New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-21
RUNNING INTO AN OPEN ORA W.
NARROW ESCAPE OF A PASSENGER TRAIN
THE LOCOMOTIVE AND ONE CAR PLUNGE INTO
STREAMING ONE HURT.


STREAMING ONE HURT.
A train ON the Staten Island Rapid Transit Rail
way last night ran into open drawbrdge at Bodines
Creek between Port Richmond and West New Brighton
and, although a portion Of the train plunged into the
creek no lives were lost and one was Injured
The train left Port Richmond at 6:05 p M In charge
of Layton Chandler as conductor. The train was com
posed Of five passenger cars and a smokerbaggage
combination car It was drawn by locomotive No.
8, in charge Of John o'Hara, engineer. Thompson
the fireman, was In the cab with the engineer. The
train had about 300 feet TO travel on straight track
before reaching the eTawbrdge. About fifty feet from
the Port Richmond station is the first danger signal
which Is displayed when the draw is OPEN The next
danger signal Is top of the framework OF the draw
bridge. Neither Of these signals can be dlspiayed
unless the bridge is open. When the train lett Port
Richmond, bound for St. George the drawbridge was
open for canaboat to pass and both danger signals
set, the red slides being plainly visible 1t was
not yet dark
Ford Crum, the bridge tender, under the bridge
assisting to get the canal boat through. when some
called his attention to the fact that the train from
Port Richmond had passed the danger signal and was
approaching the open draw. Crum ran up the en-
bankment in excited manner, and when he reached
the track he the train about 100 feet away, COM
ing toward the draw He quickly pulled of his coat
and waved 1t as a signal to the engineer to stop He
succeeded In attracting the attention of the engineer
who whstled down brakes when the train was within
fifty feet of the open draw. O'Hara also reversed
his engine but this did not have the effect to stop
the train, and the locomotive slid over the rails and
when the engine was within few feet OF the open
draw o'Hara and Thompson Jumped out Of the cab.
O'Hara narrowly escaped going overheard. He struck
against a string piece and this saved him from going
into the water. He was not injured. The fireman
also escaped injury. Just as the canal boat had
passed through the locomotive plunged into the open
draw dragging the smoker after it.
There were about sixty passengers on the train
mostly men returning from their work. There were
about twenty men In tho smoking The locomo
tive settled the bottom of the creek, leaving the
smokestack partly above water. 1t was high water
at the time The smokerbaggage combination car did
20 into the creek all the way and the front trucks
rested on the cab Of the locomotive at an angle OF
about A degrees The men In the smoker occupied the
rear portion Of the car They were thrown abOnt IN
violent manner and finally all landed in heap against
the partition leading TO the baggage compartment.
The escaping steam Kissed through the smoking car ano
almost suffOcated the imprisoned men. some OF the
men tried climb out Of the windows OF the smoker
but We're urged to remain where they were Dy te tih
hands. When the excitement had somewhat subslded,
the imprisoned in the smoker managed 10 chmO up
on their hands and knees to the rear platform OF the
smoker when they easily stepped upon the track and
thus escaped. Some of them were bruised and cut by
broken glass, but none was seriously hurt
The car directly behind the smoker ran upon the
rear platform Of the smoker and wrecked it, The pas
in the other badly shaken up Dul noe
injured There were few women anu .NiuIu d cod ~
boz I'd the train. The other cars were not damaged.
Superintendent Frank ;. Cannon was at st Hecrse
when he heard Of the accident. He hurried to tne
scene and was convinced making hasty lnvestlSa,
fon that the accident due TO the carelessness Oh
tbn engtneer 0,Iiara Neither O'Hara nor Thompson
cond be found In the neighborhood OF the wreck. .
Immediately after the engineer jumped from tne
cab Crum SAYS he said TO him, My God man, what
were YOU doing to run your train into the draw me
engineer turned pale he says and WAS SO eXoe1 ' o
that he was fixing his steam pump. which was out .,
, order. when he passed the signal Thompson saio
nothing.