The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-01-18
SIX pnRsoys Run down

1 New York, Jan. 17,--While six persons
were walking north on the south-bound
track of the Harlem railroad, opposite
One Hundred and Forty-sscond street,
at $50 O'clock this morning they step
ped out of the way of a south-bound
train to the north-bound track and We're
dun down by a wildcat locomotive.
One woman was cut in two and in
stantly killed; another died a half hour
later and two other women are so badly
injured that they may die, One man
escaped with slight injuries, and an
other jumped out Of the way just III
time.
The dead:
Lizzie Becker thirty years old, mar
ried, employed aus a car cleaner by the
Wagner Palace Car company; body cut
in two; lived at 400 East Seventeenth
| street.
Della Mahon, thirty-six years old,
married, crushed about the body; died
at the Mott Haven depot soon after the
accident; lived at 1923 East Forty
eighth street; was employed as a car
cleaner
The injured
Mrs. Maria Drum of 1909 Park ave-
nue.. Suffering from shock and internal
injuries. In a serious condition and will
probably die Removed to the Harlem
hospital
Louis Yender, forty-five years, mar
ried, laborer, of 449 West Forty-second
street. Simple fracture of the right leg
and scalp wounds. VIII recover. Re-
moved to the Harlem hospital.
Margaret Tracy, 1928 Third avenue.
Conclusion OF the brain. shock, scalp
wounds, left leg cut off at the knee.
Will probably die. Removed to the
Harlem hospital
The sixth person In the party who es-
capped, was a switchman employed in
the Mott Haven railroad yard He
1 jumped out OF the way of the locomo-
tive. and his escape was considered as
almost miraculous.
All the other five persons were en-
ployed as car cleaners. They We're on
their way to begin work in the Mott
Haven yard. They came up to the One
Hundred and Thirty eighth street sta
tion on a Harlem train shortly before
the accident occurred They got off
the train and, as has always been their
custom, started to walk up the track.
1t was shorter for them than to go by
Railroad avenue, which runs along par
allel with the tracks
At the point where the accident oc-
lcurred there is a deep cut. On the east
side OF the cut there are two elevated
tracks, not In use. On the west side
are the two tracks in use. The north
bound track of these two banks UP close
to the wall under the elevated tracks
That is what made the escape Of the
five persons almost impossible.
The men and women We're walking on
the south bound track. 1t was dark
and a heavy fog hung over the cut
They kept a sharp lookout ahead, and
suddenly heard the shrill whistle Of a
| train Just ahead they could see the
dim light Of the locomotive, and knew
! that 1t was the Chatham express due
| then
Evidently the engineer at the throttle
saw the car cleaners, for he blew an
other blast Of the whistle, and the fire.
/ man began changing the bell Those on
| the track heard the warning. They
heard the whistle and the bell, but with
| them sounded simultaneously the bell
OF the wildcat locomotive on the north
| bound track.
The locomotive running wild was No.
SOL Of the New York Central road. II
4 was in charge of Engineer G. Burr and
Fireman NJ Stephens. 1t had Just
brought In the flyer from the west to
| nj It1a at on
O'Clock, and Burr was hurrying to the
| Mott Haven round-house to clean up
and go home. According to his state
ment he was running at the rate Of
ahout twenty miles an hour. The Loco
motive was backing up.
Burr declares that he Kept his whistle
and bell going while running along. At
any rate, the car cleaners did not hear
them. Their only thought was to get
out Of the way Of the Chatham express,
| They jumped over to the north-bound
track and the next instant No. S91 was
upon them There was one warming
cry That came from the unknown
switchman of the party. He had turned
around almost the instant his feet had
touched the orth-bound track He
saw the big locomotive coming down
upon the party and he jumped again
out OF danger.
Engineer Burr saw the little party on
the track, but it was too late. He tried
to put on the vacuum brake and re-
verse the lever. Before he could do
either the locomotive had crashed into
the party.
Superintendent Franklin of the New
| nd Accy tot rf C,,-