiving slight injuries.
The Manhattan Beach train consisted Of
seven ordinary cars and one parlor car, next
the engine. At the time of the collision the
train was running at the rate of thirty-five
miles an hour. The engine was not greatly
damaged, but the parlor car was telescoped
by the car behind. All the cars were
crowded, many persons standing on the
platforms. Most of the occupants of the
parlor car, being warned by the rush of es-
Gaping air from the brakes, escaped from
the car by doors and windows. The car APP
parently broke in two in the middle, and
the platform car behind crushed through
about the same distance, and all the chairs
in the back part of the car were piled one on
top of the other.
Wedged in between the platform of the
second car and the floor of the parlor car
were, On one side, Thomas Birmingham, Of
108 East Houston Street, and on the other,
Robert Smith, of 1856 East Eighth street.
It was found necessary to cut away the PAN
cling and woodwork with axes to get the
men out. Their legs were SO crushed that
amputation was necessary. Both died soon
after the operations.
The injured so far as ascertained are:
Thomas Glenn, engineer of the Manhattan
Beach train, cut about the head and
shoulders; NJ. Norris, 1902 Locust street,
Philadelphia, stopping at the Albermarle
Hotel, NewsYork, one leg cut off; George
Wright, residence unknown, serious cuts
OH face and lips; Lawrence, New York, cut
GU the head; Leslie E. Slosson, ITO West
Twenty-third street, cut and bruised about
head and body; w. Conner, 500 Third
avenue, cut on the head and body; Vernon
Barton, West Thirty-fourth street, large
splinters in leg.
Among the passengers who escaped in
jury were State Senator Justin Mccarthy,
Harry Mann, late of Haverly's Theater,
Barney Aaron and a large number of sport
ing men returning from the races at Coney
Island. Mann said: II was sitting in the
front seat of the car behind the parlor cal
with Barney Aaron. When about ten
miles from Hunters Point a man named
SneedcOr made a remark. about the great
speed the train was running, saying that
if anything should happen the engi.
neer could not stop. Shortly afterward
we heard the kissing of escaping air from
the brakes, and Barney Aaron jumped up
and ran out on the platform, and, after look
ing off the side of the car, shouted: s'For
Gods sake get as far back as you can, for
there is going to be a collision Those in
the rear of the parlor car and in our car al
once left their seats and made their way out
of the doors and windows just as the col.
lision occurred. I assisted at least a dozen
ladies and men out of the windows. l was
not hurt"
Engineer Thomas Glenn, of the Manhat
tan Beach train, was seen at his residence.
He said that when he reached Clissville he
saw the danger-signal, and at once put on
the air-brake and whistled d~own-brakes.
The air-brake refused to work, and he again
Whistled dOwn-brakeS, but no attention was
paid to the signal. The third whistle was
responded to, but too late, as he was upon
the Flushing train before his speed was
Stacked. He jumped from the engine ano
| received serious iniuries.