New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-09
DEATH WAS IN SIGHT.
AN ELEVATED RAILROAD PLATFORM AT
CONEY ISLAND GIVES WAY.
ONE MAN SERIOUSLY AND FIFTEEN OTHERS
SLIGHTLY INJURED SCREAMING AND
EXCITED WOMEN.


EXCITED WOMEN
An accident occurred on tho platform Of the
elevated railway station at West Brighton Beach
yesterday afternoon, in which several people were
injured. A great loss of life was narrowly avcrtcd
Twenty feet of the platform, on which fully 800
mon and women were crowded, waiting for the
elevated train to convey them to the Brighton
Beach racctrack, collapsed. Fortunately no
| opening was made The broken platform was
caught by the sub-trcstlc. otherwise the crowd
would have been dropped to the railroad yard
| Twenty-Five feet below.
Tie accident occurred at 80 o'clock. train
of the Bay Ridge line with several ears crowded
with racrgocrs had Just landed its passengers at
West Brighton, and most of these passengers had
hurried mp the steps and through the turnstle
onto the platform of the elevated railroad. There
were probably 800 people in this crowd and they
Were all to be at the Brighton track for
ia" first race, which wa, 10 he called at o'clock
I They pushed and crowded one another. eager Ia
catch the first train There was no train in.
One was coming down the track, however, and
the passengers rushed TO the side Of the platform
whore they thought the train would come. There
two tracks here AZ the station, and the board
ing platform runs between them. There are also
plat forms on the extreme left and right Of the
tracks on which TN" incoming passenger, are
lnndcd The waiting passengers had chosen
the wrong sid. of the platform, and as the
train switched on and came down thc siIn
opposite the people. they rushed across til" plat
form in n body Tier" terrible crashing
Of boarls mingled with >hrcks of women and
calls and shouts Of men Several feet Of tn"
light framework holding the plankS of th" plat
form had given way. The pcop" were thrown
4 ii min tb. Of Ia.
One man only fell through the place between
the broken platform and the track. and he is the
only one seriously injured. This was Anthony
Schneider, q retired liquor dealer, Of NO. ?o9
Alcxandcr-ave, this city He fell the full dis
tance twenty-five feet, to the caryard, and
alightcd between two boxcars He was badly
cut about the head and IT /, believed that his
hip is fractured
4 moment after the platform broke thousand
people had gathered about the station and great
excitement prevailed. The Police Headquarters
are near by and Chief Mckanc. with Sergeant
Murphy and IA squad of officers, was AT TN"
place almost instantly. DR. j. .. F. Hill ana
hi- assisfant-Dr Flclschhau"r-Soon arrived, too.
and gave valuable assistance. The injured per
SONS taken acrO+~ Suri-ave. TO DIR. liill's
drug store. where their wounds were dressed.
A. the platform begin TO give way the crowd
on the nnhrokcn part pushed TO the further end
and crossed th" tr"-tl" TO the other platform.
Some who still I'll" steps crowded back
until there was almost a crush AZ the exit
gate 1ho-e who did not fall were OF the opinion
that thc whole platform MIS- about to coIap"
and rushed TO a place OF safety.
For a few minutes il seemed that there must be
p great loss OF lite Fortunately no one was
Sillea when the platform was cleared the |
iority OF those hurt were found TO have escaped
with slight bruises and cuts. Anthony Schncid P,
the only on. seriously hurt. VA, taken to the
Prospect Hotel. adjoining the elevated station, /
whore hc i now under the carc Of Br. llill
Among Others nlurrd wer" Miss Lane. \o. 100 /
West ono bun rcd-and-ffticth-.t VI Gros-Inln. |
40 lOl East Eighty-rnth-st.: VI Gallagher Fifth |
=. vcnur club: Mis- Woodward. 90 ,rchIri-.t.. /
\ i. Guch-. Rroadway and fonrth-Nt.: Iam".
Wlinns No Loco >"cond-ay", all OF /
this city. \ number of others were slightly /
cut or bruis"i. but would rot give th"li nIm",
SIXTEEN in aR Wcr" injured There Viii be- IN /
Investigation ~ learn the cau-" of IN" accident.
Superintendent Flinlay. Of the elevated road. could
not be- iourd last evening. Yesterday afternoon
hr told reporter that th" accl-4nt wa- tn fault
one spot and that an iron framework would not
have held them.
DR. Hill. who was in his ofcr in the Prospect
Hotel. and III" people on tia. platform from
his window which Is Just ~ III" sii" of IN"
'h" crowd not larger than usual
on a Saturday rncrday.
Twenty minutes after III" acclden' occurred
the elevated station was open for Passengers
again Tic company used the other track
until tho break could bc repaired. Last evening
The whole platform was IN as ANA there were
lcw sicne OF Nh" accident