New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-03
TOLD ny THOSE WHO SAW 1T.
SCENES AROUND THE WRECK DESCRIBED BY
PEOPLE IL AND NEAR IT.

SCENES AROUND THE WRECK DESCRIBED 81
PEOPLE ~ AND NEAR 1T.
William NJ Chapman. who lives at NO. S"f9
Bay Thirteenth-st, Bay Ridge. was seen AT MS
home last evening by Tribune reporter lie
said Il was riding down Eighteenth-aVe' "heh
| heard the long shrill danger whistle OF tralh
on the Sea Beach Railroad. The tram that
whistled was evidently going from Coney Island
to Brooklyn | turned from Eighteenth-ave. ana
rode through MapletOn to the crossing at WOOD
lawn Park When | reached the railroad CROSS
ing | found that locomotive No had crashed
into the rear end of train about one huhdreu
yards north Of the crossing. The train that mao
suffered the collision was composed of about
seventeen cars Engine No. had completely
telescoped the last car. The smokestack of the
engine was close to the middle OF the last car
and the seats and passengers were piled together
in neXtricable confusion.
There were great may injured people lying
about some Of them in the cars and some who
had been helped oar were lying on the grass
beside the track The rear car badly
wrecked and had caught fire from the engine
and begun to burn. The second and third cars
from the rear were not seriously damaged. but
the fourth car was showed over the car ahead
OF IT,
Many of the injured who lay on the grass
beside the railroad were badly hurt. and this
fact. together with the burning cars. the shr.eks
OF the wounded and the cries of their frlehds
made II an extremely trying sight to look upon
One man whom noticed had both MS legs ana
an arm broken: another had sustained frac-
ture Of the skull and was covered with blood:
The people who were standing about were afraid
that the boiler OF the runaway engine would
burst and were afraid 10 assist the wounded III
the train. but 1T was discovered afterward that
there were only ten pounds of steam on
HELPLESSNEsS of THE POLICEMAN.
zone thing that struck me particularly was
the helplessness Of the mounted policeman who
was at the scene when | arrived there lie
seemed 10 have completely lost his head ana did
nothing to help the injured. | told him to tele-
phone for help. and he answered that ne ala
not know where to go. told him to go 10 the
Hebrew Cemetery as there a telephone
station there and that was the last saw OF him.
THE railroad trainmen also seemed utterly
incompetent and not one OF them vas seen 70 pe
doing anything TO help the SUFFERING Nctims
about the scene OF the accident
There were a great many pathetic scenes
there. one woman with d child had escaped
from the accident without injury, but her nus
hand was Imprisoned In the car and badly In
jured She cried for help and for doctor, run
ming wildly to and fro; but no one seemed able
TO help her.
"Ona Young woman who helped into a car
rlage tainted in the arms of her escort from the
result of her injuries and the shock. think
that she was Miss Laura Mountclair. of No. 133
West One-hundred- a nd thirtieth-st.. New York.
She Is a sister-n-law OF Sergeant Ball. or the
Oak-st. station.
LOST THEIR HEADS.
Women and men lost their heads completely.
OF course. there was some excuse for this, but
for the three or four mounted police who after
ward came TO act like little children seemed Ut
terly foolish and blameworhy Practically moth
ing was done by the police to help the suffering
until the appearance of the squad from the
Twenty-ffth Sub-Precinct at Bath Beach"
WOULDN'T LET THEM USE THE WATER.
one of the men IN the BlytheboTrne Fire En-
CINE Company named Rogers. said that when the
fire engine reached there the were on fire.
He said that there tank close at hand be-
longing to the railroad company containing 1863
gallons Of water but the railroad on Gals refused
10 allow them to use any Of the water.
At the Twenty-hfth Sub-Precirct. al Bath Beach.
which visited by a Tribune reporter last
evening. several articles Of clothing were found
that had been left on the scene Of the accident.
Detective John Taylor. who one Of the most
efficient OF the police detail In helping the In
jured. said that one man. who was conspicuous
for his unselhsh efforts In caring for the suffering
had left a black diagonal coat and waistcOat
under the head Of a poor woman who had been
seriously injured. and then disappeared The
coat and waistcoat were afterward taken to the
Twenty-ffth Sub-Precinct Station. and in Of
the pockets was found a telegram addressed to