New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-18
THE ACT or A HERO.
FRANK MULDOON SAVES A PASSENGER
TRAIN FROM WRECK.
HE CLOSES AN OPEN SWITCH IN FRONT OF
THE PHILADELPHIA FLYER. AND is
STRUCK BY THE ENGINE AND

STRUCK BY THE ENGINE AND
THROWN SEVERAL FEET.
If it had not been for the coolness and prompt
of young man. the Philadelphia flyer
on the Central Railroad of New-Jersey would
have met with fr1ghtfu accident near Plain
field yesterday afternoon. The young man who
prevented the accident badly injured. Not
far from the city the Central Railroad tracks
run along a high emba nkment. The track is
nearly straight and level The trains which
do not stop at the Plainfeld station make time
on this stretch. If an engineer is few min
utes late leaving Jersey City, or Is delayed along
the road, he puts all possible speed on his engine
to make up for the lost time.
one of tre fastest trains on the road Is the
Philadelphia flyer. Its comparatively short run
makes II necessary for the engineer to lose no
time The embankment ends near the station.
There is switch with small siding just be-
fore the embankment ends. This switch Is not
often used but is equipped with the usual safe
guards including a target.
Some time between the passage Of the previous
train and the arrival Of the Philadelphia flyer
yesterday this switch was thrown The switch
man carelessy went away and left it open, but
fortunately forgot to lock II. Had he locked IL,
nothing could have saved the train from rolling
down the embankment. AZ 1t was. the lock
was In the staple 1ut the SWltch was turned 10
throw the train upon the siding. Among those
standing about the station was young man
named Frank Muldopn. WEen the Philadelphia
nyer APPEARED in the distance those standing
on the platform moved away from the track TO
avoid the dust AMI stones which are torn up
and carried along by the train. Muldoon was
moving back with the others, when he looked
up the track and saw. instead Of the white race
Of the target. the red disc. He realized at once
the terrible peril which menaccl the oncoming
train. He to the switch. pulled out the
lock. threw down the hasp. and was Just swing
ing the rails into proper position whtn the tral,
struck the ends ~ the switch rail. But he had
succeeded i'm closing the switch Muldoon was
struck by the engine and thrown several feet
The engineer nd seen the danger disc and
had reversed" long before he strrck the switch.
The momentum Of the train. however. was 50
great that the engine and four cars had passed
the frog when the train came 10 a standstill.
The passengers. who were we'll shaken up by the
sudden stopping of the train hurried out When
the crowd reached the engine the engineer was
.naking like one with aEue. He told what a
narrow escape the train had had. and while ne
was talking others were taking care or Muldoon:
II was found ;hat he severely bruised ana
his arm dslocated Had the engine run upon
the switch II would undoubtedly nave lett
the rails owing TO the sudden curve taken by
the switch II would then have rolled down the
embankment probably and have carried some OF
tho cars along II II had held the rails IL would
still have been in danger Of whipping the rear
end ~ the train from the rails when IL reached
the curve The passengers VINO were on the eA-
press announced their intention or re"arulhs
NuliOon.