The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-22
FELL In A CHASTITY HEAP.
SEVEN MEN sWEPT FROM Az ELE-
TlTED RAILROAD FO07PATH.


Seven men were swept of the Brooklyn Ele-
waited Railroad structure on NJ rtle avenue near
Bridge street yesterday m rninE. and they fell
In a heap into the street. forty feet below as
result OF the carslessness OF one boy. One OF
the injured men died a few hours later In the
Brooklyn Hospital, and another has only Q
small chance of pulling through. according to
the doctors. The accident 10 also responsible
for the death OF a colored woman. who was
walking along Myrtle avenue whom the men
came tumbing down into the street. The wo-
man had a weak heart, and the sight OF the
bruised and bleeding PIE Of men was too much
for her. She died a few minutes after witness
ing the accident The list Of dead and injured
Is as follows:
HILL. Mrs. LIZZIE 81 years old. colored. of sass
Gold street. Heart Iseaso.
SCHNEIDER August. 20 years old. of 1885 Gates
avenue. Skull fractured aud severe internal in.
juries
INJURED.
DoLAS. CoRNELIus. 81 years old. Of 7so Pacific
street Conclusions.
MOODY. WILLIAM j., % years old. an accountant
employed by the Erie Riilroad. living at 28t Fifty
eighth street. Right leg broken and back injured.
RoYsToN W. H.. rs years old Of 1924 Halsey
street. Internal injuries; will probably die.
RoYsroN. FRANK, ~ years old. Of l,o2+ Hslsey
street. brother of W. II. Royston. Commissions and
internal injuries.
wRlGHr. CHARLES. 30 years old compositor. Of 227
Forty. sixth street. Skull fractured.
SCHwEISDEMASS, AUGUST, 10 years old OF 11t1
Jefferson Badly bruised. but able to 20 to
his home.
Different stories were told yesterday after
noon OF how the accident occurred, but tho
one agreed in by all eyewitnesses OF the affair
who could be found was to the effect that
lN., nIt u,ipy to hA AT If n xwh IN
started. after being stalled for nearly half al
hour swung his body out as he reached place
where number Of passengers. who had left
their trains on account OF the blockade, were
walking along the footpath between the up
town and downtown tracks. There was no
help for those who were in tho boys way. and
they were brushed of the footpath like SO
many sticks OF wood.
Blockades. according to regular passengers.
have occurred with annoying frequency on the
Brooklyn Elevated Railroad since the installa-
ton OF electricity as motive power and when
one occurs at the rush hour. as it did yester-
day. the Passengers promptly take to the foot
path and make for the nearest station. from
which they go down to the street aud continue
their journey by trolley cars. 1t was the tail
end Of the rush hour. about $3.50 O'Clock yester-
day morning. when a motor car broke down
on the downtown track near Concord street.
Trains coming up behind were stalled and
before long the blockad extended up Myrtle
avenue to Just beyond Hudson avenue. and up
the Fifth avenue line past Fulton street
Every train was crowded with passengers
and whom the blockade had lasted about ten
minutes people began to get impatient AMI
wanted to know when they wore going to move
again. Tho conductors and gatemen couldn't
enlighten them. but made no objection whom
passengers began opening the gates and
climb,nR out on the footpath This method Of
getting ahead was adopted all along tho line OF
the blockade and. despite the danger OF It,
there would probably have been no accident
but for the circumstance mentioned above.
The footpath 10 made OF planks and is about
four feet wide. There Is no rail on either side
OF it. and the uptown tracks are fully fifteen
feet away with an open space beteen. except
where iron giriers cross. Caught AZ the unfort-
innate walkers were yesterday. there was moth
ing they could do but make O wild jump for tho
uptown track or sprint for ono Of the girdnrs.
across which they could walk to safety. Ac-
cordlnG to all accounts those who were brushed
of hadn't time to adopt either method OF
reaching place OF safety.
Probably a hundred passengers had made
their way to stations OF the road by means OF
| the footpath when the blockade was raised.
The broker down motor car was pushed on its
way and the trains behind began to move.
The FIRST half dozen trains in the blockade were
under way again before the last four or five
| trains had started or their passengers knew
| that the blockade had been broken.
| Among the trains which were stalled Just
| east OF the Bridge street station on Myrtle
| avenue was one OF the Fifth avenue line. drawn
| by a motor car. The passengers OF this train.
| like tn Sc on the her trains had been taking
to tho footpath. and just before the blockade
49, IL,
| who were injured few minutes later. clam
| bered down and made for the Bridge street
station. Behind them on the footpath was
| score OF other persons who had left other
| trains.
| 1t was about half minute after these last
| few i'm patient passengers left the Fifth avenue
| train that there was general starting up Of
! trains all along this end OF the line. The motor.
| man OF the Fifth avenue train started M
| slowly. but kept increasing his speed all the
| time Apparently there was no danger ahead.
and the walkers had nothing to fear from the
train as long as they stuck to the path.
| Just as the motorman began to increase his
speed. boy. who had got OF OF one OF tho
| RidGewood or Lexington avenue trains behind
| saw an opportunity to Chamber aboard. He
made spring from the footpath to the rear
| platform OF the last car OF the Fifth avenue
train His feet struck the platform. but slipped
and he was left clinging to the closed gate. He
| was perfectly safe and In another minute
! would have been up on the platform and in a
position to open or Jump over the gate. But
in scramblinG for "a foothoId. he swung his
body out from the train. which was now
moving swiftly. and bumped against a man
who was walking along the footpath.
This man was August Schneider. who died
| afterward from his injuries. Schneider gave q
scream and went flying of the footpath. In
| rapid succession ak others were swnpt on.
One man just managed to reach the Bridge
street station in time to save himself; and
another man. although carried of OF his feet.
clutched the edge OF the footpath as he fell.
and hung on until the train had passed He thsn
pulled himself up and crawled along the foot
path on his hands and knees until no reached
the station.
The scene on Myrtle avenue Immediately
after the men fell was frightful. The seven
men who had been knocked OF the elevated
structure came down so suddenly that before
persons in tho street could realize what had