New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-24
ENGINE AND TRAIN RAMA WAY
A PECULIAR ACCIDENT ON THE STATEN
ISLAND RAPID TRANSIT ROAD.
EECTIvE THROTTLE sPRING-A PLUCKY
ENGINEER LOST EAR IN Try

WRECK OF EMPTY COACHES CAUSED BY A DE-
FEcTIvE THROTTLE sPRING-A PLUCKY
ENGINEER LOST AN EAR IN TRY
ING TO GET on BOARD.
train consisting of five cars and loco
motive on the Staten Island r Ripid Transit Rail-
roaG ran away from the engineer while he was
inspecting the machinery Of the engine on the
Clifton trestlc early yesterday morning. and
dashed off at Speed of twenty-five miles an
hour. running wild for a distance of three miles
and stopping in a smash which telescoped two
cars and drove two others out the bumpers
into the marsh mud and water beyond No
passengers were on the train, but the engineer.
Thomas Feeney, narrowly escaped death in
trying to board his runaway train. and suffered
the loss Of an ear in his efforts to climb on the
rear car.
It was about 330 o'clock when the accident
occurred Feeney had turned in his engine,
which he had been using late run. The
roundhouse men were hurrying to make up the
trains and Feeney volunteered to assist them.
He was asked to move train which had been
run In from the beach head-on into the car
barn. In front Of IT were three other passenger
coaches. The engine had been drawing TWO
cars. 1t necessary to move this train IN
order to push out the "owl' train. which con-
sists of an engine and one car and which runs
the morning papers over the line Feeney
climbed into the cab and with his engine, with
two passenger coaches in front and three be-
hind. ran out to the Clifton trestle, where he
would be out of the way. He halted the train
there and climbed out of his cab. and by the
aid of a torch. began TO tighten a pin which ne
had discovered to be loose when he started out
He was at work upon 1t when he heard a sud-
Il IA in, h.. oh n
bound forward under full head OF steam, In
the direction Of South Beach and on the south
bound track Feeney had only the narrow foot
inC Of the edges OF the ties. ana ne was COM
PEELED TO step back to himself from being
ground under the wheels. Two cars had passed
him Of the rear three. when he realized that
| unless ne got on board the train there would be
a big smashup He jumped for the rear car.
His foot slipped. and the grasp he secured upon
the gates broken by the wrenching ne re-
ccived The platforms were on line with MS
chest. and he could not draw himself up. The
car momentum swung him against the side OF
the coach. and he fell between the rails to the
ground below. about twenty feet.
When ne struck the ground Feeney pluckily
picked himself up and ran up the steep emDank
ment HIS train was rushing through Rose.
bank Blood was streaming down his face. and
he in agony from pain in MS back. nut NJ
ran after the train. He could not overtake II
and When he saw the train strike the down
grade and 20 roaring past the Arrochar station
fearful clip. he ran back 10 the Clftor
Yards When ne got there he fell 10 the GROUND
Unconscious. The hostlers gathered around him
and when he came to he told them OF the acci
dent
I'm the mean time the runaway was dashine
over the rails To the terminus at South Beach
on he rails at South Beach station. fe"
hundred fc"t beyond the PLATFORM stood trair
# thre. passenger coaches, waiting 10 be taker
out on the carly morning trip. Into these the
runaway crashed. The end car on each trair
was trescoped and the other two cars on the
standing train were thrown far out into the
marsh mud one carried one OF the bumpers
-,ylIh g., and the other climbed over the other
huuIer ard landed near the other coach.
Yesterday the company had a wrecking crew
an day trying ~ pull the cars back 10 the rails
, but did nor succeed The company says It's loss
viii he about $1,000.
Focrry thr engineer had one ~ his ears torn
+ ~. and his back and knees were madly cut and
strained He Will recover although he Is badly
injured The railroad men explain the accident
b- saving that Il was due to defect in the
spring In the throttle.
In the morning about : o'clock. n second ac-
,ilant occurred near the TompkinsviUe station.
\ two horse coal wagon. owned by George Ben
DIR crossed the track JUS As tho train due at
l r,uul.revil4 AT S:li o'clock came around the
..,,~,. Tho driver became confused. and. instead
o. ~hiupiur UP his horses. Jumped from the
wagon nnd ',f, them. The engine struck the
year ~ tho wagon. dem 'llshng H. The horses
were lrocrei some distance, and one or theil
was &, badly injured that he was shot the
| ,,r,r -.os only SLIGHTLY hurt.