The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-01-14
TERRIBLE COLLISION IN THE
NEW YORK CENTRAL TUNNEL
Fifteen Passengers Are Killed and Twice That Num-
Der Injured, a Dozen of the Latter
20 Seriously.
VICTIMS NANGLED IN MASS OF WRECKAGE

ioL = - - 49, SL- - >i~
and ministered to the dying. Lieutenant
Clarke, Of the Fire Department, forced
his way to the point where Miss Rice
and Miss Scott lay and stood in water
that 3calded the flesh from his limbs until
the women were released. T. NJ. Muir
ply, q passenger, both of whose legs were
broken and still held by the timbers, vol
unteered to remain as he was until tho-e
around him We're assisted.
Two policemen and Chaplain Walkley
reached Mrs. Howard, and the chaplain
gave her a stimulant. The policemen
were cutting away the seat which held
the woman down when a pipe broke. The
scalding steam drove them back and when
the rescuers returned Mrs. Howard was
dead.
Injured persons in need Of immediate
attention were given temporary dressing
by the ambulance and volunteer surgeons
and then hOisted to the street. Many
Park Avenue mansions were thrown open
TO the suffering but most Of the injured
were at once taken to hospitals. The
dead were carried to morsues and police
stations.
An immense crowd needless of the snow
which swirled through the street. gath
cred about the tunnel entrance and shafts
and watched the rescue work.
Cornelius Vanderbilt was among those
who came to the tunnel but police de-
MED him admission, despite the fact that
his family controls the. railway.
ENGINEER WISCHO ARRESTED.
Responsibility for the disaster is I'M
fixed, but superintendent franklin said
that SO far he had been able to dis
cover, J. NJ. Wischo, engineer of the
White Plains train, is to blame. 1t is
declared that when the South Norwalk
train stopped a fagman ran back into
the tunnel and besides placing a torpedo
Oh the track, endeavored to flag the on
coming train. The tunnel was beclouded
with steam and smoke while the snow,
Which fell through the air shafts, tended
to obscure the view. Engineer Wischo
and Fireman Christopher Flynn were ar
tested. A signal man also was detained
for a time but was released.
superintendent franklin has issued a
statement as TO the accident, in which he
declares that the block signals at Fifty
Ninth street were obeyed by the New
Haven train, while the engineer of the
White Plains train disregarded them.
The torpedo ON the track went off"
said the superintendent. "But he did not
stop, even though the fireman called to
him to do so. The system of block sig
mails is such that it is a physical impossi-
bility for a signal man to make his light
declare the track free if another train
is on the block"
District Attorney Jerome visited the
wreck and personally examined many
witnesses. The State Railway Commission
also announced its Intention to make an
Investigation and similar intent was ex-
rnCr1 ir 49, @~1~ $500 e -
the New York Central and Hudson River
Railroad and New Haven and Hartford
Railroads.
Residents of New Rochelle contributed
the largest number to the casualty list
because the rear car CT the South Nor
walk local was reserved for them ard
was kept locked until the train reached
that place.
ENGINEER HELD WITHOUT BAIL.
Late in the day the coroner question:
cd the trainmen. holding court at Il police
station. The inquest was held behind
closed doors and as a result of it signal
man Flynn was released. while Fireman
Fyler was held in bail of 8 5000 and En-
gineer Wischo without bail. The railroad
furnished bonds for Fyler and Wischo
was taken to the Tombs prison.
DT>EID W tslILttlI1 vi EN-.
When nearly all of the dead and injured
had bc@n removed from the wreck Father
smith, of the Church of St. Vincent de
taui, ard Chaplain Walkley, of Grace
church. both chaplains OF the Fire De
partment, crawled into the wrecked car
over the hot boiler of the demolished
White Plains locomotive, aud found two
girls in the middle Of the last coach.
1hpy wore ciCfe,rc, on,,l Sn,,t ~ >-,uy
Rochelle. One sister lay on top of the
other. the sister underneath held by
"reckagc which pinned down her body
below the waist. One leg was crushed.
The dead body of a man, which was also
pinned fast by the w~reckage, lay across
the chest of the other sister and held
her Town. Stilnulants We're administered
I othc girls by the chaplains who rec
NAMED with them until they were re-
moved.
Acting Battalion Chief Friel found in
the wreck a man who gave his name as
/. NJ. Murphy, and tried to move him.
Murphy said his leg was held fast, and
asked Chief Friel to free it. The chief
found that if he locsened the timbers that
held Murphy's leg, he was liable to let
Gown more wrcckage on the bodies of the
two girls. He told Murphy this and Muir
ply said:
MI right, I'll wait, but please be as
quick as you cam
The chief made Murphy as comfOrta-
Die as he could with Il seat cushion. With
his badly smashed leg, he lay there till
the bodies of the injured ones beside him
were removed.
The tunnel in which the wreck occurred
extends from both street Just above the
Grand Central Station. and is about two
niles ioas. 1t is under Park avenue and
there is an air hole in each block. Com
paints have been made for a long time,
however. that its ventilation was insult
Gent and the New York Contra has been
considering plans for the use of %electri-
cal power in the subway so AS to do
away With the smoke and steam from
locomotives.
WHILE PLAINS ENGINEER BLAMED.
>. H.. franklin, manage of the Har-
lem division OF the New York Railroad,
made the following statement:
l hn I~