The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-25
MET DEATH IN A TUNNEL
Frightful Accident on a
New York Road.
Triple Collision in Smoke
and Darkness.
Fire Adds Its Horror TO Ter
rible Disaster.
Awful Scenes Attending the
Work OF Rescue.
Six Killed and Many Others Badly
Injured.

middle railway tunnel through Fourth
ave. near Eighty-fiith-st. between two
trains of the New York, New Haven d
Hartford company One was the New
Haven local leaving the Grand Central
station at 7:02, and it ran into a train
of empty cars, no one being in them
but employees on their way to
the yard at Mott Haven. The wreck soon
took fire and burned fiercely, owing to the
great draught in the tunnel. Moreoyer,
there was second collision by light"
engine going north from the yard, run
ming into the wreck. Six lives were lost
through the first collision and several per-
sons injured all probably employees.
The Crash Underground.
In the Grand Central yard, which ex-
tends from the station at Forty-second-st.
to Mott Haven all trains pass to the left,
and in which ever direction they may be
going take the track on the left side OF the
tunnel. This arrangement places all sig
mails on the left or fireman's side of the
locomotive, the engineer sitting on the
right.
The Boston express, with score or
more of car cleaners on board, was on the
west track of the middle tunnel going to-
ward the shops at Mott Haven, where it
was to be laid up and cleaned. 1t left the
Grand Central station at $40 and had
speed OF six miles an hour. The heavy
atmosphere prevented the tunnel
from clearing itself OF steam and
smoke, and it was difficult
to see the white, green and red signal
lamps on the walls. A New Haven ac-
commodation train left the station at :02
on the track occupied by the other, hav-
ing on board l25 passengers, and when it
reached Fifty-ffth-st. was running thirty
miles an hour. The fireman was Charles
Wellington and the engineer, Louis Fow
ler, said to him as thew en-
tered the tunnel: "Keep a close
lookout for the signals, Charley" Well
ington asserts that he leaned out OF the
car window and saw the lights one after
the other as the engine approached them.
At the Fifty-ninth-st. signal station both
the distant" and the 'home" lights were
ahead was clear, so on sped the train.
The next signal station is at Seyenty-sec-
ond-st. The distant" signal is a square
lamp, showing white on one side and green
on the other and is 1000 feet in front of
the "boIle" signal, which is Immediately
opposite the station and has white and
red side. These signals are interlocked
and one cannot turn without the other.
Both must show white lights at the same
time. or when one shows green the other
must show red. When he green is flashed
upon an approaching train it must slow
up, and when it comes to the red it must
stop.
"How are the lights, Charley?" said
Engineer Fowler when the train was near
ing Seventy -second-st.
"All clear" Wellington shouted back,
and the train dashed on. The mist was
thick without, and the fog OF steam and
smoke within the tunnel was almost i'm
penetrable. At q point about half way
between Eighty-four.h and Eighty
fifth SITS. the engine hurled itself
against the rear of the Boston
express sleeper, wrecking the smok-
ing car and driving it partly through
the palace car, TO which it was coupled.
The trains came to a standstill within a
quarter OF a minute. Inc eDHllletT Vi Vic
express did not know when his train was
struck. lie felt the cars pulling very hard,
while his engine began to stop. The sig
nal man at Eighty-sixth-st. put his head
out of the window of his box
and shouted: "Al right; go ahead"
lie thought the engineer was stopping be-
cause unable to see the signals, but the
latter shouted back as he pulled open the
throttle: 81 can't, my air is on" The
sudden destruction of the rear two coaches
had put on the automatic brakes.
Fowler and Wellington jumped from
their engine as ii crashed into the smoker,
the former was slightly injured but was
able to take care of his engine when he
learned that only its front end was broken.
The tunnel was filled with wreckage by
the collision. a moment after it occurred
a light switch engine on the other track
ran into it, jumped the track and turned
partly across the tunnel. Six men were
on it but none were hurt.
Flames Added to wreckage.
The telescoped cars, a mass of broken
timbers and splinters, were piled up un-
der one of the roof openings of the tun-
mel. and, taking fire Immediately, the
smoke attracted the attention OF people in
the neighborhood. Those that were near
heard shrieks and calls for help. Civilians
and policemen climbed over the railing
of the small park that surrounds the open
ing and looked down npon the wreck.
A crowd collected and all possible assist
nnce was given. Two fire alarms brought
Blk engines, which soon began playing on
the flames The ladders were brought
and let down through the opening, aud
descending these the rescuers began to
search for the dead and dying. Surgeons
and priests joined the firemen down in
the dark, smoke-stifed tunnel, where the
latter, begrimmed with dirt and pant
ing for breath, struggled bravely
against all odds. The lanterns flashed
and bobbed about in the murky gloom,
and it was seen that one car had been
showed completely through the one ahead
of il to within six feet of the forward
platform, and this car bad jammed into
the one in front of it again and smashed
the platforms of both. in fact wrecking the
third car so that it il hayond ranair- whila