The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-02-29
CRUSHED TO DEATH.
A Heavy Derrick Falls Upon q
Brooklyn Street Car.
Several Persons Killed and Many
More Badly Hurt.

The Union Elevated Railroad of Brooklyn
was the scene of terrible accident at point
in Broadway, at 9:45 o'clock the other morn
ing. The steam hosting apparatus which 's
used to lift the heavy iron girders of the new
road fell upon Reid avenue horse car that
was passing underneath, instantly killing
three men and seriously woundlng htteen
others. one of whom died few hours later.
The whole reserve ambulance corps ana
the off platoon from the Thirteenth precinct
station were Immediately sent to the scene.
All of the available men from the nelghoor-
ing fire department stations were also ord
cred out. The work of clearing away the
debris was Immediately begun by the force
thus collected, and number OF the bodies
were quickly e1tricated from the wreck OF
the car. The instantly killed were: Charles
Kirschner, 80 years of age; Patrick Clark,
employed by the Elevated Railroad Com
pany, and Thomas Thompson, who was driv-
ing the car in the place of Michael McAuley,
who had laid off for the day. Thomas Men.
ton, twenty-seven years old, had his skull
fractured, and died during the afternoon.
John Schaefer, of No. 63g East Ninth street,
New York, superintendent OF the holsting
and placing of the iron work, was arrested
soon after the accident by the Brooklyn police
and he was taken to the Thirteenth precinct
station. :.
This is the second accident of this kind that
has happened to this road within the last two
months. A similar accident happened about
seven weeks ago on Flatbush avenue.
An eyewitness described the scene of the
accident as follows: II was standing on
Broadway, about opposite No. G3O A
Reid avenue car passed through Jne srioec.
There were two horses attached to it.
A truck, with one horse attached,
was moving slowly along the street AS the
street car got opposite No. GAO Broadway l
heard O terrible rumbling and crashing
sound, az if the entire Elevated struct-
ure was giving way. A bolt fastening
the girder.had broken, the two uprigh not
being braeed were pressed apart by the
weight Of the engine and the apparatus
on top Of them, and the entire flooring,
with the engine and four stringers, fell with
a crash upon the car. The two car horses and
the truck horse were instantly killed. One
car was crushed like an eggshell and
the shrieks and cries OF agony
from those who were in it were terrible to
hear. The confusion was so great for time
it was amost impossible to do anything, and
the poor people were wedged under the debris
for what seemed an age before anything
could be done to relieve them.n
The crowd which gathered at once about
the scene of the accident was wildly excited;
Ambulance after ambulance appeared unClI
every hospital in Brooklyn was represented.
Police arrived on foot and in patrol wagons.
1t was necessary toincrease their force as rap
idly as possible in order to keep back the
crowd. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers
and friends Of the employees of both the ele-
waited and surface roads began to arrive
almost as soon as the accident oc.
Cured. All was confusion. The police could
tell them little or nothing; the officers of the
road still less. AS fast as the injured were
removed from the debris they were taken in
charge by the ambulance surgeons. Many
were taken to st. GATHERINGS hospital, which
is only about ten blocks from the scene of the
disaster Some were SO slightly injured that
they had their wounds dressed in neighborlng
houses and left Immediately for their homes.