Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-01-08
FATAL COLLISION
IN A DARK TUNNEL
Occurred in Heart OF New York City Forty
Passengers Killed Seventeen or
More Seriously Injured

The first of the injured taken from
the wreck was woman. She was car
ried to the womans hospital Here as
well as at the other points, prepare
liDns were hurriedly made to take care
OF the wounded as rapidly as they were
brought to the railroad station A pass
sengcr on the Harlem train said
A PASSENGERS STORY.
"0ur train was held at the Harlem
end Of the tunnel for two minutes 10 all
LOW the New Haven train to pass us.
Then we proceeded Suddenly there
was terrific crash and we were hurled
fr0lnAour seats The shock was followed
by the roar Of escaping steam and the
cries Of the wounded,
"a score Of men passengers got out
OF the windows and ran to the front
OF our train The confusion and noise
was awful our l0cOmtive had ploughed
half way through the last New Haven
car ! saw several women taken out Of
the first wrecked car
Eugene Herold OF Rochelle Park, one
OF the passengers on the Danbury train,
gave this account Of the accident
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
I'VE were sitting quietly in the next
70. the last car ana there were only one
or TWO unuccupied seats. There was
the usual morning crowd, There were
five cars. W.
There were several women In my
car and also In the last ear. We tad
pteh stalled at Flfty-seycnth street for
some time. Suddenly there was q
terrific crash The lights In the car
went OUT, There was a iOar OF grinding
hleel and wood and a chorus of shrjeks
l booked back and saw the car behind
telesooping over the rear of our car
ana through that mixup plunged a
roaring locomotive.
was thrown on my face by the
Jolt and ! felt some blood splash over
my forehead. Sitting smoke and steam
seemed 10 rise all around, and looking
baok / coulh see mangled persons
crawling about through the mist. Then
suddenly the car took fire where the To-
connective was.
'Ollr one idea was to escape. / found
a friend OF mine right in front Of me.
ne cried open the windows, for Gods
sake | turned TO the window and
found that the glass had all been shat.
tered by the collision We climbed out
| saw several persons almost covered
with blood crawling about
POLICE RESPONSE PROMPT
The response Of the police and fire de.
paftments TO the call was prompt and
within an incredibly short time nearly
300 Bremen, ambulance surgeons and
trairmen were In the smoke and steam
liape tunn'l working desperately 10 get
the bodies OF the dead and wounded
passengers from the wrecked trains
Above the scene of death on the drive
way on both sides of the tunnel were
long rows OF ambulances, fire engines
and hook and ladder companies.
. In many instances the uniniured and
those whose injuries were slight rem
dered splendid aid while others, be-
wildered by the shock and darkness,
grouped their way along the walls seek
ing an exit. Some Of the passengers
walked through the tunnel into the
Grand Central station, while others
made their way to the starways below
the south end Of the tunnel.
BODIES OF THE DEAD.
The bodies OF the dead and many
wounded We're hoisted through the
openings in the roof Of the tunnel
placed in the waiting ambulances apd
rushed to the nearest hospitals, No
attempt was made at Identification.
Conflicting reports from various instItu.
lions, aided by Implications from other
places, caused the first account Of the
disaster to place the number OF killed
and injured at an exaggerated figure.
The tunnel In which the wreck oc-
CURED extends from Fifty-nfth street,
just above Grand Central station and
Is about two miles long IL is under
Park Avenue and there is an afr hole
IN each block Complaints have been
made for a long time, however, that It's
ventilation was lnshnicltnt and the New
York Central has been considering
plans for the use Of electrical power
in the subway, so as TO do away with
the smoke and steam from locomotives
MANAGERS STATEMENT,
], H. Franklin. manager of the Har-
lem division OF the New York Central
AOhNtf Altu' INV ANAlONlilb HAANfllliHAt
1--WE are investigating thoroughly
but we are first taking out the injured
and having them cared for and until
that Is done the investigation cannot
proceed
80 far as can be learned the wrecked
train was stopped by the block signal
system, because Of something wrong
ahead. do not know wheth-
er or not they have set
found Nut what was the matter ahead,
A flag man jumped of the train, TAX
Ing red lantern and a railroad torpedo
lie put the torpedo on the track and
waved his lantern to signal any train
that might come up behind Whether
the engineer Of the coming train saw
the hagman, saw the lantern or heard
the torpedo, II IL went on, don't know,
and the flagman says he does not
know. | cannot now tell who was the
hagman or engineer OF the train"
The railroad officials said the wreck
did not take fire