New-York tribune., 1902-01-28
MOTORMAN A LIFE SAVER.
MANNED. HE BACKS CAR AS DERRICK
FALLS
CONDUCTOR ALSO INJURED. FIGHTS PANIC
STRICKEN PASSENGERS TO KEEP
THEM FROM DANGER.

CONDUCTOR ALSO INJURED, FIGHTS PANIC
STRICKEN PASSENGERS TO KEEP
THEM FROM DANGER
The cool bravery of a motorman coupled with
the stubbornness of a truckman who refused to
yield the right of way to a street car which was
behind him. made combination of circum-
stances which averted a catastrophe which
would undoubtedly have caused death or serious
injury to many when the explosion occurred
The courageous motorman Charles
Gaines. of No. 1885 Madison-ave. Who the
bullheaded driver could not be ascertained.
Gaines running a Madson-ave. car which
was just entering the tunnel at Forty-second-
ST., southbound, when the explosion shook the
car.
Although badly bruised and suffering from
dislocated shoulder. he managed to grab the re-
versing lever and started the car backward just
In time for it to escape being crushed by the
falling of a huge derrick and a large mass of
earth and rock. There were about thirty people,
mostly women, in the car. and as the windows
and sides of the car were broken by the con-
cussion and the falling debris they became pam
ic-stricken. Men and women fought each other
In an effort to escape. The conductor, Lewis
Weslovits. of No. 292 East Houston-st.. also
showed that he made OF good metal
Although the bones of his right wrist were
splintered. and his hip. back and shin hurt. he
valiantly strove to restore order and keep the
terror stricken passengers on the car In doing
so' he was hurt internally and badly bruised
generally. He succeeded in his efforts, however.
and thereby averted the danger to which the
passengers would have been exposed from fall
ing dirt and rocks had they alighted in the tun-
nel Several women tainted, and two of them.
Mrs. John Drake of No. 12S West On-hundred-
and-hfteenth-st.. and Mrs. r. G. Cassidy Of
No 1906 Madison-ave. were in serious condi-
ton from shock and fright when they were sent
home soon after the accident
II cannot describe the sensation that I ex-
perienced when the explosion occurred" said
Gaines when he was seen at his home last
night. There was a deafening. binding crash
such as have never heard before and then dirt
huge rocks and planks began to rain down on
the car. A fraction of second later I remem-
ber TO have seen large hoisting derrick which
was used in the rapid transit tunnel work come
toppling over on the track on which the car was
A big bowlder had struck me in the right shout
der, and my right hung limp at my side.
THE force of the blow sent me reeing and
as l started to fall forward 1 instinctively real
lied that my best hand useless. Instead of
thinking of my own safety. a wave of pity
for the poor women in the car flashed through
my mind and. without really realizing what
out with my left hand and grasping the reverse
lever turned it on.
The car went forward in a joltfng ierky
sort of way for a short distance and just as
it seemed as though it going to plunge
under the falling derrick it came to stop,
and then started to go backward. 1t wasn't
bravery or GOODNESS on my part; it was just in
stnct.
Il think that the passengers and myself real
ly owe our lives to a troublesome truckman. He
swung in front of my car Just as / was going
to turn south from Forty-second-st. TO enter
the tunnel. 1 generally those guys that
block my way in mental sort of way. and I
guess / did this fellow, but-since the accident
have offered up several prayers for him. He
delayed me but just small part of a minute
but that delay put me back just enough to
enable me to avoid having my car and its
passengers crushed by that derrick and the
mass of debris that came down on the track
with it."
"If ever a man was in hell on this earth.
was for a minute after that explosion took
place" said Weislovits You might say that
we right square into the explosion When
II occurred our car was almost directly opposite
to where 1t happened. The escape of the pas
sengers. the motorman and myself was most
marvellous, and IL due solely to the nerve
of Gaines. There were about thirty persons on
the car most of whom were women, and the
explosion threw them into panic They all
made rush for the door 1 could see the falling
rocks and earth come tumbling down the side
of the tunnel and realized that everybody was
the open so 1 stepped into the and closed
and barred the door that nobody could get
out The way they fought to get by me was
something terrible, and / was badly bruised
while restraining them. The women shrieked
and many of them tainted. while the men yelled
in terror. 1 knew that the explosion was caused
by dynamite in the rapid transit tunnel. and
thought that were going to be buried under
dirt and rocks like lot of rats
Among the women who tainted and were sent
home suffering from shock were Miss Gussie
Herbst of No S35 Madison-ave.; Mrs. r. G..
Cassidy of No. .656 Madison-ave.; Mrs. V. A.
Dougherty. of No. 364 West -hundred-and-
{ twenty -seventh-st.: Mrs. John Drake. of No. lbs
West One-hundred- and -ffteenth-st.; Mrs 1.
Kapplan. of No. Il East ne-hundred-and-
eighth-st: Miss r. Gordon, of No. IS East One
hundred and fifteenth-st., and Mrs. A. c. Hey
man, of No II East One-hundred-and-thir-
teenth-st.
Samuel s Stodel of No. 161 East One-hun-
dred- -and-e -eighth-st.. and f. Sanders, of No. 399
Madison-ave. who were also passengers on the
car were slightly injured. They were able 20
go home without assistnce. Several others who
were on the car were also hurt. None of them
so far as is known. were injured seriously. and
they went away without revealing their
identity