New-York tribune., 1902-12-31
1fETALLURGIST SLrCCUMBS TO ,4POPLE1T IN n
NINTH4VE TRIM
State Railroad Commissioners Start Pan to Reh1e Crush AUeT
Inquiry in City Hail.
4POPLEYY FROM CRUSH.
Panic Nearly FoIlo1os Tragedy IN
81" TruiR-ReserUes Called.

After struggling through dense crowd at the
Rector-st station of the Ninth-ave elevated
line and securing standing room near the cen
tre of car that was packed to the DOORS
Charles Vessel. of No. 251 West Eighty-sev-
enth-st a we'll known ~1etallurgist. dropped
dead yesterday afternoon In the train just as it
had reached Liberty-st. and was about to enter
the CortIandt-st station. The greatest excite
men followed Mr.. Vessels death. and it seemed
at first as If there would be panic When he
fell. Mr. Vessel carried down old woman.
who had been standing behind him, but she
was not injured. He gave a sudden gasp and
dropped backward.
Mr. Wessell was sixty-seven years old, and
weighed 225 pounds. Noting the excitement
in the centre of the car. curious people tr1eo
to push in that direction from the ends Oh
the car. and those who stood near MIN were
unable to lift the man up. When the train ran
up to the station the platform of the latter was
crowded The guards on the train nad neeh
signalled not to open the gates. ana there was
a wild scramble at first, many men trying to
lump over them. The guards shouted 10 one Oh
the guards on the station platform to call
policeman Patrolman Wynne of the Church
ST. station, was found in Creenwich-st When
he reached the platform and saw the crowd he
thought that a fight in progress. He drew
his club and made his way to the car IN Whlcn
Mr. Vessel had died. On being informed tnat
a man had died in the Wynne sent for
PatroIman WoolIey.
The train had then been detained for three
minutes and the crowd the platform was
steadily increasing All were crowding forward,
eager to learn what had happened. Wynne saw
that two policemen were not enough. he sent
WoolIey to the Church-st. station for the re-
serves Six men were sent by Sergeant Carson.
tom of the steps leading up to the station to
prevent any more people crowding UP, and the
others cleared way through the station ana
the platform to the car. The body was tnen
taken out with much difficulty
In the mean time an ambulance had been
summoned from the Hudson-st. Hospital DR..
Cooke examined the body in the station and said
that death due to apoplexy-
The body was carried down the station steps
and placed in the patrol wagon of the Church
st station. 1t required four men to carry the
bodv down and place il in the wagon The
crowd In the street had increased to 400 people.
all complaining at the delay and anxious to get
home The trains had been delayed about seven
minutes
The station agent and many passengers
prafsed the work of Patrolman Wynne and COM
piimented him on his quick action in calling the
reserves Had he not done so. 1t is probable
that there would have been serious results from
the crushing
Mr.. Wessels body was taken to the Church-st
station He was identified through memoran-
dunn found in one of his pockets, which read as
follows:
II want nv twenty thousand-share certificate
In the International Smelling and Refining
Company divided as follows: Four certificates.
1000 shares each; ten certificates. 1000 shares
each: four certificates. 500 shares each: eighteen
certificates in ALL CHARLES VESSEL
This was dated December 8. 1902 at No. 2ol
West Eighty -seventh-st.
Mr. Vessel was returning from a trip to
PHILADELPHIA He invented a process of treating
cast iron and steel in such manner that 1t re-
sembied silver and still would stand hard usage
He lived with his wife and sister He had
two children, Charles A. piano manufacturer.
of No 34D West Eighty-seventh-st-. and a
daughter the wife of DR.. Roger Mead, of Pitts
burg.
Mr. Vessel was member of the Holland So
cIetv and had been active in the Dutch Re
formed Church in Seventy-seventh-st. He was
connected with the Riverside On. j. Metal Com
pany the International Smelling and Refining
Company. of Philadelphia. and the American
Nickel Steel Company. of Pittsburg.