Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-12-11
RAILROAD ACCIDENT.

TWO Trains on the Bridge Railroad
Run Into Each Other--Names of
Some OF the InJursd--The Cause
of the Accident.
New YORK, Dec. 5-Two trains on
the Bridge railroad ran into each
other a quarter after nine o'clock this
morning, and in the smash up six
persons were badly injured. The
failure of the grip was the cause of
the accident. 1t happened at the
hour when the cars are most crowded
by the stream seething towards New
York and run with the least Roadway.
The rain increased the rush It the
Brooklyn entrance and when a two
car t ain started out from the Brooklyn
terminus it was loaded to its utmost
capacity and the platforms Of both cars
were packed. The trains had gone to
within a hundred and fifty yards of
the Brooklyn tower when the grip on
the cable gave out and it came to a
stop, when despite the efforts of the
brakeman, began to back down the
incline first slowly, then with increased
speed until it swept round the cave
near the Brooklyn end at a terrible
speed. Another train had just left the
Brooklyn platform and caught on to
the cable when the preceding train
was seen to display danger signals. 1t
stopped promptly and began to back
towards the station, but it was too
lite, the disabled train came thunder
ing down the incline diminishing the
distance between them with every
second. The passengers of the trains
saw the danger and rose to their feet
in alarm. A scene of terror ensued,
and escape wss impossible. In an in
slant the second train was overtaken,
and the two crashed together. Shrieks
of pain and horror arose from the
surging mass Of struggling men and
women, while the police and train
hands, waiting on the platform, ran to
the rescue; the entrances to the bridge
were barred and non were admitted
to increase the crowd and confusion.
An ambulance and police were sum.
moDded and reported promptly. The
platforms of the arS were smashed
and the ends of the cars greatly dam
aged. Conductor F. e. Meyers who
was standing on the rear platform of
the second train, was jammed in be-
tween the broken ends Of the cars and
had to be cut out of the wreck. Victor
SchannbeTg, a young clerk, was sim
ilarly imprisoned and was extracted
with much difficulty. His left ankle
was broken and his foot nearly cut off.
When all who needed help were at
tended to, the police presented the
following list Of casualties:
Conductor, $50 Gates avenue Brook
Ign, breast crushed and severe
internal injuries, and gen
eral bruises; John Dahler, back
s~prained, ribs broken and breast badly
bruised Victor S%chaunberg, leg broken
feet nearly cut off and we're interna
injuries; +. Baker, left ankle broken
chest crushed and general bruises
taken to the hospital; Chas. M. Brin
ton, nose broken. A number o.
others sustained minor bruises but
hurried to New York or their homes
by way Of the ferry. The wreck was
soon cleared away and travel on tht
bridge was resumed in half an hour.
The investigation by the bridge
authorities shows the accident to have
been caused 10y the failure of the griI
of the train that was moving tht
Brooklyn tower at thes time, Or
wet days the cable is slippery and does
not work well. The trains at the towel
at which the accident occurred ran or
headway at the rate Of a minute and
half, and carrying $4,000 passenger
an hour. The train following the frs
had reached the Brooklyn anchorag'
when signals of danger were displaye(
from the one ahead. 1t let 60 its griE
on the cable and backedAdown. III
third train, with three cars, had jus
left the Brooklyn terminus AM
was unable to get out of tn
way in time, the second trail
ran into it, and it was upon tina
the casualties occurred. After the frs
collision the first train crashed into tn
wreck. but beg ond smashing the fron
platform of the already disabled secon
train, it did not add to the damage
This is the first serious accident tina
has occurred on the Bridge railroad
The officials state that it has carrie
thirty-eight and a half million Of pa
sengers since the opening of tn
!. bridge, and not one life has yet bee
| lost on it.
1 n-zJ MAraioaEnd hU tho RnnuhliG3