Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-02-21
IN A TUNNEL.
Trains Collide ia the Heart of
New York City.
Several People Killed or More
or Less Injured.


Details of tho Catastrophe.
NEW York, Feb. Ala collision oc-
CURED in the Fourth avenue tunnel
about 7 o'clock Friday morning, by
which dozen poo le were killed or
MANNED. The collision was between an
outbound New Haven passenger train
and train Of empty coaches which
were being switched up for the yards.
There was dense fog in the tunnel,
making it difficult to distinguish signal
lights, 1t is reported also, that one Of
the engines had it headlight turned
toward its train, 50 That it could not be
seen by the engineer Of the other train.
Fire Adds 70 tho Horrors,
The crash was terrific, and several
cars We're telescoped and wrecked The
wreck caught fire from an overturned
stove, and the horrora Of suifOcation and
fame were added Fire alarms and
calls for ambulances were sent out as
soon as possible and there Were prompt
responses The work Of re cuing the
victims was speedily begun, and at II
o'clock it was stated that eight PERSONS
had been taken out dad or injured.
story Of 4a iyo-Witn,sa
Mr., Frederick Motcer, collector for
the Marvin Safe company, who was on
the 7:0l train from the Grand Central
depot tells the following story:
AT Eighty-firBt street the collision oc-
CURED. 1t was a terrible scene The
engine of the train smashed the switch
engine and threw it from the track along
with one ca. There was the widest
confusion and the next moment Our en-
CINE had telescoIed tire sleeping-car in
which were "A number Of New Haven
road employees. I ran ahead with The
conductor of our tain. The sleeping
car was on fire and not an instant had
elapsed
Il saw mnn with his head partly
out Of the window Of the burning car.
The conductor and tried TO save him,
but could not. He implOred us to kill
him, for he was burning alive. The
roof OF the bum ming car melted, and The
molten lead fell On us. The mans cries
were agoniing; he was pinned in by Che
debris Then another train rushed by
ON its way so New York, and the
draught caused black smoke to hide the
burning car. After that we aw moth
ing more Of the unfortunate man. Then
the fire engines arrived, and the work
of eStinguish.ng the flames began, J.
saw two men taken from The car, one
dead and one SIN bteatbipp. They pre-
geoted hor ible sueetacle, and ii wac q
sight ! shall never forget.
'Our train was in the center of the
tunnel on the west track. The other
train was on the same track and back
inp when We stuck We threw the en-
gine of the other train across the east
side track, blocking 20 N traffic. The
car next TO the engine was badly
smashed and thrown ON the east track
with the engina Thu, | think, was q
baggage car. but it was 80 badly
SMASHED that J am not sure. There
were twelve or thirteen cars in the
train we ran into. 1t was the opinion
of all that the accident resulted from
the fact that there was no light on the
engine facing our tram
Superintcud nj shepard of the New
Haven road, Says that from what he can
learn the train Of emptles must have
disregardcd the rule which fOrbi3s stop
ping in the tunnel. Engineer Fowler,
Fireman Goodcle and Conductor hutch
inson, of the passenger train, have re-
ported safely, The Other engineer, who
was at first reported killed has also
been heard from. lie is somewhat in 4
jured.
rive Eedics Found.
On the tcIescouCl shop train there
were probably a dozen or more employees
both of the road and of the Wagner
company
After the fire hal been mastered the
firemen with axes tried to clear away
the debris, so rs 10 he able to get at the
bodies Ii WIS tDally decided to pull
the two cars apart and the locomotive Of
fine New HaNet train, with tear and
crash, parted the two cars, drawing one
of them about ten feet from tie other.
In heap Of burned cushions, wood and
iron the bodies wee found and taken
out and wrapped in blankets. They
. "Ut b t frnci Tbe bodies we're
burned bayond recognition. Parts of
some Of he bodies were completely
burned away The dead numbered five,
consisting OF three men, one woman and