Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-01-09

ii COCK Inc number OF persons Killed
was placed by the railr nd officials at
10, and the injured at 20 or mere.
soME OF THE DEAD.
A. g. Walton, New Rochelle.
ii. q. Diamond, New Rochelle
A. lG. Mills, Now York.
Oscar w. Meyrowitz, New York.
Il. ID q, Foskett, Now Rochelle.
George Potter, New Rochelle.
II. q, Thomas, New YORK.
Albert M. Perrin, New Rochelle
HuERYfNG TO THE RESCUE.
The shock OF the collision was plainly
| felt by people passing on Park avenue,
above the tunnel. Several of them ran
to give an alarm, ami in 10 minutes
everybody at police and fire head
quartes was at work organizing relief
| to be sent to the spot
From fire headquarters, dozen
blocks away, hook and ladder truck
was rapidly dispatched to the scene of
the accident with several fire com.
| psnies The reserves from the East
Fifty first and Grand Central Police
Stations were tt, ned out on the run.
| A hurry call was sent to Bellevue,
Flower, the Presbyterian and Roosevelt
Hospitals. and 81 on a dozen amhulances
we're huirying with co 'pl of doctors.
When the rescuers reached The wreck,
smoke was pouring out of the entrance
to the tunne, at Fifty fifth street, and
great columns OF smoke came out of
ths first venti ator. half block north.
mhulances came in from the east and
west Ladders were put down from the
street. over the iron fence to the track,
and the tremen, Policemen and surgeons
were Immediately at work
1t was very dark in the tunnel, VIII oh
was filed with smoke and steam. The
| work of rescue was, there ore, difficult.
| The locomotive VI tho Whits Plains
| local was hidden in the rsar car of the
South Norwalk train. The MANNED and
| injured were calling from the wrsck.
Some, more badly injured than others,
were being assisted by the more for
| tunate passengers The work of rescue
was further impeded by the enormous
| crowds which, despite police vigilance,
swarmed into the tunnel through its
many entrances, or crowded about the
openings ut the surface
| The first Of the injured taken from
| the wreck was woman. She was car
ried to the Women ; Hospital. Hero,
as we'll as at other points, preparations
were hurriediy made to take care of the
wounded us rapidly as they were brought
to the railroad station.
INTERVIEWS wirH PASSENGERS.
| A passenger OIL the Harlem train said
.'Our train was held at the Harlem
| end of the tunnel for two minutes TO
allow the New Haven train to pass us.
Then we proceeded. Suddenly there
was a terrific crash, and we were hurled
from our seats. The shock was followed
by the roar OF escaping steam and the
cries OF the wounded.
- score of men passengers got out
Of the windows, and ran to the front of
| our train. The confusion and no Sc
we're awful, Our locomotive had
p.oughed half way through the last
New Haven car. | saw several women
taken out of the first wrecked carr
Eugene Herold OF Rochelle Park,
one OF the passengers on the Danbury
train, gave this account of the accident:
We we're sitting quietly in the next
to the last car, ard there were only one
or two unoccupied seats. There wa
the usual morning crowd There were
five cars There were several women
10 my car and also in thu last car
We had been stalled at Fifty seventh
street To- SINE time Suddenly The Q
came terrific crash. The lights in the
car went out There Was q roar of
grinding steel and wood, followed by
chorus of shrieks. | looked back and
saw the car behind tslescoping over the
rear of our car. and through that mig
OPP plunged u roaring locomotive. III
was thrown on my face by tins Jolt. and
] felt some blood sLash ove' my fore.
head Sitting amoIe and stem seemed
10 rise all around, and, looking bacx,
| could see inangled persons crawling |
about through the mist. Then sud 1
dBnly the car took fire whore the loco
motive was.
Our one idea was 10 escape | found |
friend of mine right in front of me.
lie cried: Open the windows, for God s |
sake | turned To window and found |
the g ass had all been shattered by tine |
collision. We climbed out. | saw |
several PERSONS almost covered with |
bio ID crawling about. :"
TAXING OUT DEAD aND INJURED.
The respo so Of the Police and Fire
Departments 10 the call was prompt, |
and within an incredible short time |
nearly 500 tilemen amGu ance surgeons
and trainmen were in the smoke and /
steam illed tunnel, working desperately
to get the bodies OF the dead and the |
WOunu5u UhshsuReFb run tuH WF6CHeu
trains Above the scene of death, on
the driveway on both sides OF the
tunnel. were long rows of ambulances,
fire engines and hook and ladder COM
ranies.
In many instances the uniniured and
those whose injuries were slight rem
de- ed splendid aid, while Others. be-
wildered by the shock and darkness,
CROPPED their way along the walls, seek
ing an 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.
Tho bod IS OF the dead and many OF
the wounded were hoisted through the
openings in the roof of the tunnel,
placed in the waiting ambu!ances and
rushed to the nearest hospitals. No
att mpt was made at identification.
Conflicting reports from various in
situations, aided by applications from
other places, caused the first account
of the disaste, TO place the number OF
killed and injured at an exaggerated
figure.
The tunnel in which the wreck
occurred extends from Fifty fifth street,
Just above the Grand Central Station,
and ii about two miles long 1t is
uuder PARK avenue, and there is an air
hole in each block. Complaints have
baap p,ada Gov n l,na ,;pna hona,o. |