New-York tribune., 1902-01-09
WHAT SURVIVORS SAW.
ONE ASSERTS he DLSCERNED
RED LIGHT AND JUMPED.
ANOTHER. WHOSE THIGH WAS BROKEN
EXPECTED TO BE ROASTED
To DEATH


The Railway Porters' Magazine" proba big
owes his life TO the fact that he jumped from
he White Plains train before it struck the New
Haven train.
7 was standing upon the rear platform Of
the second car of the Harlem train with my
friend. George Lee he said u had spent the
evening with my sister Mrs. J. N Ward who
lives al New Rochelle. Because have always
had a distinct aversion to tunnels l decided to
get off a. the One-hundred- and twenty-ffth-s
station but changed my mind When we
reached Sixty -seventh-st. I told George that
was going to ride on the platform because Of the
warmth within. He followed me outside. In
stantly on reaching the platform I looked ahead
70 see Il the way was clear. I did this because.
as I said was a railroad man for twenty-five
years and have always been afraid Of tunnels.
Seeing red light ahead. I told Lee TO jump.
SURE RED LIGHT WAS THERE.
Although the train was moving at the rate Of
twenty miles an hour we escaped serious in
fury Lee had his hand smashed. and my over
coat was nearly torn from me as I rolled against
the wall Of the tunnel Two men whom I did
not know jumped soon after did. I moth
Ing Of them after they disappeared, for IL was
very dark in the tunnel. We made our way 70
the steps az Fifty -ninth-sE. and thus esca ped"
Are you sure that you The red danger
signaI Of the train ahead?" he was asked.
q am sure. The light was apparently about
100 yards from the locomotive. I don't see why
the train could not have been stopped in time
The only way I can account for it is that few
engineers have the faculty Of reversing their
lever at the very instant they scent danger II
was a question Of stopping within a fraction OF a
second or not stopping in time
William Hogan. Of No 10 East One-hundred-
and-twenty-seventh-st doornan at the Thirty
seventh Precinct station. was a passenger on the
same train.
When the frightfuI crash occurred I was
thrown heavily against the back OF the seat in
front Of ne" he declared.
Just before the collision the engineer of our
train was evidently slowing down for heard
the noise Of escaping air and the slight grinding
OF brakes When 7 clambered from the car l
could see nothing but steam and smoke The
tunnel was particularly gloomy because Of the
snowstorm outside. The smell Of gas was strong
and worse than usual
FOULNESS NAY HAVE HIDDEN LIGHT.
It's quite likely that the foulness in the tun-
nel obscured the danger lights ahead
Some Of the people in our car helped in the
saving Of wounded, but many more did their
best 70 get away from the carnage The fire
man Of our locomotive did fine work. He went
al the wreck. axe in hand, and did splendid ser
vice IT the rescue OF the living. inns was uldde
less difficult after the wind carried away the
smoke and steam The policemen and hremen
arrived promptly and did excellent service
Richard MOlineaUX, Of New-ROchele. whose
thigh was fractured. said that he sitting
in the sixth seat Of the last car OF the wrecked
train
roof" ne said. My feet were against the boiler
OF the engine, which had ploughed through the
car Il terribly hot thought I would
sEheiy be roasted 70 0eath Ihe air was so
thick with steam that I could see nothing except
a human arm lying beside me. After I tainted
was pulled up through the window. They told
ne they carried me 10 the home of DR.. Mclean,
No. AL Park-ave-. and then brought me here
u the Presbyterian Hospital Ny friend George
" Fearing who was badly bruised about the
shoulders. was brought here He had just as
close call as I, and, like myself feels extreme
ly thankful that he is alive
Albert Wadley, a florist OF New Rochelle
said There was crash-the next thing
knew I woke UP in an ambulance"
FINDS BLEEDING BOY ON TRACK.
William z. Totter, employed in the Manhat-
tan Bank. said that he boarded the White Plains
train al One-hundred-and-tw -fifth-st and
took seat in the second car from the engine.
De had been in a railroad wreck near Chatham
ne salo mat after the shock some OF the pas
sshgers shouted: Sit down. It's nothing but
the airbrakes"
Thomas Peperdy Of New Rochelle who occu
pied a seat IN the smoker Of the NorwaIk train
next the baggage car said that the train which
was three minutes late, had been standing
the Harlem train came along He saw all the
passengers OF the smoking car thrown from
9 5leI seats Two OF the cars were splintered.
Esop4e VINO were not pinned down crawled
Through broken windows Mr Peperdv found
Everett Coffin, a ffteen-y -year-old boy. living on
tAe track unconscious. bleeding from wounds in
the leg and suffering from internal Injuries
The boy was carried 10 Flower Hospital
rTeoerlck O Mueller, clerk in the entry d.
vision Of the Custom House living in New
Rochelle and friend Of Charles B. Mars who
~ %@S Kllied' was on the wrecked train which
as ,s boarded at AeW-RocheIle at 7:4S o'clock Mr.
Mueiier said that every morning for several
weeks this train had been stopping near the
Grand Central Station end Of the tunnel He
was seated in the smoking car where he said
tnere was great crash when the collision
occurred No one in his car was hurt He i'm
nsalately began q search for Mars but could not
was telescOped.
EXPERIENCES OF HENRY HALL
Henry Hall. who was in q passenger coach on
si-e hariem train, gives a thrilling account Of
MS experience in the wreck
We We're going through the tunnel At the
usual rate of speed said AIr Hail 10 a Tribune
reporter We may have been moving a trtne
1"ef IMAM usual but I doubt il. Suddenly
L-eEe came a sharp, cracking crash and then
Win dull grinding roar Of the wheels the
uaIn came TO abrupt stop Then ii stag
seied forward few feet then il stopped then
zane 10 dead stand
= instantly there ensued a scene of confusion
- g me car. People slid off the seats with the
seF OF the impact. women shrieked and tainted
- - ulere was a rush for the doors The brake
eH &c shouted Keep your seats and the panic
suDSlded. As quickly as ! could I got ont Of the
al ID ana ran forward. Before / had gone far
r. sIihe tl broken timbers hanging down and
N.g~ ~ that there had been an accident
presently I reached the scene of the wreck
a.. cou!a see was the inextrcable mass of
tt t--lloefs The engine Of the Harlem train had
Es -a-e1 user SO far in the rear Of the New
maven raln that il could hardly be seen The