New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-02
SUBWAY CRASH AND FIRE. N'CARREN IS SUSTAINED.
G4SOLENE SET 4BLAZE. |
Express Train Hits Tie8--One Nan
Injured.

A five car subway train ran into switch said
to have been misplaced on the Lenox-av
branch at hundred and forty seconds last
!, evening. It struck a hatcar and knocked it
! against a lot Of ties and gasoene can was
upset and set ablaze.
The train. which had a few passengers. was
Immediately backed away
The train was going north at higE speed 1t
ran into the misplaced switch at One-hundred-
and-forty second ST, in the Lenox-ave branch
abou+ Q o'clock In the collision the motorman
had remarkable escape from death. An ltal-
ian laborer's arm was broken, and he received
ether injuries The tool was demolished.
The flames caused by a shorl circuiting
reached the can of gasoene. causing the hre'
The remarkable part of it was that the hun
dred or more employees in the tunnel a and
,,ear that point said they knew nothing about
the accident when reporters made inquiries
The nolicennan who reported the injury to the
italian lehorer. RoderigO Topini Of NO vi East
Eleventh-st said he knew absolutely hothihg OF
the collision The name OF the amhulallc sur
-yao, who was called TO treat the injured man.
and who was on the scene shortly a1ter"aFu anu
might have been a source OF lhorma''o"' "dS
.I?..,, fro,,, the noIice blotter-a most unusual
thing.
,l. .,.i+cr, at One-hundred and -forty-second-
lns ~, trains over to the branch which
' a.. tho Harlem River. That part of the
49, :, i,,co,,,nIete. and that part of the tunnel
- ,,,der the river which is finished Is
a1od nth ties and rails. and last night lhere
,,.oc standing there a fiimsily built tool car.
PIT ON EMERGENCY BRAKES.
The n7otorman of the express train felt his
.rair cross over and knew that something was
ariss. He put on his emergency brake. Ihat
brake is supposed to stop almost lhsINluy
fast train even if heavily loaded ana OH Il oo"li
grade but this train, on the level grade ana
with only d few passengers, and slowing up
for the One-hundred red-and-forty-htth-s' station
continued fast enough to hit the tool car ana
breals if into kindling wood. The wreck was
rIainly visible for two hours atterWard Inc
entire vestibule of the motor car was demol-
tebad The platform. however. withstood the
shock and probably saved the motormans lire
bv preventing him from getting wedged in the
wreck.
The fire was put out quickly. but not before
persons on the surface knew there was hre
in the subway. Some one telephoned this to
Police Headquarters. Some one else told the
Fire Department and a truck and engine were
dispatched TO the scene but the fremen had
little TO do.
SAFEGUARDS OF THE SUBWAY.
When finished the subway was declared to be
provided with one of the most complete sys-
TENS of fire alarms in the world. Commissioner
Hayes and Chief Croker, with a company Of fire
officers, inspected it October q, and said
they highly pleased with 1t.
There is in the ticket sellers booth at each
station an alarm connecting directly with fire
headquarters. Each alarm box is connected
with manhole boxes in the subway proper, there
being a manhoe and box every four hundred
feet. It is the duty of the man who sends an
alarm first turn off the power, making II per-
fectly safe for fremen to enter or for passengers
to leave the subway walking along the tracks.
Only four men--thc general manager, the presl-
dent the train dispatcher and the train master
have authority to turn the power again
after the fire is put out. In case of an alarm
the power is turned off from section two miles
long.
N addition to these facilities for giving an
alarm each station and manhole is provided
with a patent liquid fire extinguisher AT most
stations too. there IS a 2h inch standpipe
Another precaution is the insulation or all
cables and wires by layer OF rubber covered
with linen then asbestos and finally win ledd
sheeting all. The entire system OF wires
and cables has had series OF hish poten'iai
tests applied.