Evening journal., 1901-05-27
MOtOrmau Neglected to Wait
al Proper Switch
CARS TORN TO SPLINTERS
Men, Women and Children Formed a
Struggling, ShriekiBg Pyramid
Mixed With Blood

Albany, N. Y, May 27.-Electric cars
racing for a switch, while running in
opposite directions at the rate of 40
miles an hour. cost five lives yester
day afternoon by terrific collision in
which over 40 prominent people were
injured, some fatally and others seri
ously.
The dead are: Frank Smith, motor
man; William Nichols, motorman;
Maud Kellogg, of Round Lake; Annie
Rooney of Stuyvesant Falls; David
Mahoney, mate on the Dean Richmond.
Fatally injured: George c. Barry
Troy; Fred j. Smith. Albany.
Seriously injured: William T. Bar.
ny. Troy. cuts on head; Marie Barry
Troy. leg broken; George P. Bittner
Moerville. cut and bruised; Isaac
Blauvelt, leg broken; Dewitt c. Peltz,
badly bruised; Charles Peltz painful
ly bruised Howard ]. Rogers, bruised
and cut; Mrs. II. ]. Rogers, cut and
bruised; John Rogers, leg broken; A.
W. Crotsley, hurt internally; George
Lane. badly cut; Fred Harzog, shoul
der dislocated. The last nine live in
Albany.
The scene of the accident was a
point about two miles out of Green.
bush, on the line of the Albany and
Hudson railway. The point where the
cars met on the single track was at a
sharp curve and so fast were both
running and so sudden was the col
lision that the motormen never had
time to put On brakes before the south
bound car No. % had gone almost
clean through north bound car No. II
and hung on the edge of a high bluff,
with its load Of shriexing, manned hui
manity. One motorman was pinioned
up against the smashed front of the
southbound car with both legs sever
ed and killed instantly, while the other
one lived but few minutes.
Fully 12O men, women and children
formed a struggling, shrielSing Dyra
mid, mixed with blood. detached por
tions of human bodies and the wreck
age of the cars.
Some Of the more slightly injured ol
the men extricated themselves and be
gan to pull people out of the rear ends
of the two cars, and almost every one
was taken out in this way. Nearly al
were badly injured.
The few women and children who
had escaped injury and death were
hysterical and added their cries to The
shrieks of the dying and mutilated
Men with broken arms and bones, dis
located joints and bloody hands anC
faces tried to assist others who wer'
more helpless. Help had been sum
moned from East Greenbush and vi
cinity. and in a little time the bruised
mass of humanity, with the mutilate'
dead. were loaded on extra cars ant
brought to Albany. Here ambulance
and physicians had been summons
and the postofdce turned into a morgu
and hospital. AS fast as the physician
could temporarily fix up the wound
ed they were taken to their homes o
TO the hospitals.
With both motormen killed, It wa
hard to get at the real cause of tn
accident, but it is pretty well determiI
ed that it was caused by an attemT
of the south bound car to reach SCI
ond switch. instead of waiting for tn
north bound at the first siding.
The cars weigh 10 tons each, and ar
the largest electric cars built but
frightful was the crash that both car
were torn almost to splin;ers. Bot
cars we're filled with Sunday pleasul
seekers returning from the new recre
ton grounds that the railway had iu
opened.
Among the passengers on the sou'
bound car was Deputy Superintendei
Howard ]. Rogers, OF the state depal
ment of public instruction. He was a
companied by Mrs. Rogers and the
young son and daughter, all of who
we're slightly injured, with the exec
tion of the daughter. Speaking of 4
accident, Mr.. Rogers said:
sNv recollection of what happens
as the cars came together is rath
vague. We were proceeding soui
ward at a very rapid rate OF speed. o
car being well filled with passenger
including many women and childre
Fortunately, my wife, my children a
myself we're seated in the rear of I
car The car, I should say, acco
modated between 75 and hundr
people. The accident occurred ait
we had passed switch beyond VIII