The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1902-01-08

back and saw the car behind telescoping
over the rear OF our car and through that
mlxup plunged a roaring locomotive.
II was thrown on my face by the JOLT
and ] felt some blood splash over my
forehead Sitting smoke and steam
seemed to rise all around, and looking
back could see mangled persons crawl
Ing about through the mist. Then sud-
denly the cur took fire where the loco-
motive was.
"Our one idea was to escape found
n friend of mine right In front of me. Ht
cried out. open the windows. for Coda
sake | turned To the window and found
the glass had all been shattered by the
collision. We climbed out. l saw several
persons almost covered with blood crawl
Ing about"
Railroad Cannot Place Blame.
The response or the police and fire de-
partments to the call was prompt, and
within an incredibly short time nearly
300 nrcmen, ambulance surgeons and
train men were in the smoke and steam
filed tunnel, working desperately to get
the bodies of the dead and wounded
pnsscugcrs from the wrecked trains.
| above the scene of death on the driveway
on both sides of the tunnel We're long
! rows OF ambulances fire engines and
! hook and ladder companies In many
instances the uninjured and those whose
injuries were slight, rendered splendid
aid, while others, bewidered by the shock
and darkness, CROPPED their way along the
walls seeking an exit Some OF the pass
scngers walked through the tunnel into
| the Grand Central station, while others
| made their way to the stairways be-
1 low the south end of the tunnel.
4 ,.f In an
| the wounded were hoisted through the
openings In the roof OF the tunnel, placed
| In the waiting ambuances and rushed
4, to the nearest hospitals No attempt
was made at Identification. Conflicting
| reports from various institutions, aided
| by Implications from other places, causes
! the first account OF the disaster to place
| the number Of killed and Injured at an
exaggerated figure.
The tunnel in which the wreck occurred
| extends from Fifty-fifth street just
above the Grand Central station, and is
about two miles long. II Is under Park
| avenue and there Is an air hole In each
block. Complaints have been made for
| n long time, however, that its ventilation
was insufficient and the New York Gem
tral has been considering plans for tho
use OF electric power In the subway TO
do away with the smoke and steam from
! locomotives
j. n. Franklin manager OF the Har-
lem division of the New York Central,
made the following statement:
1--WE are investigating thoroughly, but
we ara first taking out the injured and
| having hem cared for, and until that is
done the investigation can not proceed.
80 far as can be learned the wrecked
train was stopped by The block signal
system, because Of something wrong
ahead. ! don't know or have not yet
found out what was tie matter ahead.
1 A nagman jumped off the train, taking
a red lantern and railroad torpedo.
He put the torpedo on the track and
waved his lantern to signal any train
that might come mp behind. Whether
the engineer Of the coming train saw
! the nagman, saw the lantern or heard
the torpedo II 1t went off, | don't know,
and the iiagman says he does not know.
! cannot now tell who was the nagman
or engineer.
The engineer and fireman Of the White
Plains local and a tower man were ar
rested District Attorney Jerome visited
the wreck and and win personally direct
| an investigation