New-York tribune., 1902-12-04
WRECK BLOCKS ELEVATED
SHIFTING TRAIN STRUCK BY LOADED
TRAIN AND CARS HANG
OVER STREET.
PANIC AMONG PASSENGERS WHILE THIRD
RAIL SPOUTS FIRE. But NO
ONE is HURT.

A collision at $50 p. yesterday the
elevated road at e-hundred-and- thirty
fourth-st and Eighth-ave caused a panic
among the passengers of crowded train. and
two cars of a dead train were pushed from
the tracks and half over the rails. almost into
the street. The ensuing block lasted over two
hours Only one person was hurt. so far as the
police could learn. falling glass cutting spec
tator
motorman and trainman. with motor car,
were taking five "empties' from the uptown
track to the switch at hundred -and-thirty-
fourth-st to take them uptown on the middle. or
express track There were about twenty pas
sengers waiting for the train drawn by loco
motive going uptown. and some of them say the
engineer had a white signal. giving him the right
of way.
The engineer kept on, whatever signal ne hau.
and the motorman had time only 10 get three
of his five cars over the switch The locomotive
hit the last two with report like an explosion
There was crash of glass and breaking Wooo'
and Immediately panic reigned among the pas
s.enrers Some of the women became hysterical
and clung 70 men. while others tried 10 run
through the cars, screaming
The excitement was heightened by the ol-
versity of colors and glare of light that sprahs
from the third rail. The display was blindins
for a few seconds, and many In the street
thought the flames would set fire to the WOOD
work of the structure.
The guards ran into the cars and cried out
that there was no danger and that no one had
been hurt. This helped. Calm men set TO work
helping the passengers regain their composure,
and after a time the excitement passed away
The engineer found his locomotive battered
I'D in front but was able to back free from the
entangIement and then the passengers got off,
They walked gingerly beside the third rail to
the One-hundred- and -thirtieth-st station, and
then to the street.
The smash had thrown the upper works Of
the two cars off the tracks. They smashed into
the end Of the One hundred and thirty -fifth-st.
platform, where a score of people were stand
ing and mashed the woodwork ana crushed in
the iron work The people waiting fed to the
street The cars were hit with enough force
to send them over the rails and woodwork, and
they hung over the street as if ready to go all
the way any instant.
People passing through the street in a
rain OF glass and tirnbers from the splintered
cars and they dashed out of the way One man
was cut in the head by glass. but he refused the
attendance of an ambulance surgeon. Two am
balances had been sent for by the excited police.
The reserves were also sent from One hundred
-fifth-st., and they surrounded one
side of Eighth-ave.. so that no one could pass
under the topping The rumor spread
through Harlem that number of persons had
been killed and injured in the collision. and five
thousand people were soon at the scene.
Not an official of the road would talk OF the
accident Some said they had heard of no ac-
cident Sergeant Crowley, who had charge OF
the police could not get word of information
from any of them.