New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-28
CAME TOGETHER HEAD ON.
CONEY ISLAND TRAINS ON THE BROOK
LYN ELEVATED ROAD IN COLLISION.
A SMASH NEAR THE VAN sICKLEN STATION hh-
SUITS IN PROBABLY FATAL INJURY TO
PAsSENGER-A NARROW ESCAPE FOR
SIX HUNDRED PLEASURE
SEEK Frs.

SEEK ERS.
Two engines, drawinc five cars EACH OF the
Brooklyn Elevated Railroad crashed toSether'
head on, a few minutes before u O'CLOCK last
night within several feet OF ;he Van SicKlen s'a-
ton. on the tracks Of the old Prospect Park ana
Coney Island Railroad. At the time the traih3
were going at a slow speed. as they were SLOW
ing UP to stop at the station, and it Is due 10
this that only one person Of the SIX huhnreu pe'
pie on board the trains was injured
The man hurt in the accident was Charles
Lewis thirty-fve years old. OF NO. l'' M'I''i
ave. East New-Yorls H had his chest crushed
his wrists broken and kneecap dislocated' All
ambulance took him to the Norwegian Hospital
where IT was said that the chances of the man
recovery were slim, as there were Symptoms
that he had been injured internally.
Tho accident WAS due so far es can De
,earneI 10 the carelessness Of man AT the
station, whose duty It was to signal Ua'''
Tbis man had under him some Italians VINO
were placed at the switches which they were 70
set according to the orders from the s's"a''''''
II the story about the accident. as learned ias'
night, Is true. these Italian heiPei' " ~
tremely careless lot. -,
The signal-man displayed Signs TOT o''" ~
trains to come ahead and to pass switch 'na'
.,o,,,a bo,e been GET for the train bound from
Conev Island TO cross to the right track anu
get clear Of the one bound on the ie'' "a'"
the island The switch. however was 'u'"e'
90 that the trains kept on straight ahe"' y"
the same track and bumped into each o'"e'
fore the levers Of the engines couId pe reNei'
The trains were In charge Of John 6aiiicN' en-
p,necr and Frank Connolly, conductor anu ~
1utz engineer. and John Mahr, conductor.
A, tho trains were nearing the van olchie"
..o,,o, Charles FIagler In charge OF 'he
s,.,.cbos sienelled to the Italians 10 turn '''e
s,.,,cbes and that both trains were 10 H'o'e
o.o,a Tho engineers saw the signal ana III
oosed the speed Of their trains ana the i'"'
,ans set the switches the wrong way
,,onent later the trains crashed tose'he'
49,. o Uiu,or, Rock. the fagman at the s'a-
49,, ao,,. ,bat all was not right and signalled ior
49,, zine 20 come to a stop. The signal OF oah-
ger was either a moment too la'e VI IL
noticed by the engineers ,,.-
rho torce ~ the collision smashed the cow
catcher OF both of the engines alu er'e oousad
made bv the engines humping toge.ne, ,oa.e
most Of the passengers IN the u"'''' ~
Wild efforts to get out or the cars - ,ho eta
second before the crash people , on w ond
ton had heard several persons ,i sinsS - Tcerri
laughing in the cars. but these sounuu ., aat out
- fra 20 way 10 shrieks as the rush 10 se. ~ "a.
l'Ient sr 90 hogon Among those on the tram
Tovnd from, Coney Island was CnarIea Lma,
JIe sprang for a window when the ,ua 80 u,bicb
and fell against the wheels OF e.ors tne saw him
IN o,a ron 70 his aid. When he was piCneu w
he was found to be badly injured anu NJ II Eerris
toLer n the Norwegian Hospital D! Di'
and Gillen. 49,. .o,x,rea were switched
~ ,bn right tracks, and the one pouhu ioi
Conev Island proceeded on Its way