New-York tribune., 1896-01-20
WRECKED NEAR VAN NEST.
THE BODY CT A FIREMAN LITERALLY
TORN TO PIECES.

PASSENGER TRAIN CRASHES INTO PART OF
FREIGHT-REMARKABLE GYRATIoNs OF THE
ENGINE-oNLY TWO PASSENGERS.
AND THEY WERE NOT HURT.
peculiar wreck occurred on the Harlem
branch Of the New-York New-IIaven and Hart
ford Railroad, neac Van Nest station. yesterday
morning. Passenger train No AL. which left
New Rochelle at a. m ran into part OF
freight train The engine was badly smashed
and the fireman was literally cut to pieces only
two passengers were aboard. and neither was
injured. The engineer escaped with shaH.hg-
up and a few bruises. The train consisted q
locomotive No. 800 and three suburban coaches'
such are used on the elevated road IN TINS
city. 1t stops at all stations on the way, but
goes at good speed, and makes the fifteen
miles to Onc-hundre la d-twenty- y-nnth-st. in
thirty-hve minutes.
\ local freight train. No. 1s3 in charge OF
James FlcmminG. had passed Van Nest only
short time before the passenger train was due
and had dropped half dozen cars, leaving them
on side track that branches off from the down
town track of the main line about four hundred
yards above the station. Through somebody's =
carelessness the freigh:-cars were left too near
the switch. and projecting corner OK the last
car was directly above one rail- Of the main
track
Engine No. 900 Is dummy" with Eight
pilot at either end. II was running backward
pulling the train, and the 1rcmans side of the
cab was on the right side Of the train. Charles
Gilbert. Of Ncw-Rochelc. was just firing up as
he came around the curve toward Van Nest
when the broad beam of the tender struck the
corner of the misplaced freight-car. Tender and
L. ell Ia NJ loco
motive and he was crushed 10 death.
The collision threw the engine sldewise, tear
ing the opposite rail away 1t ran on. overturn-
Ing large sw!tch-stand. till 1t struck the inner
rail Of the uptown track This DETECTED it again.
and after describing arc nearly two hundred
feet long it ran back to It's own track, bit
a way along the ties and finally ended by gain
ing the rails again. The engineer. Frank Macy,
stopped the engine every wheel excepting those
OF the hndermost trucks being on the tracks
II had broken loose from the coaches. Ihey
went of the track at the broken rail. but kept
on a straight line. For the whole length OF the
train they brushed against the wreck or the
freighi-cars. smashing platforms. breaking WIN
dows. AMI peeling away great patches ot their
sides.
When the locomotive struck the uptown track
ard was thrown back toward its own the lunge
hurled Gilherts mangled body over the boiler to
another sldetrack fifteen feet away. II was
picked up In basket ard carried 70 Savin
Undertaking rooms opposite St Raymond's 3
Church. nearby.
Within an hour after the wreck a train from
New-York reached the place and the tracks were
cleared and repaired The splintered cars were
removed 10 the yards A. Morrisania and traihc
was resumed at II o'clock.
Superintenlent Chamberlain VAS not at his
Once at Morrisania yesterday afternoon. II
could not be- learned whom the company would
hlld responsible for the accident. II Hes between
m. yarlmaster at Van Nest III" conductor of
~. freight and the rear brakeman ~ the train,
whose business IL must have been 10 uncouple
th- cars ana signal the engineer.
Gilbert was th.riy-nve years Old and lived
with an invalid wife and two small children NJ
Now X pcherle The engine was slightly hurt.
lie was helped to I'll" house of friend at
Van Nest. and later went home.