New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-11
MUCH WEALTH IN WRECK.
SIGNALS DISREG4RDED.
Engineer Way Haze Been UncOn-
SciOuS- Train Had Been Threatened.

SciOuS- Train Had Been Threatened.
Thousands went to Port Chester yesterday TO
look al the wreck of the express section az the
Federal Express, the through train from Boston
to Washington over the NewYOrk New-Haven
and Hartford Railroad The train was hurled
down embaukment near the Byram River at
1:O5 o'clock in the morning. while crossing from
one track to another at about fifty miles an
hour and the engineer and fireman We're killed.
\ score of messengers and trainmen had miracu-
lous escapes.
Great interest was taken in the wreck because
the train is known as the million dollar ex-
press" and was the one singled out for black
mail last winter Unknown persons wrote TO
President Mellen and threatened to wreck the
train unless large sums were left under blue
lanterns. which the writer's said they would
place along the tracks. At the time the train
carrying large sums of money between
Washington and the banks and Sub-Treasury
in Boston. and detectives We're stationed along
the road nails and other Instructions were
found on the tracks at Pelham and on the Har-
lem River branch. over which the express passes
from Rochelle. After these attempts the
train was split up, and the express has since
been run i'm one section and the Pullman cars in
another. The change took place about March
H. and was not generally known except 10 en-
pIoyes. Had the express been run under the
old plan with express and Pullman cars COM
biued there is no doubt that a great loss of life
would have resulted.
According to the conductor. George f. Dana,
the train left Boston at 6:33 p. IN. and reached
Port Chester on time. It was in charge of the
regular crew and a half dozen messengers were
locked in the cars to look after the valuables.
The forward car, known as the Chicago coach,
contained large safe. with 100000 in it. and
there was perhaps 100000 in valuables in the
other cars. In the cab We're Lawrence Keenan,.
engineer. and John Howard
SIGNAL MANS STORY.
The train was making about fifty miles an
hour. The signal man, Charles Phillips, had or
ders TO switch it from the inside TO the outside
track because freight which was ahead
the inside track was being held up near New
Rochelle. The signal man told Coroner Weisen-
danger that he realized the danger and set the
distance signal at Coscob. three miles away, 10
show the engineer that he was to have his train
under control, expecting to find the home signal
against him.
The train.' said Phillips, instead Of slack
ing up, passed the tower al the rate of fifty
miles an hour. and as the locomotive struck
the frog of the outside track at the cross over
it jumped the track with a terrific crash and
rolled down the west embankment When I first
L
tced that the speed was not sIackened, and
said to the conductor of train No. col: My God
she IS going into the river" In a second after
the crash came"
The accident Phillips said. was due entirely
TO the excessive speed of the express when it
crossed from the inside to the outside track
The signals ana switches were in perfect work
ing order, he said, ana We're set according to
instructions given TO him by the train dis
patchers- Immediately after the wreck Phil
lips says that he sent two swtchmen to find
what the position OF the distance signal was,
and they reported that it showed orange color
which means danger. Phillips says he cannot
account for the action of the engineer in run
ming past the signal unless he was either work
his locomotive and did not notice il or had
become paralyzed with apopleXy in the cab.
The conductor told the coroner that he was
in the rear car when the accident occurred.
He said that everything in the car seemed
thrown from one end 10 the other; as soon as
he could eXtricate himself from the mass of
lying boxes he sent men out 10 flag, and hur-
ried forward to see what had happened. He
says that he found the engineer dead on the
stone coping Of the bridge. The fireman was
further down the embaukment, pinned under
the tender. He removed by the train
hands TO the boarding house of English. where
he died without regaining consciousness. The
track torn up for four hundred feet, and
the locomotive and two forward coaches were
within few feet of the river The other cars
We're hanging over the steep embankment. As
soon the wreck occurred call sent to
Port Chester for doctors and ambulanceS. The
police We're also called, ana ChleT Donovan, with
all the men he could collect. hurried 10 the
scene of the wreck. The police guarded the
treasure until daylight, when the heavy
safes containing the valuables We're transferred
TO another train.
DETAILS OF THE ACCIDENT.
The Chicago car. in charge of c. f. Guile. Of
Somerville, Mass, turned clear around. Guile
putting his street clothes when the
crash came preparing to leave the train at the
Harlem River. He thrown about like a
rubber ball. and steel rail ran completely
through the ear. barely missing his head The
safe containing the SlGOOOO was overturned
and with the car rolled down the embankment
Behind this car was the Pittsburg car i'm charge
of L. Is. Campbell of Quincy. Mass There were
two safes in this filed with money packages
and also trotting horse owned by W. w Hall
OF Boston, and billed at $50 900 from the Frank
II. Jones stock Farm. at Portsmouth N H 10
Chestnut Hill. Philadelphia. He was thrown
over and over. but escaped injury. The car also
contained some high priced dogs and lighting
cocks and from the neighing yeping and
squeaking many got the impression that thera
had been number of persons hurt
keenan, was forty-eight years old. and wos
one of the best known and most trusted eneI-
neers on the New-Haven road. His conductor
George f. Dana, told the coroner that he vvos
quite sure he was not running fifty miles AN
hOur. He said keenan, a careful man ard