The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-09-13
DISASTERS ON THE RAIL.
TWO FATAL COLLISIONS IN
NEW YORK.
A Train From Rockaway Beach
Crashes Into Another From Coney
Island - Fifteen Persons Almost
Instantly Killed and Many Others
Hurt -Elixro IEiIlnxI On tho III ri nm

Crashes Into Another From Coney
Island - Fifteen Persons Almost
Instantly Killed and Many Others
Hurt--Five Killed on the Harlem
Fifteen dead and several score injured Is
the record of q wreck that occurred at mid
night on the main line of the Long Island
Railroad, in the outskirts Of Long Island
City, N. Y.
1t was the worse railroad disaster that evei
occurred on Long Island. Eleven person,
were killed outright, two died on the way tc
the hospital in Long Island City, and two
more died next day in the hospital. One oI
the killed was Colonel Z. A. Buck Of the
Spirit Of the Times. There were sixteen in
jured in the hospital. and Of these it was he
lieved that three would die, while the con-
dition OF several others was very serious
More than seventy other persons were hurt
and after receiving medical attendance at
the wreck went to their homes.
One account of the terrible accident says
that ut 1.03 o'clock o crowded train Of six
cars, drawn by Engine No. 10, left Rockaway
Beach for Long Island City. Twelve min.
utes afterward train even more densely
crowded left Manhattan Beach (Coney Isl.
and). When just past Laurel Hill station
the coupling of the Manhattan Beach train
broke between the third and fourth cars.
The engine and first three cars stopped,
backed up and the coupling was reattached.
This was at Haberman's crossing. The night
was black az ink.
Trainman Thomas Finn was sent back, but
before he had gone far the train started
slowly and Finn ran after 1t, and had just
swung himself upon the rear platform
when the Rockaway train, going at fully
fifty miles an hour, came rushing round tho
bend. In less than two seconds it crashed
into tho rear of the Manhattan train. It was
exactly II. as when the crash came, az several
watches on the persons of the dead stopped
at the minute.
The impact was awful. The two rear cars
were split from end to end and the third was
lifted from the track and thrown clear to one
side. Fortunately the coupling on the Man
haitian train broke at the same spot as before,
between tho third and fourth cars, and the
force or tho blown simply drove the rest
Of the train forward at almost full headway.
Engineer Donaldson did not stop to see what
damage had been done, but, pulling tho
throttle wido open, rushed his engine and
two cars 10 Long Island City, few miles
away, as rapidly as possible. This peculiar
conduct meets with the approval OF the Of
ficials Of the road. who say that II he had
stopped it would only have made tho
confusion worse and delayed relief.
Be that as it may the alarm had been given be-
tore he reported it. Tho appeal camo from
the Long Island Chemical Works, half 4 mile
from the scene Of tho accident. It was by
telephone. and the unknown sender prayed
the officials to send all tho doctors and am
balances to the wreck, as scores had been
killed and hundreds injured.
At the moment OF the death crash every
l,,,k. fNrcyNfknr,
Men. struggled and fought in the darkness,
but it was ouly for moment They became
still again and waited for something more,
they did not know what. When it did not
come thoy evoke from their apathy and be-
gan to work. They found that the left side
OF tho two last cars Of the Manhattan Beach
train had been smashed to kindling wood,
while the right halves lay on their sides
filed with groaninS and wounded humanity.
Tho Kissing steam, the cries Of the women
and children and tho shrieks and groans OF
tho injured we're appalling. For nearly two
hours tho wounded and dying lay shrieking
and moaning beside the track. Dead bodies
were impaled in broken pieces Of the Man
haitian Beach troin, and one man hung across
the seething boilers. The engine had been
stripped OF everything save its cover OF steel.
The roof of the last car OF the Manhattan
Beach train had shot forward over the plow-
ing engine of tho Rockaway train, carried
away smokestacli and cab, and then, such
was tho fearful force of the shock, shot clear
over and through tho roof OF the first car OF
the Rockaway train.
Almost before the first horror Of the shock
was over ex-Alderman Patrick White OF New
town began to organize the uninjured. By
voice and example he urged them to clear
away tho wrecknge As fast as the injured
we're taken out they were carried to the slope
in front OF the tin shop. where, BY the light
OF the train lamps, their wounds were hastily
tied up b. Drs. Knapp and Godfrey, who
were on the train. They took their coats on
and worked like army surgeons on the field.
In q short time roliet train from Long
Island City, with several doctors ON board,
arrived at the scene Of the accident, and the
injured received proper attention. while the
dead we're conveyed to the morgue at New
town. >,
The responsibility for the accident was said
to rest between Robert j. Knott, the signal
man in the tower wero it occurred, and En-
ginoer Conkrite. who was In the cab OF tnc
Rosksway Beach t.ain. Knott declared the
danger signal was ses that should nave
blocked the Rockaway train. Conkrite
vowod that 1t was not.
Fatal Collision on the Harlem Road.
On tho afternoon Of the same day that
tho alovs terrible acciden: occurred, i fata
collision TOOK place on thu New York and
Harlem Railroad. Train No. Is left the
Grand Central Station in NewYork, at10 80
o'clock an, end proceeded northward.
While going around sharp curve near
Dykeman's = Station at 1886 p. M. the train
crashed into train No. 20, which was running
southwark, also at full speed. Each train
had four coaches. The two front coaches
and the engine Of each train were smashed
into splinters.
The engineers and tiremen OF botn trains
were killed. One passenger. 4 young wo-
man. was crushed to death in her seat. and
seven other persons were moro or less
reriousJy injured.
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