New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-19
NEWS OF BROOKLYN.
GROUND UNDER AN ENGINE.
TWO MEN KILLED ON THE BROOKLYN
ELEVATED TRACKS.
worKMEN EMPLOYED BY THE COMPANY RUN
OVER IN HuDsoN-AvE. FEW FEET AWAY


FROM THE MyRTLE-AvE. CURVE.
The lives OF two men were crushed out yesterday
afternoon by a wildcat engine on the Union Eie-
ystad railroad at Hudson and Myrtle ayes. Neither
~ the victims had the least warning until they
looked UP ard the engine bearing down upon
them a few feet away, and before either couiu
make a move to escape they were cut 10 pieces
One was torn into shreds. The other. horripy
mangled lived for few minutes ana then expired
For about Two weeks the Union elevated mas been
repairing its tracks on nearly all It's INES. WORK
men have been employed on the various ora"ches'
ard 20 avoid danger each IL provided win tram
schedule On the clear tracks they can OF course
see aoproacning trains and where tho tracks are
obscured they refer to the schedules and get out OF
the way whenever train Is due. resumng work
when IL has passed.
Two Of these trackmen. as they are called, were
Edward Bruein. forty years old. living at NO. 10y
Twenty-eighth-st.. and John RosengraVe. twenty
seven wears old Of No CAT Belmont-ave Yester-
day afternoon these men were working IN HUDSON
ave. Just below the Navy-st. station. Trains Douno
for Fulton Ferry come down on the Myrte-aVe.
tracks and turn down Hudson-ave after passing
the Navy-st station. while trains bound for R.oge-
wood swerve into Myrtle-ave at the same point
The curve IS a SHARP. one. and man on the tracks
tust around the Hudson-ave. side cannot see ap-
preaching trains.
These two men were on the down track. used by
the wcstbound trains They could therefore SEQ all
but not the trains coming around the curve on
their way to the ferry. the only ones from which
they were in any danger. They consulted their
schedules In order to learn when trains were ap-
preaching Wildcat engines, however, are not on
the schedule
About $40 o'clock a passenger train OF four cars
and an engine came down Myrtle-ave.. followed by
a wildcat The latter engine had been dragging
some empty cars from East New-fork 10 Ridge
wood and In order to get on the other track ana
get back was obliged to go down TO Fulton FERRY
and turn around. 1t therefore following in the
wake OF the passenger train. In charge OF 1t were
the engineer William Rockafeow thrty-hve years
old Of No 20 Somerset. and the hreman, Ahure"
Speers thirty-one years DID, OF No Is NeTnon-aVe'.
Fatbush. Rockafellow has been In the employ OF
the company for seven years.
At about the time tho passenger train was que
Bruein and Rosengrave looked at their scneouies
and saw that il was time to get out OF the way
They were then engaged in drilling hoies IN the
track In Hudson-ave. They laid Their toois asiae
and got down The foo.path by the side OF me
track. Hardly had they got into the place OF
safety when the passenger engine came thunde ho
ing BY Then the two men climbed back or the
track and seated themselves. with their backs s
for three minutes and they had suspicion that
there COULD be any danger before s 5hat tm It ap
preached the station Rockafellow blew his whislie
the 70 ae d sSs un the 81 switch
backing the engine downtown; SO that ne oid not
The switch was turned, and slowly, as is the the
rule a; that point the wildcat turned around me
curve. The TWO men, entirely unsuspicous OF the
terrible fate awaiting them. sat with their PACKS
10 the engine. busiy drilling away and Laughing
and talking TO each other. Suddenly the track
,rembled. and grinding, puinng nose souno e6
out behind them. Brue.n turned halfway around
and saw the engine only few feet away: .
The man halt-started to his feet, opening his
mouth 20 utter a shrek. His companion turned IN
his scat on the track 10 look Other movement
there was none. There was no time for shout.
the shrek had passed Brueins lips the engine
struck them IN q second Bruein's body had been
torn into fra gments. and the engine passing on
with only a slight jar. left on the rails one dead
man and one barely breathing The engineer, reel
some chips" and without the slightest suspicion
Of what he left behind him continued on his way
down 20 the ferry.
When the police arrived few moments later
Rosengraves body lay on the 1ootpath the man
riby mangied Brueins shattered body lay beside
him Blood was dripping down upon the street
below and the corner was crowded with men.
women and children. talking IN excited tones and
looking up with awe-stricken faces AT the gripping
rails An ambulance summoned but II was
too late. Rosensrave was dead long before II
arrived.
At $40 o'clock in the evening Policeman Hughes.
Of the First Precinct arrived al the Clermont-ave.
station with the engineer and fireman. Both were
pale RE able. however. TO tell a straight
story OF the way In which the accident occurred.
~ was going slow" he said and had pretty near
stopped Just We passed the curve ! knew /
had run over something I thought II was some
o: the chips from the work. that had fallen on
the rails"
The bodies OF Brue.n and Rosengrave were re-
the Morgue.