New-York tribune., 1901-11-14
WRECK ON ELEVATED.
WOMEN WALK NARROW PATH
TO STATION.
THE THIRD-AVE. LINE BLOCKED-PAS-
sENGERs IN MONETARY PANIC.

Two trains on the Third-ave. elevated rail-
road, one damned with passengers and one
empty were IN collision on the uptown track
just below the Csnal-st- station soon aIter
o'clock last evening. None of the passengers
were hurt beyond a ssve shaking up out
traffic was blocked for hour and greatly I'M
peded all during the night AS the accloent oc-
CURED in the rush hours thousands OF people
were delayed In getting to Harlem and The
Bronx.
one Of the trains that runs down from Har-
lem into the Chatham Square station and then
switches across TO the uptown track and takes
on the first passengers at Canai-st. received a
signal to pull out. The engineer moved his train
out through the switch into the uptown track
Close behind it and coming Up from South FERRY
was a train of five cars. each loaded with pas
sengers The engine jammed into the rear END
OF the last coach Of the empty train Passen-
gers were thrown from their seats. car windows
shattered and the engine Of the South Ferry
train thrown from the rails. where II rested
upright on the crossties
The trainmen r. the greatest difficulty IN
preventing panic. It was said that there were
at least one hundred persons in each car. Exit
from the cars was made difficult by the narrow
space between the edge Of the car and the guard
rail running along the edge Of the elevated
structure There were no steps on the cars and
the men clambered down through the n1teen
inch space inside the guard rail- using the oil
Fox on the outer end of the axle OF the car
trucks as a step. In the case OF the scores OF
women in the cars. this was not so easy Many
of them were half hysterical With the aid OF
the men they were finally landed on the track
Two fat women had q close brush against the
edge Of the car but finally squeezed through
The wind was blowing half a gale. and the Walk
along the narrow pathway 10 the Canal-st plat
r9le sin
Many OF them grasped the light handraI with
both hands and clung to ii affrighted until
helped to the platform.
At Canal-st- the police reserves OF the FL
dridge-st. station were called out and placed
about the station. For two hundred feet souLh
Of Canal-st. and on either side OF the spot oe-
meath the derailed locomotive, rope "aS
stretched and police lines thrown out to keep
pedestrians off the sidewalk. No wagons We're
allowed 10 pass near the structure i pu1 Inc SUI
face cars were permitted to run as uSuaL
Train Dispatcher q A Darcy OF the CITY -I M
terminal made the following statement fesaru-
ing the collision:
Engineer Hopkins Acknowledged after the col. col
sion that he alone was to bae IAN i Iockfd 10 me
like case Of nerves with him The man IN me me
si,nai on the revolving senaphore which faces di-
TecsIy down the uptown sTa9k an9 oTngiE 0f5 after
accident. but could get no clear st9tsneil1 1om
were most of the time incoherent. When asked
him e he saw the danger siTaal ne dISTeeyG - hat
something would happen If he did not stop the
train he was powe-less act. The reversing lever
in Topkine'e engine set dead ahead ~nen
found and Hopkins a5~itted 10 me that IT was not
until he was right upon the other traln that ne
realized what going to happen and only the1
did he close the throttle
About 10 o'clock vice-President and General
Superintendent Sl1tt Of the Manhattan Railway
Ccmpany reached the scene Of the accident
having been sent for from his home in 1onkers-
He al once climbed out on the elevated structure
and assumed general command of the affairs
He would not talk about the accident, and SAID
it would take all night TO get things in proper
shane for a complete resumption Of traffic