New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-05
THE CAR TURNED BOTTOM UP.
A PECULIAR ACCIDENT ON THE BROOK
LYN BRIDGE.
THE REAR CAR OF A wEsTBoUND TRAIN SOME
HOW GOT OFF THE TRACKS AND GENTLY
ROLLED OvER-LUCKILY THERE WE'RE
FEW PASSENGERS AND NO
ONE WAS HURT.


FEW PASSENGERS AND no
ONE WAS HURT.
A peculiar accident whose cause was hard to
explain and whose results fortunately not
serious occurred yesterday afternoon the
Brooklyn Bridge Since the terrible accident
which happened on May 80 1sS3 only few days
after the great structure was formally opened
when a panic occurred on the stairway just west
of the New-YOrk pier and twelve men, women and
children were killed, and thirty persons injured
millions have crossed the structure, and the
accidents have been few and insignificant in
their character as hardly TO warrant mention in
the newspapers.
Shortly before O'Clock yesterday afternoon a
rumOr was heard to the effect that there had been
a frightful accident on the Bridge and that many
persons killed injured II apparent
from elevated points In New-York and Brooklyn
that something was wrong. for the cars had
stopped running. the northern roadway was
deserted. while the sou hern roadway was packed
with vehicles and trucks and teams Of all sorts
wedged together in a solid mass. unable TO
move inch The horror Of eleven years ago
was quickly recalled to many minds, and soon
the entrances to the Bridge. both on the New
York and Brooklyn sides. were beseged by
anxious inqurers.
personal injury was concerned. and It carried
with il little in the way Of financial loss. a
passenger car. into which $50 persons might be
packed, looks we'll enough as II glides smoothly
and with uniform speed over steel rails. But a
view of that car lying on Its back. with the
trucks where the top OF the car ought to be is
an altogether different thing
THE HOUR WAS FORTUNATE.
II the accident had occurred about o'clock in
the morning. the Brooklyn side Of the Bridge.
or about 6 o'clock on the New-York side many
persons must have been killed
A train Of four cars was made up In the Brook
lyn terminus OF the Bridge TO start for New
York at 31s o'clock p. About $50 feet distant
from the starting point IN the Brooklyn shed
there was a switch tower TO the right Of the
yestbound track T VI. Wootten. OF No. 20 Du
pont-st Brooklyn. occupied 1t yesterday as
lever man" Some railway men call this "the
catch-up tower because here the cable IS lifted
up that the grip on the ca may De closed upon
the cable. It = the business OF the lever man 70
see that each car catches the cable. He saw the
three forward taking their grips properly
Suddenly ne experienced a shock on the side ~
the box in which he stationed; then he felt
the box moving from its foundations and while
ne was still holding 70 the handle OF the
lever the entire establishment turned over into F.
tached to westbound vehicle grinning a;
his PROSTATE form through small side window
Of the lever mans former booth
Mr. Wootten knew that something unusual had |
happencd for his head was several degrees be
low his heels, and he heard huinming ouzzing |
noise in front OF him. lie picked himself up |
looked through aperture Of his prison pen, |
hunted for the door and found It. but AS 1t was
on the lower side OF the tower he couldn't get ont
that way. So he wisely followed the smile 81 the
horse who had looked in him Pleasantly
escaped by bursting the window frames ana
walked out unhurt
THE CAR TOPPLES OVER
Then he saw the last of the train struggling
toward New-York with the wheels Of the rear
truck following a wooden beam running along
the track instead OF over the rails. lie did not
look long.v for soon the toppled over upon n
stone or asphalt extension Of the sidewalk and
finally into the north roadway.
Mr. Wootten ran TO the overturned car. Bridge |
Policeman Brennan and Joined him. and
both went 10 the rescue Of any possible victims |
Of the accident
Fortunately there were few TO care for
Charles H. Gray. night city editor Of The |
Morning Journal" was one Of the occupants OF
the overturned car. lie lives in Brooklyn, ana
in crossing the bridge 1t is his custom to seek /
find a seat he says. Opposite 10 him sat II young /
woman at the extreme eastern end Of the tram /
Forward was woman with niue chiid; ana
or pOste 10 them sat middle aged man w men /
the car left the track Mr.. Cray said that its
motion was something like that Of "A steamer /
giving a urch. The young woman who sat
opposite him bent forward. was finally, though |
not violently thrown from the seat. and accepted i
the proffered hand extended by MrGray to steady /
her In an instant. however the young woman /
rolled with the circular motion OF the car
as /, gradually turned upside down and she was /
lying PROSTATE on the Inside OF the roof Mean /
while the side door on the south side OF the car
had been crushed In and, losing It's bracng, mad /
intercepted the fall Of Mr.. Gray.
There was low cry Of fright from the woman /
and the child in the forward end Of the car; and
the man opposite. being thrown forward and |
finding himself unhurt assisted them
Conductors Rudolph f. Hewitt and James Clark
spectively. Mr.. Hewitt seized stanchion on the |
platform when he noticed the hrst swaying mo,
ton and clung 70 the post until the car had |
settled. Conductor Clark jumped Off. ana both !
conductors. with a coolness aferward com
mended by the Bridge officials at once turned
But the lever man, Woo,ten, had already APP |
peared. had Bridge Policeman Brennan MT.
Gray came forth from the car with the young |
woman and the escaped persons were hurredly |
transferred to another train to make their way !
20 New-York. Their names could not De ascer-
tained.
Meanwhile woman's sympathy had manifested
Itself from overhead. Cornelius La1erty, OF NO;
1l2 York-st Brooklyn. with Mrs. Lanerty ana |
a child were walking on the promenade Just over
looking the scene Of the accident Mrs Lanerty. |
at sight OF the overturned car tainted ana was |
carried 10 the waiting room at the Brldse en- |
trance on the Brooklyn side. She quickly re.
covered. however. and with her husband ana
child resumed the Journey 10 New-YOrk
1t was said, aiso, that sallor whose naIhe was was
not known, while walking on the promenade, saw
the accident and leaping over the barriers, as
sisted far as he could. In taxing the people
from the overturned car.
The cause OF the accident is ascrbed to the
displacement OF curved plate In the FORWARD
u ie hell
and was caught up by 1hc rear trucks AS
soon as the wheels OF the rear trucks or tne |
"a met the obstruction they were lifted from the
raiIs a nd this threw the off the track. Thus IL
made its way tearing up the timbers that ran |