New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-20

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fall into the street any minute. So 1t was I'M
possible to reach the Twenty-fifth-st. station.
which only a block away. and such Oh
the passengers who did not linger at safe dis
lance to watch the extraordinary happenings
were obliged to pick their way over the tracks
to the Thirty-sixth-st. station. They were IN
danger not only from the highly charged rnird
rail. but also from the other rails and IRON
hand railing at the side OF the structure. which
were charged with electricity from the mass or
iron that formed contact with the third rail.
Dayton the guard who is said TO be dying in
the Seney Hospital, either Jumped or fell ar the
time of the collision. and landed in the street
A saloonkeeper who saw the collision declared
that he saw another man jump off into Green
wood Cemetery, in front OF which the accident
occurred. The jumper who seemed to be an
italian. picked himself off the grass and ran
away fast as his legs could carry him
William Hewins of No. 214 Fourteenth-st,
who was standing in the street when the acct
dent occurred, says that he started to run to
the fire alarm box, when he met policeman,
who said that alarm had already been turned
in. This not so. the alarm did not go
in until five minutes later. Battalion Chief
Dooley said later that big mistake had been
made in delaying the alarm The first fremen
on the scene could do nothing because they
could not reach the structure until a hook and
ladder truck reached there Before they got
stream at work four cars, two on each train,
were in flames. They could the body OF
Cahill. the motorman, standing upright in his
box, wrapped in flames and smoke. They
turned their attention to this and took out
CahilFs body and then later found the body
of the conductor the floor just back of the
motorman's box. 1t was rumored that several
others were in the car, but none were found.
Ambulances had been called from the Seney
and Norwegian hospitals and two surgeons
were in each. They climbed to the structure on
fire ladders and reached the injured persons,
who had been laid out the structure.
Dr. Heisman was in charge of the Norwegian
Hospital ambulance, and Dr. Beach of the Seney
Hospital ambulance. Stretchers were taken To
the rear of the Bay Ridge train, where the in
jured persons had been taken. After the flames
were put out these stretchers carried
through the remains of the and around
them, most dangerous trip, and TO the Tween
ty-ifth-st. station, a block away. From this
platform they taken to the street and
thence to the hospitals.
The news Of the accident spread rapidly
around Brooklyn and soon there was tire
mendous crowd in the street below the blazing
ears, Whue the cars were burning plazins
brands and red hot iron bars were continually
falling to the street, endangering the people
there. Reserves from five precincts were called
out and drew sharp line for block each side
of the accident.
The report spread that the rear end collision
had been between two trains coming from the
bridge and crowded with persons coming home
from work. Because the power was cut off on
the third rail of the elevated and the trolley
the elevated structure, were burned by the fre,
ell the homeward bound travel in that direction
was cut off except on the Third-ave. line. Peo-
pie were actually sitting the roofs OF those
cars in two instances. When fathers and broth
ers did not get home from work their families
were sure that they had been killed in the
cident. They went TO the scene of the trouble
by hundreds and overran the Fourth-ave. sta
tier. making anxious inquiries about the dead
and injured. Several policemen. with lists OF
the victims, were detailed to answer all these
persons.
man. saw the body she refused for ten or fifteen
minutes to believe that it was he. The flesh
had been burned to the bone In many places.
After the Coroner had viewed the bodies of the
two Cahills they were removed to their homes
late last night
There Is conflict of opinion as to whether
the short train" had red tail lights burning.
AS that part of the car was consumed, IL can
never be told. but the train dispatcher at the
equipped. The blowing out of a fuse. the Of
1caIs of the road declared. was something that
could not be avoided and that the collision
would never have occurred IL the motorman Of
the Bay Ridge train had used proper precau-
tons ....=....
Swarming over the high structure. a large
force OF men work all night chopping
away the half burned cars and throwing the
debris to the street below. This made it neces-
sary for passengers on the F'ifth-ave. surface
cars 10 transfer around the scene of the wreck.
Mr.. Calderwood. the vice-presideut and gem
eral manager, and Dow H. Smith. general
perihtendent of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit d.
rected the work. The current had not been
turned off and as the axes occasionally hit
some metal work the wrecked cars, a brill
liant stream of sparks dropped to the street
scattering the small crowd of spectators that
wthstoOd the biting winds that were blowing
over the vacant lots from Gowanus Bay. Mr.
Smith said he thought the road would be cleared
by : a. m, but at midnight little progress had
been made in clearing the track
He would not make any statement about the
accident The cold weather seriously hampered
the men. who were working like Trojans to re-
move the wreckage and repair the damaged
roadway
About II O'Clock few trains were run from
IWenty-ffth-st. down TO the bridge All the
heavy traffic Of the early evening on that part
or the elevated system was diverted to the sur
face lines, which were badly taxed.
what purported to be an official statement
came out at midnight. 1t alleged that the pri-
mary cause of the accident was the blowing ont
or a fuse on the first train. and that a guard
on the rear of the train had signaI1ed the Bay
Ridge train that following to stop but the
signal was disregarded by the motornan of the
Bav Ridge train. who is dead.
There was terrible crush at the bridge that
lasted till o'clock. Thousands of people took
no chances in getting home on packed and
slowly moving trolley cars. but started to walk
Not for n long time has there been such a par-
ade OF tired Brooklynites across the bridge and
along the line Of the Fifth-ave. elevated road
HEAVY SN0WST0RN UP NORTH