Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-01-11

| the Dying IN Mlost OF Wreckage--
Fire Lieutenant Rescues Women al
Cost of Severe scading.
New York. Jan. 9,--In the New York
Central tunnel, which runs under Park
avenue, two local trains cullidcl yes
terday. Fifteen passengers were killed
and twice that number were injured.
a dozen Of I'll, injured were seriously
hurt and the roster of the dead may he
extended.
| Three men and one woman we're
scnldrd TO death. The others met death
| by being crushed and mangicd
II was IL rcar-end collision between a
| South Norwalk local train which ran IN
| over the New York, New Haven and
! Hartford tracks and was halted by
block signal ut the southern entrance
to the tunnel. and n White rlains local
| train which came in by the Harlem
| branch of HE Now York Central. Most
| of the death, in.iUry and damage was
wrought hy the locomotive of the
White Plains train. which plowed into
the rear ear Of the standing train. II
swept away the platform and wcdgrd
its way through the floor to the middle
of the car. Its many victims We're
either manglcd tn death IN the mass of
'vreckagp carried before the pilot.
crushed bet twern the boilerrndcarEideS.
or burned to death by steam which
tnme kissing from broken steam pipes
| and cylinders.
The locomotive. in its final plunge Of
40 feet. carried the rear car forward
ana sent twisted iron. broken tinbcrS
and splinters crashing into the coach
ahead. Lights We're eXtinGiiiShrd and
the dead. injured and unharmcd were
left in Il darkness which escaping
steam and smoke made more cOhflls-
ing.
Out from the wrcckage came the
cries Of those who still lived and with
in few minutes the work of rescue.
! which was marked by the finest hero
ism and sacrifice. began.
The noise of the impact CARRIED warn
ing to the street above and alarms were
sounded ut once. With police. !ircmen
and surgeons, came n score Of vOlul-
terr physicians and half Il dozen clergy
men. Ladders We're run down the tim.
mel air shafts and the tiremen and po-
lice attacked the debris with rope and
axes.
Meantime the passengers had already
rallied and were trying TO release t!.eir
fellows who We're imprisoned IN the ,lr-
briS. Father Smith. Roman Catholic
chaplain Of the fire department.
era wlrd in over the hot boiler of the
wrecked engine to offer sacram'nts to
the dying and material succor to those
pinned down. Rev. DR.. Walkley. Prot
estant chaplain of the fire department.
lahorel with him. Lieutenant Clarke
of the fire department forced his way
into where two women lay and SiOt Il in
steam that Scalded his legs until thcy
were gotten out. II. NJ. Murphy. n pas
Srngcr both of whose legs had been
broken and was still held down by the
timherS which broke them. volunteered
to remain as he was until those. around
him were gotten out. for fear the re-
j
the rest.
The wounds of those of the injured in
need Of immediate attentiur were given
temporary dressing by the ambulance
and volunteer surgeons and then these
injured We're hoisted to the street abovc.
Many houses were thrown open to the
suffering. but most of the injured were
hurried away to hospitals, The dead
We're taken to morgues aud police sta
tionS
4 great crowd gathered about the t,l,-
mel entrance and shafts and watched
the rescue work. Despite the horror
of the accident and the vigilrnce of the
police there was some looting.
Responsibility for the disaster has
not been fixed as yet, hut Suprrintcn-
dent Franklin says that as far. aS he
has been able to discover. !. NJ. Wis.
cho. engineer of the White Plains train.
was to blame. When the South Nor
back into the tunnel and. besides plnc-
ing Il torpedo on the track. enf"avorrd
to flag the On-coming train. He !urlc
his lantern at the cab window. hut the
big locomotive never halted until il
was buried in wrcckage. 1t is not clear
that the torpedo exploded or that Wis
chO was, warned by the lantern signal
The right of the signal men to permit
the moving train to enter the same
block section as that occupied hy the
halted train is also in question. The tun-
mel was mclouded with steam and
smoke. and snow which fell through The
air shafts of the tunnel also obscured
the view.
Latcin the day the coroner questioned
the trainmen. holding court 1T n police
station, The inquiry was behind
closed doors, and rs Il result Of II Sig
mailman Flynn was released. while Fire.
man Fylrr was held in ls il of 5000 ana
Engineer Wischo without bail The
railroad company furnished bonds for
Fyler and WiScho was taken to the
t6mbS prison.