New-York tribune., 1904-10-18
" [" COLLISION AND FIRE.
MANY IN DANGER; 1 DEAD.
Fire Folo7cs the CoHision--A
NOtOrman the Victim.

one man was killed ard the lives of a score
of aremen were endangered by collision and
fire on the Third-ave. elevated road last night.
When the express service Is discontinued each
night on the Third-ave. line the extra cars are
placed on the express track from Ninety-eghth-
st. 10 e-hundred- and twenty -ffth-st. At 9:15
last night Irving Lamphier, a notorman, was
switching a train OF eight of these empty cars
10 the middle track. He had to run south to the
Ninety-eghth-st. yards and then switch to the
express tracks. The string OF empty along
this track reached south by this time to One
hundred and -twelfth-st.
Lamphier in some way, as yet unexplained.
did not slow down his train when near the
stalled cars. but continuing at full speed
crashed into the long line. The impact of the
collision threw the first OF his train diagon-
ally across the southbound tracks. overturning
It and buryiug Lanpher In the wreck.
The moment the steel and woodwork OF the
wrecked car struck the charged third rah there
was a deafeEing report. and great sheet OF
blue ill-snelling fame shot into the air. The
car was IN flames IN moneat. aud IN fire
quickly spread 10 The other cars aud ~ tho
woodwork of the elevated structure.
Patrolinan Wallor. Of the East one hundred
and-fourth-st. station. was post almost di-
rectly under the wrecked car at the time. lie
at once telephoned for the reserves from two sta
tions and sent an emergency call 10 the Har-
lem Hospital. Three engines and two hook and
ladder trucks responded At once to the alarm.
under the command of Acting Deputy CHIEF
Dougherty. Disregardiug the flames the fire.
men swarmcd on the structure
1t was impossible to get to the burning cars
because Of III electricity playing all around
them. Not only was there danger from the
charged live rail! but from the rails and
every scrap Of metal near by. The current had
been short circuited In dozen places by the
scraps of metal flung across the rails. For two
blocks and more the metals We're charged
Finally the power WAS shut off. giving the
men an opportunity to close IN on the fire itself
Then II was put out quickly II was at this
time the first opportunity the iremen had of
fighting the fire at close range. that some
turned on the current again. Before the firemen
realized that this had been done there was a
series of crashing reports, knocking the men Ia
various directions Ntong the structure. Their
rubber coats and boots the only things
that kept at least score from being burned
or shocked to death. After a few minutes the
current was turned off again.
Dougherty was much incensed al the turning
on Of the power. He said:
do not see how the men escaped death
when the fool turned the power on again.
i do not know yet who Is TO blame, but he
should be brought 10 book for his criminal negli-
Eence. 1t was the mos; striking example OF
murderous carelessness ever heard Of
When the collision occurred southbound
train. in charge of Martin Dexter, had just
left the East Onc-hundred and -sixteenth-st. sta
tiOn and had got under full headway. The
wrecked thrown across the track less
than a block and a half ahead Of it. Dexter
set the emergency brakes and brought the train
TO a sudden standstil. throwing passengers to
the floor. Leaving the conductor and guards TO
care for the panic stricken passengers Dexter
leaped from the train and down the track.
The cars were burning flercely when he reached
them and ne could not approach nearer than
twenty-five or thirty feet. He saw Lamphier
pinned in the motor mans box, but could
help him because OF the heat and the danger Of
the third rail
on Dexter : train when the emergency brakes
brought il to standstill. there a panic
Immediately. The train crew rushed into the
train and tried to calm the passengers but the
sight az the uniformed men only served to in
crease the fright of the passengers who were
mostly women. Because Of the danger from the
charged rail they were ordered to stay in the
car hut instead of obeying they rushed on the
crew knocking them down and trampling them
In their efforts to reach the doors. Women tore
the clothes from each other, and men knocked
down women and children as they tried to flee.
In a minute the guards had been dragged from
the gates and the passengers poured out on the
structure Many smashed windows and crawled
fbrouqh The broken frames In a few seconds
the cars we're emDtied.
thousands saw the fire. 1t was near a thickly
settled mart of the city, only few blocks from
the East One-hundred- -and-fourth-st. Italian
ouarter Third-ave. was blocked for ten or
twelve blocks, and the side streets were filled
Tor n block from the avenue. There were great
crushes at the stations
When the collision occurred about a dozen
peonie were standing almost under the wreck
lnDTosite Nos 2O2S and 2O30 Third-ave occu-
Tie1 ~ a millinery establishment. When the
broken glass and wreckage dropped to the street,
they jumped backward d. with ,h such haste that
a,,G doors of the two shops. completely wrecklng
them. The surface lines lines in Third-ave. were
%a1 ~ oii1 the crowd were hystericaL Women
In tsars were trying TO drag from the
fire yet unable TO move themselves Each
Trafie on the upper parts OF the Third-ave.
and seeond-ave lines ,, was ha.s tiea up, The en-