The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-01-22
TRAINS. CRASH IN TUNNEL
About Fifty Persons Killed and In
iured in New York City.
LOCOMOTIVE BURIED IN A CAR

nel-Engineer Fails to See Signals
Coaches Catch FIre-Work OF Rescue
New York City. - Fifteen persons
were killed and two score severely IN
jured as result Of rear-end COLI
sion in the south end Of the
New York Central tunnel at Fifty.
eighth street. The South Norwalk To-
cal, due here at SIT a. m, stopped just
after emerging from the tunnel, to
let another train be switched. The
White Plains local, due here at S.15 a.
M. crashed into it from behind. The
White Plains engine crushed its wa5
through half the length Of the rear
car. Beneath the tremendous weight
of the engine many passengers were
trapped and scalded to death by es-
Gaping steam in the darkness of the
tunnel. Unaccountable blunder of an
engineer, who disregarded signals,
which he says he did not see, are held
to be responsible for the accident-the
worst railroad disaster that ever oc-
Cured on Manhattan Island.
The list Of the dead is as follows:
n. Franklin Crosby, of New Rochelle;
81. g. Dimon, of New Rochelle; Will
lam Forbes, Of New Rochelle; Theodore
Fiiaardo, of New Rochelle; B. D. c.
Foskett, of New Rochelle; D. G. Hins-
dale, of New Rochelle; Mrs. A. F. How
ard. of New Rochelle; William How
ard, of New Rochelle; William Legs,
Of New Rochelle; Charles B. Marr, OF
New Rochelle; A. Edward Hunt Mills,
Of New Rochelle; Oscar w. Meyrowitz,
optician and jeweler in New York, and
residence IN New Rochelle; A. N. Per-
4 rim, of New Rochelle; Frank Wash
: burn, Of New Rochelle; Ernest f. Wal
: ton, OF New Rochelle.
When the crash came wild rush
was made to get out Of the cars by the
uninjured and men and women fought
to get through the doors. Some climbed
through the windows, needless of bro
Ken glass, and all seemed to have lost
their heads. Women tainted from the
: shock and had to be carried out of the
cars. The crash of the collision and
hiss of escaping steam added to the
panic. The splintered glass and wood
fell In showers about the cars, and the
tunnel was choked with steam and
smoke. The debris Of the wrecked
cars was scattered over the tracks,
\ and in the first moments Of panic those
who managed to get out Of the cars
did not know where to go. Many VINO
were injured made their way through
/, the tunnels to the stairways below the
south end; some walked to the Grand
Central station.
Most of the dead had been killed In
stantly, though few died shortly af-
terward. Some were taken from the
car windows in dying condition and
the most powerful stimulants admins
tered, but of no avail. The wounded
were removed to various hospitals,
and the pressure at some Of them was
50 great that extra surgical help had
to be summoned. The survivors rushed
to telegraph stations to inform their
families Of theirssafety. These mes
sages Of safety were the first Of any
sort relating to the wreck to reach
New Rochelle, the home Of most of the
sufferers. Very soon afterward the
& 6IdllUu was. ClOWuCu Wall 4hAoA2ShSt
many of them hysterical
: Some one who witnessed the col
iision turned in a fire alarm. The
fremen made record time in respond
Ing, but it was an hour before the first
person was taken from the wreck.
The wreckage and debris choked the
tunnel. The only way to get at the
injured was through the air holes.
Firemen, climbing down ladders with
: their axes, chopped holes In the car
roofs and dragged out the living and
dead. Ropes had to be passed around
the bodies of many of the injured to
raise them.
Cornelius Vanderbilt was one Of
the first to reach the wreck. He at
tempted to climb down ladder into
the tunnel, but a policeman stopped
him, and he walked away without
telling the policeman who he was.
.This is terrlble-terriblew he cried.
Of all the heroes of the wreck the
chief Is Peter Murphy. Pinned under
four other victims the firemen told
him they could not get him out without
crippling the others.
"All right" he said, "save them first"
It was half an hour before he was ex-
tricated.
Coroner Schoeler arrived to make an
Investigation early in the day, and he
held g. sort of preliminary inquest in
the station house. He and District At
torney Jerome examined the engine
crew and the signal man. Engineer
Wiskar was held for the Grand Jury
without bail, and the fireman was re-
leased under $4,000 bail. The signal
man was discharged.
Ten years ago a casualty of a some
what similar character. though far less
ealamitous in its results. was followed
by the indictment of the higher Off
cials Of the company involved. The
dimly lighted, miserably ventilated
Central Railroad tunnel has been a
menace and a scandal for years. Pub
lie spirited men have predicted just
such a horror as now has happened
as a result of the volumes Of coal
smoke and steam that choke the tunnel
during the incessant passage of incom-
ing and outgoing trains, obscuring in
misty vapor all cautionary lights and
block signals.
It has been urged repeatedly that
electricity be substituted for steam in
the heart of the city. The task Of
ventilating the noisome tunnel Is actu-
ally under way after years Of agita-
ton, but nothing has been done to In
stall a safer motive power. No less
notorious has been the inadequacy Of
the terminal facilities. Day after day
during the busy morning hours incom-
ing suburban trains are stalled to wait