New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-11

Of centre track extends between the main
tracks south Of the station nearly to Liberty
ave, ending in the bumper which was there
yesterday morning Engine No. %, drawing
four cars. in charge II Charles Fish. engineer
and Frank Baumann. fireman. entered the
switch at 1.35 a. m. Three other trains had
previously switched there for the days traffic
As the train ncared the bumper the engineer at
tempted TO stop IT. but the momentum was so
great that the wheels refused to obey the brakes
The bumper appeared TO offer obstruction. and
the engine glided off the ends ~ the rails and
dropped with tremendous crash into Sncdeker-
IL struck the granite pavement and was almost
totally wrecked. The engineer is supposed T.
have jumped the engine fell. FOR he landed
On the pavement beside the wreck The smoking
car which followed the engine fell upon him In
such a way that hc was able Ia cXtricatc himself
Tho fireman. Baumanu. went down with the
engine and was pinlonod beneath f. The for
ward car. which followed the locomotive. broke
loose from car so. lo7. mex, to IT, but the latter
Mas half way over the end Of the tracks when II
stopped. The coupler broke but the chains held
the rar.
Alarms were sent out 10 police and hremen
Upon their arrival Jacks were secured and the
cab = the locomotive Wa, raised up and the
fireman was taken out. He was badly scaldci
about the face and body. His lcft leg was
broken and he received srycr. internal injuries
rhc' proved fatal at -, ? m, at st Mary's
Hospital t. which he had been taken. He was
tW,nfj -t.0 years old and lived with his parents
ai So ~ liberty ave
Engineer Fish was badly bruised and II Is
Thought tlit hts skull Was fractured. He Is
heavy man aud was carried with difficulty into
nclghhoring house. nj Nl. 81 Sncieker-ave Lnter
hr was taken 10 his own home. ~. - Russell
Place as y. declined io x 80 a hospital.
Both the engine and ear were badly wrecked
and las In ruins ir the street. Little damage
WAS done to tho elevated structure save 10 tn"
bumper. for non" oi th" gird"rs w"r" struck Dy
the falling locomotive and car. A brakeman
named Mcdonald was standing between tn" hrst
and second cars when tn" accident occurred. but
saved himself by jumping Qn. The operation ~
trains On the road was entirely stopped for half
an hour In the busiest part ~ IN" morning hours.
and delayed f1r much longer time, as the block
ing - the switching track required all trains to
run t. the terminus Of the line.
The work ~ removing the wreck was not com
plctod yesterday. The accident will be the sub
feet Of careful inquiry which was begun yes
tcrday
The engineer told Mr.. Keating to whose house
he was taken. that the track was slippery with
Ice ana the brakes did not seem 10 have any
effect I'm checking the train. He IL married
man. thirty-three years old. and has been em-
pipyed by The company since 1857. when the road
was opened lie is n sober industrious man. and
,en.rai Manager o;ounde. of the Kings
County Company. visited IN" place OF the wreck
and made "A careful inquiry In regard 10 tne aC-
cldent He said aftcrward: mo amount oi Nigi-
lane. on the part OF the company could nave pre-
vented this accident | was formerly an engineer
and have run many fast trains Al UnleS -"
engineer Is absent minded. Fish had run trains
into that pocket thousand times Three trains
had been IN before him in the morning. 50 'h',
tracks could not have been slippery. lie had
,,nuncd m. train at Atlantic-aVe. so his brakes
,.aro I'm perfect order When he passed INTO me
uocket it was the first time in severa trips that
he had gone i'm there. Maybe ne hau i"iE''',n
fnr the moment whore he WAS. Al any rd'e' "'
ran AT a lively speed and cut off the bumper as
n II had been a bit Of cheese. examined ihe
wood and found 1t was solid block. IN" Ste
braccs an inch and half through. were snapped.
,rb. cnmn.nv could have done nothing 10 max"
th. pocket more safe The bumper was ne
standard one the same as used clseWhrI'' ln'
engineer has his hand constantly on tnc eN''
Governing the vacuum brakes. ana IL thcS ulu
not work ne should have blown his whistle
which hc failed To do. A., ,. 10
The damage TO the locoW'iNe an" ~" ~ "
estimated at s.. 800