The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-30
BACKED INTO THE TRAIN.
FATAL ACCIDENT At SPRING FIELD
CAUSED BIZ A BALKT HORSE.
Dr. N. c. Grny's Wife XIII ed Instantly. and
Ris Little Daughter Dangerously injured
HIS Housekeeper ana Hcr Son Also Hnjurcd
Horse Backed the rhne ton int tho Express

Horse Backed the Fhaeton Int the Express
Another accident occurred on the line OF tho
Long Island Railroad yesterday afternoon. with
in three miles of the scene of tho tally.ho aoci-
dent at the Merrick road crossing at Valley
stream on Decoration Day. Yesterdays acct
dent was duo apparently to a balky horse
attached to a doctors ~phaeton. In the
phaeton was Mrs. Mary Clarice Gray, wife
of Dr.. Reuben Curtis Gray, with her two
children, Edna, aged II months. and an infant
aged Q months: Mrs. Rosina Nelson. house
keeper for Mrs. Gray. and her three-year'old boy,
Harold. They were struck by the Patchogue
express at the Springfield avenue crossing. The
train was laundering along at the rate OF forty
milcs an hour Mt the time. Mrs. Gray was killed
instantly. Her daughter Edna suffered n frac-
turc OF the skull; Mrs. Nelson escaped with some
bruises and a scalp wound; her sou Harold has
conclusion OF the brain. The baby did not get o
scratch.
Mrs. Gray drove her husband to Jamaica in
the morning. There he took a train to Brook
lyn. Ho is tho business manager and treasurer
of tho Greater Nc,D York Dramati Guide.
After dinner Mrs. Gray told Mrs. Nelson
that as the day was so fine they
would all go for q drive. She told Thomas
Foster. q nciRhbor. that they were going
to her mothers house in Jamaica. 1t was after
. O'Clock when they started out In the phaeton,
Mrs. Gray, who was an expert with the reins,
rat on the right hand side. with Mrs. Nelson on
the left. Tho housokeeper held Mrs. Gray's baby
IN her lap, and tho two other children sat be.
tween the women.
Tho horse was a lively, though not a spirited.
animal. Mrs. Gray sent him along at a trot out
of Willow place into Springfield avenue. This
road runs north and south across the Long
Beach and Babylon branch tracks of the Long
Island Railroad. The Springfield station OF
the road is at the southeast corner of
tho intersection Of Springfield avenue and
the tracks; the Springfield schoolhouse
and the First Presbyterian Church are
on the northeast corner; q coal shed runs down
to the tracks in the northwest corner. and there
are some trees in tho southwest corner. The
crossing is marked by q signpost on the south
west corner, and another post with q gong.
The gong Is rung by electricity when q train
reaches u point several hundred yards from the
station.
The phaeton reached the crossing Just as the
Patchogue express came in sight. Tho express
consisted Of three cars. It was due to pass
Springfield station at 2:34 o'clock. Mrs. Gray
drove the little horse up to the track. but the
warning gong sounded just as she reached 1t and
Bhe did not try to cross. Instead she pulled the
horse around to the left so that the phaeton was
parallel with the track. The horse became
frightened at the sight and noise of the ap-
preaching express and baked. Mrs. Gray could
not get him TO move. II he had remained where
he stood tho accident would not have occurred.
as the locomotive and two cars passed the phae-
ton, just grazing 1t. But just when the last car
came along the stubborn animal backed up.
The phaeton was pushed in betsseenth second
aad,third coaches, and crushed LIKE, an egg
shell, Mrs. Gray, YVES hurled along the track
shfown nrsa seVsrai hsr fes eseki B. MS b. H HelsHa sas
ahackman who saw the accident said he saw
tightly to her Breast The other children were
thrown out in the road, The horse. with the
was LEFT OF il. dashed down the road and was
stopped half a mile further on.
.n Ih q eTP pot sn 6sP5 on Chat att se b bas S SGei tbs pb sse
ton. He thought he had cleared it. and when
,he conductor gave him the signal t9 slow down.
stand what the trouble was. He slowed down,
however, nd a brakeman was dropped from the
The train passed the station SO fast that those
aboard had no iden what had occurred, although
the brakeman on the rear car said the phaeton
Hackman Hendrickson, George Kinsey, and
Hssistance Of tho women and children. Mrs.
Gray la, beside the track at the end of the plat
and the wheels OF the rear coach had passed
' %yer her left arm arm a. NJ I. : Ns sih9nld aed t ses cb,ISrd IT.
10 the station platform and laid them on their
co Is and the cushions Of the hacks; DR.. VIII.
l ns1r s 5Ra s;, Wno l wns a. on ~, SSer, sesns ! fs "yen %o.
ments after the accident and he pronounced
Mrs. Gray dead. ~ ,oo .,
tho phactSn. where he had rolled. out Of the
arms Of Mrs. Nelson otter she had struck the
a,tsr up h't 80 Ike eT hoase of M ai%' s tent , 1ne D 90 snS
Meanwhile the brakeman had telephoned the
news of the accident to Superintendent Potter's
office, and a special train consisting OF n bag
gage car and passenger coach WAS sent 10 the
scene Immediately. Drs. Austin. blanchard,
the train at that station. and when it slowed
ur they were waiting for H., and In a few
%inntSs Of T %f.. n Nelson sRri asd ihe s sse's sSifidr ths
All three were carried aboard the baggage car
as soon as practicable and the special train took
lance from St: Johns Hospital was In waiting.
No time was lost in conveying them to the hos
tra Mi'; eo Sssst' r S9S' a T Sisn isss , antlf S Sss1sS des
s ss%ov Be G Il. cSn. its& sn st eTSsRsr A Sosfrand q
Jamaica was at the scene shortly after the aSci.
G de- Rfo s . he s ssa' , .fissrs%s i Tor P eer Sssy,ss S sf's &C
Ozone Park. Dr.. Gray was not at his ONCE. and.
Sithou ishro e half ,on S dozen H. m csSi5 en, made "a ton an.
S Ssht sTe eoaia "a Coroner ela: N ~ ee Samuel "Y! J. s Il iltS" one
Of the Board q Highway, Commissioners, heard
Nut, without success; and the body Lay where
Wood Of Jamaica on the telephone and got per.
mission from him to remove the body. II was
then taken to the home of DIR. Gray in Willow
place.
DR.. John Francis Burns superintended tho
treatment of the injured In the st. Johns Hos.
pital. lie said Mrs. Nelson was suffering badly
IRON shock. and she had several severe bruises
and scalp wounds. He thought she would re-
cover. Mrs. Gray'g daughter. Edna. had a
compound fracture OF the skull, and he
be- teG nssessa rye f fRs did Hot III Ike tt 70 andeT'ak "0 the
operation without DR.. Gray's permission, and
Harold has concussion of the brain. but II Ia
thought he will recover all right.
DR.. Gray arrived at his home at 10 O'Clock
last night. He had been kept away on business
the news OF his wifeis tragic death was broken
70 him. II could not answer the request Of pr.
Burns of ST. Johns Hospital asking for permits
sion TO perform the trephinlne operation for an
hour. He finally, telephoncd to the hospital
telling DIR. Burns to perform the operation.
Highway Commissioner stiles said that the
citizens had asked the railroad company to
station a man and put gate s at the crossing. and
he said the Board OF Highway Commissioner
had put the matter in the hands of its attorney,
Mr.. Ogilyie.