New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-20
PROBING Crash ON a."
Motorman of Passenger Train Ar
rested for Negligence.
ONE CAR WAS TELESCOPED.

The police of the Thlrty-frst Precinct. under
orders from Captain McGlynn. made a search
ing investigation yesterday morning of the rear
end collision between passenger train and
work train on the Sixth-ave. elevated, In which
twenty persons received more or less severe in
juries, as was told in yesterdays Tribune Will
lam Sem. rnotorman of the passenger train, was
arrested and charged with criminal negligence.
He was arraigned in the Harlem Police Court
before Magistrate Baker and paroled in the
custody OF the companys counsel until June II.
Sem disappeared Immediately after the wreck
The police had a great deal of trouble learning
his name and address. but Detectives Thomas
Hayes and John Hawthorne and Patrolman
Andy Taylor finally found him at . a. m. at
his home. No. $40 Columbus-ave. He told the
police that the rubbish train had no lights out
and that he had intimation that there was
train ahead of him until just before the
crash came.
The ash train in charge of Isaac Homan
motorman, and Edward Boyd conductor, who
refused to give the police their addresses. They
insist that the rear of the ash train dis
played the usual red danger signal. and that
the accident due to the carelessness OF the
motorman Of the passenger train
The cars of the passenger train were only
comfortably filled when the train approached
the station at MISUNDERSTANDING fifth
ST. and Eighth-ave. This is long station. divided
into two parts. one for Ninth and the other for
Sixth ave. trains The platform extends to the
south a little below One-hundred-and-twenty-
fourth-st The first car of the passenger train was
lust abreast of the station when the crash came.
The collision could be heard for blocks, and
was followed with a shower of broken glass.
platform gates and axle covers on the pavement
below Passengers who were hanging from
straps were tumbled on the floor. and some OF
those near the window were cut by flying glass.
The third car. which was filed with bundles OF
Sunday newspapers, was partly telescoped The
front car. which received the shock Of the coll
lision was badly broken up.
With the General slocum disaster fresh IN
their minds. the passengers became panic
stricken. Women screamed and men rushed for
tho gates The superstructure trembling
from the shock and several cried that IT was
going TO fall. There were forty men and women
in the first car and many would probably have
been hurt in the rush for the gates had it not
been for the presence of Inspector Elbert o.
Smith and another police officer. who showed
their badges and cried out that there was no
danger The elevated station platform could be
reached from the first car. and soon the train
was emptied the injured being carried to the
platform and treated there by ambulance sur
geons.
Wright Hospital They were John E. Leslie.
twenty-four years old, Of No. 219 West One
hundred and fortieth-st. suffering from scalp
wound and cuts from flying glass. and Fred Nc
CURE twenty-eight years old. of No. 3OS West
One - hundred and twenty-seventh-st scalp
wound and dislocated shoulder Both were dls-
charged yesterday afternoon. Only one man
was Injured on the street by the shower OF glass
and metal which fell after the collision Theo-
bald Nanny of No. 361 West One-hundred- and
twenty-ffth-st. standing under the struc-
ture and was hit on the shoulder gianc1ng
blow from one OF the metal axle coverings. he
was able to go home unaSr.sted-
The traffic on the West Side lines was sus-
pended for a couple of hours. Those who ap-
DIied for tickets told that work crew
were putting in a new gtrder. and advised to
take surface lines. Service was finally resumed
as far north as One-hundred- and-sixteenth-st
but not until every trace of the wreck had been
removed was the Line Blocked" sign taken from
the station at ne-hundred-and-twenty- ffth-st-
IT is rrnarkable that this accident resulted in
no loss of life" said Roundsman McGrath. of
the Thirty-first Precinct, who was one OF the
first policemen to reach the scene. The pas
senger train had hardly begun to slaoken speed
and the ash train was almost at q standstilL
The shock of the collision tremendous. and
il is q wonder the did not leave the track
The superintendent of the elevated road, with
whom | talked seemed think the blame lay with
the motOrman of the passenger train. He said
that the ASH train certainly had lights out. The
train consisting Of a motor and two flats,
makes the round trip from -hundred-and-
ing up the ashes and refuse from each station"