The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-01-10
ENGINEER DSREGARDED SIGNALS TO STOP HIS TRAIN
Accident Happened at Hour When Many Suburban Residents Were on
Their Way Into the City-Occupants of One Car
Nearly All Killed or Injured.

+, chaplain gave her a stimulant. The
policemen were cutting away the seat
which held the woman down when a
! pipe broke. The scalding steam drove
them back and when the rescuers re-
| turned Mrs. Howard was dead.
Injured persons in need of immedi-
ate attention were given temporary
dressing by the ambulance surgeons
and then hoisted to the street. Many
Park venue mansions were thrown
open to the suffering but most of the
injured were taken to the hospitals.
The dead were carried to morgues
and police stations.
An immense crowd, needless of the
snow which whirled through the
street, gathered about the tunnel en-
trance and shafts and watched the
rescue work. Cornelius Vanderbilt
was among those who came to the tun-
mel, but the police denied him admis-
| sion, despite the fact that his family
controls the railway.
Responsibility for the disaster is
unfxed, but Superintendent Franklin
said so far as he had been able to dis
cover, John Wischo. engineer of the
White Plains train, is to blame. 1t
is declared that when the South Nor
falk train stopped a fagman ran back
into the tunnel and besides placing a
torpedo on the track, endeavored to
flag Tie oncoming train. The tunnel
was %beclouded with steam and smoke,
while the snow which fell through the
air shafts tended to obstruct the view.
Engineer Wischo and Fireman
Christopher Flynn we're both arrest
ed. A signal man also was detained
for a time but was released.
Superintendent Franklin has issued
a statement as to the accident in
which he declared that the block sig
nails at Fifty-ninth street were obeyed
by the New Haven train. while the
engineer of the White Plains train dis
regarded them. 1.-THE torpedo on the
track went off," said the superintend'
ent, "but he did not stop even though
the fireman called to him to do so
The system of block signals is such
that it is a physical impossibility fol
a signal man to make his light de
clare the track free if another train
is on the block"
District Attorney Jerome visited
the wreck and personally examined
many witnesses. The state railway
commission also announced it's inten
ton to make an investigation and g
similar intent was expressed by the
general officers of both the New Yorl
Central & Hudson River railroad ant
the New York, New Haven & Hart
ford railroad.
Residents of New Rochelle ccntri
buted the largest number to the cas-
ualty list, because the rear car OF tn
South Norfalk local was reserved TO
them and was kept locked until tn
train reached that place.
William Legs, one of the dead, wa
general manager of the dry goods firm
of B. Altman & Co., of this city. AM
was prominent in commercial circle
: here. A. M. Perrin was second vic
president of the Union Bag & Pape
company and was equally well known
: Perrin came here recently from Oh.
cago. H. G. Diamond. Who was killed
was assistant senerai manager OF TN
AmreI.,n Bridge e any. Os -" Y.
Meyrou 'tZ was al t. +ician an: SET
rotary of the New Rochelle Yacht clu
and E. F. Walton was a we'll know
e. .
broker of New York.