Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-20
gu LUl lIUN.
DEATH IN A TUNNEL
Five Persons Killed and Others In
jured in a Collision.
TEE WRONG SIGNAL was SHOWN.
Empress Frederick Not Cordially
Received in Paris.
STOCKS DULL AND STEADY.
TEE WRONG SIGNAL was SHOWN.
STOCKS DULL AND STEADY.
KILLED IN A TUNNEL.


Terrible CollisiOn mt Fourth Avenue and
seth Street, New York.
New YORK. Feb. 2O.-There WIS collision at
o'clock this morning between two trains in
the 4th avenue tunnel at Sch street. What
is known as a shop consisting of empty cars
was being drawn to the Mott Haven yard.
when, for some reason as yet unex-
planned. it came to stop in the tun-
New Haven local, which left the Grand Central
depot az Z o'clock this morning in charge Of
Engineer Fowler, Fireman Goodale and Con-
ductor George Hutchinson ran into the rear of
tho standing ''shop train"
General Manager Toucey Of the Hudson River
and New York Central road said he had heard
that three men were killed and a number in
jured He said that after the collision New
York Central engine, running light-that is,
without cars attached-ran into the rear Of the
New Haven train.
FIVE PERSONS KILLED.
Flames broke out a few moments after the
second collision, but they were soon gotten un-
der control and the work Of rescue began at
1880 o'clock, five dead and seven injured
being removed. The injured were taken to the
Presbyterian Hospital. None of the passengers
are known to be among the killed or injured
They are all believed to be employees of the
road. The passengers in the New Haven train
were badly shaken up. but beyond some slight
cuts and bruises none Of them were badly hurt
The passengers were taken from the train back
to the Grand Central depot in q Harlem train
that was just passing ut the time in the east
tunnel
GIVEN THE WHITE SIGNAL.
Engineer Fowler Of the New Haven train
said that when at 72d street he got the white
signal, which was signal to 90 ahead; that
there was no ringing of the bell. either. rs is
customary when the danger signal is up. He
was running at the rate of about twenty miles
an hour on the north-bound truck. He was so
close to the shop train before lie was
aware of it that he tclescoped it before
he was hardly able to put on the air brakes.
The shop train consisted Of seven cars includ-
ing several sloepers that had come into the
Grand Central depot early in the morning. and
were on the way to the repair shop, as is the
custom after a trip. In the telescoped shop
train there was probably dozen or more en-
plOyes, both OF the road and Of the Wagner
company. One Of the bodies is that of
woman. She was probably scrub woman.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
Claude Burard OF Messrs Tiffany 4 Co. was OF,
his way to work from his home at "a East s5th
street, when he heard a crash as if the building
had fallen. The next moment he heard an ago
nizcd cry for help. Four young men who
were in the neighb0rhood ran to Mr. Burard's
side. They all rlshed around to S5th street
and took a ladder from building in the course
Of erection. They placed it over the iron rail-
ing which surrounds the opening in the tunnel
and lowered il down to the opening whence the
cries Of distress came.
By this time, however. one of the cars had
caught fire and the heat and smoke drove the
rescuers back. The cries for help still contin-
ued and rs fast as they could they transferred
the ladder to still another opening farther
north. The first man to be helped out by
them was ID. NJ. Culbrid, then man
named McEvoy and Frank Carder,
sergeant major, stationed Mt Davids island. As
soon as the flames were seen the party of res
cuers sent an alarm to the fire engine company
in East 65th street. The firemen responded
promptly and q hose was Mt once directed
upon the burning cars 1t was soon discov-
cred that nearly all those in the two rear cars
had been killed.
CYLINDER HEADS BLOWN OUT.
During the first fifteen minutes after the col
lison two explosions were heard. caused by the
blowing out Of the cylinder heads of a Iocomo-
tive. This was the Eight" locomotive. which
had no cars attached 1t was thrown from the
rails when it collided with the New Haven
train. Both the engineer and fireman escaped
without serious injury.
The majority Of the dead we're thought to be
in the two rear cars. After the fire had been
mastered the firemen, with axes tried to clear
away the debris as to be able to get at the
bodies 1t was finally decided to pull the two
cars apart, and the locomotive OF the New
Haven train, with tear and crash, parted the
two cars. drawing one Of them about ten feet
from the other. In heap of burned cushions.
wood and iron, the bodies we're found and
taken out and wrapped in blankets. They were
then placed side BY side on the southbound
track. The bodies were burned beyond recog-
milton. Parts Of some Of the bodies were COM
pletely burned away.
ACCOUNT OF WITNESS.
Mr.. Frederick Motcer, collector for the Mar
win Safe Company, who was on the 7.O1 train
from the Grand Central depot, tells the follow
ing story:
AT s1st street the collision occurred. It
was terrible scene The engine Of the train
smashed the switch engine and threw it from
the track along with one car. There was the
widest confusion. and the next moment our
engine had telescoped the sleeping car, in which
were a number of New Haven road employees
l ran ahead with the conductor OF our
train. The sleeping car was on FIRE, and
not an instant had elapsed. Il saw man with
his head partly out of the window Of the burn
ing 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
The mans cries were agonizing, he was pin
toned in by the debris. Then another train
| rushed by on its way to New York and the,
draught caused black smoke to hide the
burning car. A1tef tQat We saw
nothing more of the unfortunate man. Then
the fire engines arrived and the work Of extin-
gushing the flames began. / saw two men
taken from the car, one dead and one still
breathing. They presented o horrible specta-
Gle, and il was q sight shall never forget. Our
train was in the center Of the tunnel, on the
| west track. The other train was the same
| track and backing when we struck it. We threw
the engine of the other train across the east side
| track, blocking down traffic. The car next
to the engine w.H badly smashed and thrown
ON the east track with the engines This,
think, was u baggage car, but it was so badly
smashed that am not sure. There were twelve
or thirteen cars in the train we ran into It was
| the opinion Of all that the accident resulted
| from the fact that there was no light ON the
engine facing our train"
KILLED AID INJURED.
The killed numbered five, consisting Of three
| men, one woman and one boy.
So far as known the persons injured are: En-
| gineer Watson, both legs cut of; viii probably
dio. David II. Culbrid, colored. train cook,
twenty-eight years old, Of 107 East 44th street,
| injured internally. VIM. d. Brown brakeman
internal injuries and horribly burned. An UNI
known car cleaner, lacerated about the head
| and body and burned. John Hankins twenty
| eight years old, of $40 West 10th street, car
cleaner, left foot and ankle broken and burned.
His body was severely scalded. Two unknown
| men were taken out unconscious, burned and
bleeding. They we're removed to the Presby-
terrain Hospital
CAUSE OF rnR ACCIDENT.