The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-08

Then we proceeded. Suddenly there
was a terrific crash and we were hurl-
ed from our seats. The shock was fol-
lowed by the roar of escaping steam
and the cries of the wounded.
"A score of men passengers got out of
the windows and ran to the front of our
train The confusion and noise were
awful Our locomotive had ploughed
half way through the last New Haven
car. 1 saw several women taken out
of the first wrecked car"
A PASSENGER'S ACCOUNT.
Eugene Harold of Rochelle Park, one
of the passengers on the Danbury train
gave this account of the accident:
I'VE were sitting quietly in the next
to the last car and there were only one
or two unoccupied seats. There was
about the usual morning crowd. There
were five cars.
There were several women in my car
and also in the last car. We had been
stalled at Fifty-seventh street for some
time. Suddenly there came a terrific
crash. The lights in the went out
There was a roar of grinding steel and
wood and a chorus of ShriekS. 1 looked
back and saw the car behind telescop-
ing over the rear of our car and through
that mix up plunged roaring locomo-
tive.
4 was thrown on my face by the jolt
and / felt some blood splash over my
forehead. Sitting smoke and steam
seemed to rise all around and looking
back 1 could see mangled persons
crawling about through the mist. Then
locomotive was.
Our one idea was to escape. / found
a friend of mine right in front of me.
He cried: Open the windows. for
and found the glass had all been shat
tered by the collision. We climbed out.
1 saw several persons almost covered
with blood crawling about
The response of the police and fire
departments to the call was prompt and
within an incredibly short time nearly
three hundred firemen, ambulance sur
geonS and trainmen were in the smoke
and steam filled tunnel, working des-
perately to get the bodies of the dead
and the wounded passengers from the
death on the driveway on both sides of
the tunnel were long rows of an
balances, fire engines and hook and
ladder companies.
In many instances the uninjured and
those whose injuries were slight rem
dered splendid aid, while others, be-
wildered by the shock and darkness,
groped their way along the walls seek
ing the exit. Some of the passengers
walked through the tunnel into the
Grand Central station while others
made their way to the StairwayS below
the south end of the tunnel.
BODIES HOISTED THROUGH ROOF.
The bodies of the dead and many of
the wounded, were hoisted in the open
ings in the roof of the tunnel, placed
in the waiting ambulanceS and rushed
to the nearest hospitals. No attempt
was made at Identification. Conflicting
reports from various institutions, aided
by Implications from other places,
caused the first account of the disaster
to place the number of killed and in
jured at an exaggerated figure.
The tunnel in which the wreck oc-
Cured extends from Fifty fifth street.
just above the Grand Central station
and is about two miles long. 1t is un-
der Park avenue and there is an air
hole in each block. Complaints have
been made for a long time, however,
that it's ventilation was insufficient and
the New York Central has been con-
sidering plans for the use of electrical
power in the subway, SO as to do away
with the smoke and steam from loco
m otiveS.
j. H. Franklin, manager of the Har-
lem division of the New York Central
railroad made the following statement:
I'VE are investigating thoroughly,
but we are first taking out the injured
and having them cared for and until
that is done the investigation can not
proceed.
so far as can be learned the wreck
ed train was stopped by the block sig
nal system, because Of something wrong
ahead. 1 don't know, or have not yet
found out, what was the matter ahead.
A f1agman jumped off the train, taking
a red lantern and a railroad torpedo.
waved his lantern to signal any train
that might come up behind. Whether
the engineer of the coming train saw
the fagman, saw the lantern, or heard
the torpedo, if it went off, I don't
know. I cannot now tell who was the
fiagman, or engineer of the train
The railroad officials said the wreck