New-York tribune., 1902-07-20
HIS DEATH DUE TO BOLT
LIGHTNING HURLS MAN TO TRACK
TRAIN KILLS HIM
UNIDENTIFIED WAS WAITING FOR A
TRAIN on THIRD-AVE ELEVATED
ROAD PLATFORM

Struck by lightning while standing on the
downtown platform OF the Third-ave elevated
road station AT one hundred d nd -sixteenth-st.
last night. an unidentified man was knocked 10
the tracks and ground 20 pieces by an electric
train which coming into the station. The
mans death was horrible. Parts Of his body
dropped 10 the street below. and sur
rounded by a morbid crowd Of such dimensions
that traffic OF the surface cars was blocked
Soon after II o'clock a man about th.rty-fv
years old presumably Italian, and wearing
a dark suit Of clothes and black derby nat
entered the downtown station and, purchasing
a ticket, walked out on the platform. II vas
raining a the time. and after standing ITder
shelter for a few moments the man walked L"
the edge OF the platform and looked W the
track to see whether train was approaching.
At that instant there peal OF thunder
and fash OF lightning. The man threw up
his arms staggered second and then fell 10
the tracks below.
A cry went up from those on the station and
the ticket chopper rushed toward the track.
Before he could give warning or reach the end
of the platform an electric train glided into the
station. The chopper shouted to the motorman
that something wrong He applied the
brakes. and brought the train to stop before
the last car had reached the end of the plat
form. Guards jumped down on the outside OF
the train, and there. under truck of the sec
ond car. was discovered the mangied body OF the
unfortunate man. lie had been ground 10
pieces ~.
incoming train, called DR. Gottleb Sternbers,
of No 2o4 East Thirteenth-st He arrived after
a delay OF a few minutes, and round the Tram
standing in the station and the ralnmen uh-
decided how to act. He got down on the OPP
poste side of the train and, as nest ne couiU,
examined the mans body. He ordered a can
sent in the Harlem Hospital
There was great excitement in the train and
-, GpOf nf on
The guards were forced 10 go through the tram
and explain that accident had happened but
Acting nnder orders OF DR.. sternberg, the con-
duCtor unCoupled the first car and ran IL down
the track The second car under whlcn Tn tne
mans body was. was uncOupled from the thII u
and the third and fourth pushed down the trach.
Then the trainmen slowly moved PACK the SEE
ond car. 1t found that the wheelS hdu
passed over the body and IL had been grouilu
between the side of the platform ana the TRUCKS
of the The right leg was severed, anu ,ds tle
left side of the man had been horribly mansied.
He was torn apart. The doctor In eNanllhllls IN :
the body found evidences that hShtnlne hau
struck the unfortunate man and passed doWn
his side Ii Is presumed that II entered the
ground through the elevated structure doihs
no further damage. .,. .1et
the blowing of the whistle. and when Police
man Morris arrived he had the body. whch was
living exposed the platform covered. -,
Frank p Ford. of No. la East Elghty-eiShI%h- IN
Ct the notorman of the train, was arrested DS
Policeman Morris, of the East One-hundrea-
"a twentv-sixth- station. The motorman
and the police tell another version OF the acCl-
dent They say that the man was crossing the
track when he was struck The motormah salu
that he was bringing his train into the station
when TWENTY-FIVE feet north of the platform, ne
noticed mans body the tracks. He put on
ali brakes and at that moment the man disap-
nnarad as though he was jumping through the
ties Ford says that he stopped his tram an9 ,d
then told the conductor. John H. Hail. OF NO no
TweIfth-st. Brooklyn.
II was rumored that the dead man hved
in One-hundred- "a md d-seventy- -seventh-st.. The
trothar Getting on the wrong station he at
temnted to cross the tracks and was run over
ON the body was found card bearing tne
name of Frank Jerold. real estate. NO. III
Fifth-ave an Italian poster, announcing some
meeting pocketbook containing 81 three
rings and a watch.