New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-20

PROFESSIONALISM UNABLE TO SEE ON
ACCOUNT OF THE FOG TO WHICH
THE ACCIDENT is ATTRIBUTED.
BY the collision of two trains at the Brook
Iyn end OF the Bridge shortly after o'clock
Yesterday morning. George Grannit a passen-
ger on one Of them. who was twenty-eight
years old. and lived at No $40 East One-hun-
dred-and- ffteenth-st, New-York City, was in
,ured so badly that he died soon afterward.
and Thomas Cooper. twenty-seven years old.
of No. 13l Dikeman-st., Brooklyn, a brakeman.
received injuries from which he died about
o'clock last evening.
The accident was caused primarily by the
extraordinarily heavy fog Mat prevailed at the
time and which. the Bridge officials say, made
the accident unavoidable. and relieved from
blame all Bridge employees. What Coroner
Kene may think about blame is another mat
ter II is said by Superintendent Martin how
ever. that Grannit was where he had no right
70 be-on the platform. within sight Of the sign
on a window forbidding passengers to stand on
the platforms. BY fortunate circumstance,
the cars were not crowded at the time the acc-
den: took place
Al o'clock yesterday morning a fog heavier
.han any that had hung over the sister cities
for long time settled over the big suspen-
sion bridge Wnlcn connects tneHl AZ oNi'Nh
II was so thick that person could see only
a few feet IN front of him Ten Bridge trains
were being run at that time on one and three
quarters minutes headway. and the cars being
run from Brooklyn to New-York were crowded
to the aisles and platforms. The trains from
New-York to Brooklyn bore few passengers.
FOR THE BROOKLYN END
train started at 40 O'Clock from the New
foot hphiud il
other train with Nos 81. r. IS and 49, started
also for the Brooklyn end The first train. it APP
nears reached the incline that extends down
-,vard the Brooklyn terminal station. and. as
usual dropped the cable and coasted down the
grade at increased speed although it is asserted
that the hand-brakes were used to lessen the
speed. The switchman stationed al the Ola
Bridge structure thought that 1t was not sa1e
for the train to proceed 10 the platform oil the
rev station because the track was not clear, ana
he signaIled the gripman. Ross. and its conductor
- stop. Ross on the first car, saw the signal ana
brought the train to a stop. Meanwhile, he
knew the train behind was probably bowling
down the incline and ought to be tagged
As Ross's train came TO a stop. about 700 feet
west Of the old station structure at the Brooklyn
end. a signalman. with a lantern. ooeyed instruc-
TONS by running back to signal and stop the train
ming in the rear on one side OF the rear plat
.,-,o ~ the rnotionless train was the brakeman.
Cooner: on the other end OF the platform was
rrannit. going to Brooklyn to be graduated as
student Of pharmac-. Cooper saw the signalmah
start back to signal the train in the rear so ne
STAYED where he was. The rear car mad only nan
q. dozen Messengers. and the two men on its rear
,latform stood there. apparently UNCONSCIOUS OF
danger
Then the switchmen who had stopped the train
thought there was no danger in allowing II 10
nroceed 10 the pe form Of the new staton' anu
he threw the white safety signal In 'front.' Oh II
as a sign to proceed. a switching IocohnouNe
backed up to it, AID everything was reauE ioi
,be continuation Of the trip to the platform 1t
is said that al this time the fog was so uehse
that II was hard L see ten feet ahead
Tho sw,,chman could not the train when
re had inst signaIed to proceed. and he resolved
,ot IN throw the danger signal TO block the
train behind it until he knew that the hrst IRAN
had passed that white signal
The train behind went bowling down the IN
cline with the gripman, Schaeher' an olo en-
rloye as conductor. on the front PLATFORM ne
GO, No danger signal and he didn't see the
train ahead Of him. superintendent MaI'i"
saws the signalman who had run back wheh me
forward train came to stop met the loHo"ihs
train and swung his lantern and yehed a' '"e
conductor Schaeffel. II stop before ne nd" I"i'
$40 feet west Of the motionless rear car Schaener
did not see the signaiman ana MS hea'! ''"'"
4hundered down through the fog
THE REAR END LOOMED Up.
Suddenly through the mist loomed the rear
end of a Bridge car. in front OF Schaefier' ana
nm IL were two men-COOper ana GFahhlI Inc
rear door was open it is said. but aIthoush
Cooner and Grannit were peering into the haze
they did not see the train rushing oo"" uPo"
,bsro until II was about a score Of feet from
them. The two men, for some reason dlu not
get into the car out Of harms way
Cohaoear at the front Of No. 81. at the
ho.d ~ tho moving train. did not see the red
.au larnns Of the car ahead Of him until ne
was almost upon it. 1t was too laie TO apply
tho brakes. or signal. or give warning anu a.
,hougb he started to run backward the crash
came before ne could get out Of dangers way
car M. -. with the momentum Of the tram
behind II. gathered the rush doWh"aru
without the full application Of brakes smasheu
in,o car No co. on the rear OF the tram JUS
stsrfing for the platform. There We're iou1
sn,ds after the impact. of breaking iron and
grinding steel. and splintering wood. "a a =
hv the trains momentum the iron, u on
No so leaped up and into the rear o. NJ o. -
So ntatform had been standing Cooper ana
(,ranuit a second De1Ort -, limo
49, above and over the platform OF car ~ w. w,
carried away the glass and woodwork , OF TVS us
rear frame and smashed INTO its Hoou. ~
-, Cooner was thrown almost 10 the
ntdGie Of his car after his legs had been cue
off as with an axe, in the impact-onr ap ~'s q
the knee and the other below H. t,Idi'',io 80
- aeu-n in the corner at which ne mao
been standing and his feet were horribly III
jGred. 80 - bic hand caught
os ti@ I'm ran into the other one. ana pauIS
hurt in the wreckage His escape from ho az for
seems almost miraculous ana ne say Una"
awhile he Thought he was dead .rucL
car No GO was driven from us reHd uere
u.btcb fau across the track The hoods W." ~
.,, -. - nnnss ~ snlnters and I'm. az lIl,