The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-18
A TUNNEL HORROR
Fatal Railroad Collision In
New York City.
The Wreck Takes Fire and Sew
eral Victims Roasted.

An appalling railroad disaster occurred in
New York City few mornings ago in the
Fourth avenue tunnel, between Eighty-third
and Eighty-ffth streets by which one
woman and five men met their death and
eight persons were severely injured.
The accident was caused by the New
Haven accommodation train, which left tho
Grand Central Depot at two minutes past
seven A. NJ, crashing into the shop train
filled with car cleaners and other employees
bound for the railroad shops at Mott Haven,
and which had left the depot five minutes
ahead of the New Haven train.
For some reason the shop train moved
ahead slowly and almost came to stand
still at Eighty fourth street The New
Haven train came dashng along at speed
of thirty miles an hour. Engineer Louis
Fowler did not see the train ahead until he
was within two hundred feet of it.
He at once applied the air brake and re-
versed the lever of his engine, but his efforts
had no perceptible effect upon the headway
of the train. 1t struck the rear car Of the
shop train with tremendous force, drivlnglt
into the one ahead of it and completely
wrecking both cars.
At once q terrible scene ensued. Such OF
| the frightened inmates Of the wrecked cars
as could get out forced their way through
the cars. In doing so their faces and hands
were torn and cut by the broken glass and
| splinters OF wood.
From the telescoped portion Of the cars
arose heartrending shrieks for help, and
from several of the windows appeared the
| frightened faces of the unfortunates who
were pinned in the wreck so that they could
! not get away. =,
| Haven train, none Of whom were injured,
/ eudeavored with axes and other implements
TO release the half crazed unfortunates.
| They managed to extricate O few OF the
plnns in wretches. Suddenly the wreck
caught fire and the flames spread with light,
ming rapidity, driving away the rescuers and
quickly smothering the doomed inmates or
the telescoped cars.
By this time several of the workingmen on
the train had been taken up through thu
tunnel opening at Eighty-fourth street on
ladders lowered by the people in the vicinity
who were attracted by the cries OF the un-
| fortunates.
The alarm spread, and in few minutes
tie men Of Engine No. Y, which lies on
Eighty-ffth s.reet near Lexington avenue,
were on the spot. followed by the men of
nc ok and Ladder No. 49, Half dozen lad.
ders were put down into the opening and the
frellen swarmed down. In few minutes
two streams were at work on the burning
cars, and in two minutes the flames were e1-
tinguished.
A second alarm had brought additional
engines to the scene, together with two
ambuiances from the Presbyterian Hospital.
Battalion Chief Reeves arrived and took
charge of the sad work of removing the dead
and Injured from the wreck. The remaining
parts of the top and sides Of the car which
was telescoped were knocked to pieces with
axes so that tho bodies Of the dead could be
taken out
AS the water from their hose branches put
ont the fire and they were able to get inside
the cars the picture presented was fearful:
Dead and roasted and broken bodies in all
sorts of pitiable attitudes were among the
debris of the interior.
But one was not dead. Between the head
of the locomotive and the end Of the car into
which it had smashed was suspended by the
shoulders the body of man whose legs had
been torn Off.
His clothing had been all burned off and
the body partly roasted. He was nude anu
swollen, but he was still alive.
A fireman touched him, and from the head
above the end of the car that Janmed MN
against the locomotive came moan and the
words: "Eor Gods sake leave me alone anu
let ME die
the strong men were forced to turn as-y
momentarilY in horror. 1t took twenty
| minutes 10 llc pun lcio" eHN 49,.
ry him to the surface. He was STU 1--we IN
the progress of the men who carried hin: up
to the light, but before he could be examined
he was dead aud his mangled body remained
unidentified
Another body was picked up in two pieces.
The man had been sitting or standing III the
second car and the rear car which telescopeu
it had cut through his body Inc remains
were carefully put together.
l,ol. Low nf,t
car with arms bent as though to ward OIL a
blow en- the face They were stittened IN
the attitude and the expression OF the tace
was one Of horror.
1t was young man of twenty -four or
TWENTY-FIVE, with black hair and mustache.
His was the only other of the bodies recov-
cred with recognizable features.
The clothing had been burnt on his arms
only and they were roasted and swollen 10
twice their Natural size, clear 10 tne shoul-
ders.
The other remains were hiGeous to loox at.
mostly with wounds and bruises about the
head or body that were alone sufficient to
have caused death.
Probably most Of those killed were saved
the agony Of fire by the merciful arrival OF
the swift mes enger of death at the instant
the cars were te.escoped
Coroner Levy arrived at the spot about .
o'clock and gave a permit for the removal or
the bodies.
Two Of them were taken to the police sta
tion on East Eighty-siGhth street.
One Of these was a woman car cleaner,
anil the only mark Of Identification on her
body was a well-worn gold ring that was
probably wedding ring.
Tie other was tue man who had been cut
in two. The four other bodies were taken
at first TO tine underground station at Eighty
sixth street, and thence were remoyed TO tne
| morgua ii rough pine collins about IL
o'clock.
The wounded men were sent to the Pres
'byterian Hospital as soon as they were taken
Clr.
Patrolman Hanlon and Drs Seward and
Warsaw found John Hanke, q cleaner,
we6ged in between two seats and held down
by the roof and sides of the car A number
OF firpmen went to the assistance Of the doc
tors ami policeman, and after several minutes
of hard labor succeeded in prying up the roof
Of the car sufficiently to permit of Hanke's
release. The latter was suffering most terri
bly,, for while the men were striving to release
him smoldering fire was burning his lower
extremities. When finally he was released
his left foot dropped off, the leg having been
burned through above the ankle. Hanke
bore the pain with astonishing fortitude, and
beyond an occasional groan and twitching Of
the muscles in his face gave no signs OF emo
ton. He was perfectly conscious, and told
the doctors that he was u car cleaner il the
employ OF the New York and New Haven
Road.