New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-25

DEATH on THE ELEVATED.
ACCIDENT AT THE CORTLANDT-ST. STA
TION OF THE SIXTH-AVE. LINE

ACCIDENT AT THE CORTLANDI-SI olf-
TION OF THE sIXTH-AvE. LINE.
THREE MEN WE'RE SEEN TO COME on THE PLAT
FORM AND SOON BEGAN sKYLARKING-JUsT
AS A TRAIN APPROACHED TWO WENT OVER
TIE EDGE-ONE FOUND DEAD CRUSHED
AGAINST THE IRON GrRDERs- THE
OTHER DIED AT \ HOSPITAL
THE THIRD DISAPPEARED
GREAT EXCITEMENT ~
THE STATION
Two men were killed about o'clock last night
by Sxth-ave. elevated train at the Cortlandt-st.
station, on the uptown track. From effects found
upon their bodies they identified DR..
Francis J. Whittemorc. Of No. 10 West Forty
third-st. and George II. Bastley. of No. 3Os West
One hundred and twenty ninth-st. The fatal acc
dent is supposed to be due to skylarklng. DR..
Whittemore was killed 'rs' ,ntly. through being
crushed between the tram and the platform.
while the other man died from internal injuries
shortly after being removed TO Hudson Street
Hospital.
The most intelliglble account that can be OBJ
tanned Of what occurred previous to the accident
il furnished by Benjamin Cour,ar the ticket
chopper on duty at the time. He says that a
few minutes after o'clock three men came up
the station stairs in company The men were
apparently in a jovial m pod One Of them pur-
chased tickets for the three and they passed out
on the platform. walking toward the north end
+ the station. They halted in front Of the exit
gate where. according & the ticket-choppcr.
they began skylarking while standing near the
edge of the platform.
A Harlem train in charge Of Engineer John
g. Anmyscn. was then short distance from
the station where it due at $40 O'Clock.
The three men were apparently Needless Of
the approaching train. or else they wanted to
frighten one another. to judge from their ac-
tions
ONE OF THEM TUMBLED OFF.
As the locomotive Of the train had about
reached the ticket choppers box one Of the
men. said to be Basiley was seen to tumble
off the platform. with one Of the others trying
10 hold him As the engine reached the spot
where the men had been standing only one
was noticed there In the excitement that fol-
lowed he disappeared and his identity could
not be learned.
As he saw the first man fall to the track the
ticket chopper shrieked with terror. and ran
toward the spot where he saw him disappear
engineer left his cab and hurried back to the
first car He looked down between the tracks
and the edge Of the PLATFORM but could see
nothing at first.
CRUSHED AGAINST THE IRON ORDERS.
He then secured torch from the engine and
by it's light the knot Of spectators on the plat
form discovered the body of a crushed
against the iron girders under the platform.
The man gave no sign Of He. and it was de-
clded that he was dead. He was so firmly
wedged In between the track and girders tnat
there apparent means Of eXtricat'ng MIN.
The greatest excitement prevailed. and every che
seemed at loss what To do.
The ticket chopper however the moment ne
realized that man was under the train. had run
down 10 the Church-st. statlOn-hOuse, which Is
Close. beside the elevated station and shouted 10
the sergeant TO nd for ambulance.
It happened that an ambulance from Hudson
Street Hospital had just started from the station
house. ami it was soon stopped. The ambulance
surgeon hastenel upstairs to the platform He
had t. cross the platform ~ the cars ana crawl
under the train in order TO reach the pinoned
man lie felt his pulse and then shouted u those
on the pla form that the man was dead.
SOME or THE PLATFORM CUT AWAY.
Roundsman william Butler, with several po-
licemcn. now arrived Several Of them carried
platform 50 that the mans body could be lifted
from its position In ten minutes the body lay
ON tin. PLATFORM 1t was badly mangled. Life
had evidently been crushed ont. the wheels
had not passed over the mans body. The left
hand was pressed behind the unfortunate mans
back in such manner that II was almost en-
tirely torn off by coming In contact with the
iron girders The features OF the dead man
were recognizable.
II was not until the body had been lifted to
the platform that the policemen and trainmen
seemed 10 realize that Il second man was sun
beneath the train. Several OF the policemen
crawled under the ear next 10 the tender ana
near the forward trucks saw a mans FORM
living lengthwise along the track close TO the
inside rail He was apparently dead Dut Wnen
Dr CRANKY the ambulance surgeon. crawled to
his side he found that the man still showed
signs Of life Stimulants were administered. ana
he was then dragged out on the narrow foot
path alongside the track Engineer Amnysen
then drew his train out ~ me sta'ofl' ana III.
senseless man was lifted upon the platform:
stretcher WIS brought and he was carried to
the waiting ambulance. and driven as fast as
possible to the hospital The body of the dead
man was carried To the police station
Policeman Brownell made 4 pris )ner ~ the en-
gineer and rode In the engine with MN 70 rnN-
ninth-st He then brought him ana the CONDUCTOR
back II the Church-st station where they were
locked ND The conductor il Charles Delmonical
Of No. 22l West Fortirth-st
THINGS TO IDENTIFY THE BODIES
\ search Of the body at the station-house re-
suited in the finding Of some papers, which
showed that the dead man was. in all proba-
hility pr Whittemore. He wore black serge
suit which bore the name of Boston tailoring
firm He also wore a dark melton oNercoat,
black derby hat and an outing shirt. In hs
pockets was found Is cents in money, room
KEY for the Park Avenue Hotel marked No. iiS.
a coat or baggage check with the number 81
upon IT, and a copy of The Grocers Monthly
Review" The dead man was about thirty-tVe
years old. H.,
The man who removed 10 the hospltai,
died shortly after being carried into one ot the
wards An examination showed that ms iett
foot and thigh had beer. crushed in frlghtful
manner He IS believed TO be the man who fell
to the track first. The locomotive must nave
pa ssed over his body without the ashpan touch
..--l .La.lI no. ~ a