New-York tribune., 1901-02-15
TRAIN CRASHES LNTOA HOUSE
LEAVES THE TRACKS IN HUDSON-ST.
AND INJURIES TWO MEN.

Three freight cars and a dummy locomotive
Of the New-York Central and Hudson River
Railroad backed off the tracks in Hudson-st yes
terday afternoon and into a two-story
building at No. 10. smashing the front OF the
place iniuring two men and badly soaring the
inmates OF the house. The injured men are
Thomas Dermody. Of No. ~ North Moore-st,
who was knocked off a delivery wagon, and
William Deston. Of No. 1.06I First-ave-. who
was thrown down by the last car. Neither man
was badly hurt. The building was nearly de-
moished
The train was in charge Of Engineer William
Kirkland Of No 1Ol East Onehundred- and
twenty-secOnd-st.. who was in the engine. The
freight cars were empty. and were Michigan
Central Car No 10000. New-York Central Car
No 24.223. and Lake Shore and Michigan South
ern Car No. DI64O the last named being the rear
car Kirkland pulled them out of the station go
ing north at Laight and Hudson SITS In few
seconds something happened TO the locomotive.
which Kirkland could not control. and the train
began 10 back. IL kept going faster and faster
until II had attained speed Of at least fifteen
niles an hour The train backed for four
blocks with the engineer trying to find out what
was wrong with the locomotive, and endeavor1ng
IN vain 10 stop the cars. There Is a single track
half way along this route, and the train ran
along this and past IL TO the end Of the tracks
and then. there being no bumpers. the cars
rolled off 70 the paving stones They rumbled
and bumped in strange style, while hundreds OF
people ran up from all directions to see the un-
usual performance Of a railroad train In the city
streets without rails.
Al Franklin and North Moore sts the cars
swerved from the rCkety road they were traV-
ellinS and the Lake Shore car made straight
for delivery wagon Of E. C. Hazard & Co.. of
No III Hudson-st. which was on the west side
Of the way being unloaded. The car hit the
wagon knocked II over and tumbled out the
driver Dermody who was bruised about the
body Deston was also knocked over here. Then
the Lake Shore swerved again. and made
for the two story office building at No. no
1t hit the awning Of No. 112 first, carrying that
away and then went on and crashed up against
a big iron girder over the door and windows OF
No. 10. 1t pushed i'm the front OF the building,
and seemed 10 be about 10 get right through the
house but the girder was pretty strong and
stopped the train. while the engine puffed like
an awkward giant defeated in great feat of
strength.
The curtis Brothers Company. dealers in
canned goods occupy the front of the ground
floor. and Nelson Hough. a stenographer and
NJ o Gipin a clerk. were in the office. Gtlpin
saw the train coming for the building and he
made for the door getting out just in time. An
other second would have seen him crushed.
Hough ran to the back of the office and crouched
in a he heard the train crash into the
front Of the house. and il was some seconds
after the had stopped before he realized
that he safe.
The shock Of the train crashing into the
building smashed the front of the house
knocked out all the windows and glass threw
down the pictures from the walls of the various
offices. sent books and breakable things on the
floor. and scared all the clerks throughout the
tire place. Engineer Kirkland breathed more
easily, but the dummy puffed hard ever.
Much wonder was expressed that the train did
not go through the place. The cars weigh % 600
pounds apiece. and the dummy engine three
tons. Running at some speed the train. il was
thought ought to have gone right through with
out much hindranCe The damage TO the build
ing estimated In the hundreds of dollars
The face of the house is smashed out altogether
The damage TO the rolling stock could not be
estimated by the officials of the company, who
declared that the train was not running at the
rate of fifteen miles an hour the pavement
or it would have gone through the house. These
officials said that the accident caused prob
ably by the jamming OF the throttle valve OF the
dummy engine. The engineer could not then
control the engine. Kirkland ID said would
make his report to the dummy engine" depart
ment.
Kirkland and his fireman stuck TO the engine
10 the end a brakeman. Thomas Butler who
was on top of the train. saw what going TO
happen. and jumped 10 the street, escaping un-
hurt.