The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-09-15
DOZEN PEOPLE MANGLED
Crowded Elevated Train IN New YORK
Leaves Track and TumbleS to
Street Below.

more than forty injured when the
second car Of a Ninth avenue ele-
waited train jumped the track and
fell from the structure to the street
at the junction of Sixth and
Ninth avenue in New York city early
Monday morning.
The car, the seats. aisles and plat
forms Of which were packed with
people, was turned bottom side up,
it's roof torn of and 1t was stood
on end in the street.
The heavy truck Of another car
fell upon it, crushing some of the
passengers.
The cause of the accident and the
immediate responsibility remain 10
be settled The motorman of the
wrecked train is a fugitive, while a
switchman, conductor and four guards
are under arrest. The switchman is
charged with manslaughtcr and TIE
traiEmon are held as witnesses.
Corner Scholer, who has undertak-
en- the work of fixing the blame for
the wreck, announces tha, the
. switchmans bond has been placed
at $4,000, and those of the witnesses
at 500 each.
Whatever may have caused the
mistake, the accident, the worst in
the history Of the overhead railroads
in New York, came when a south
bound train on the Ninth avenue
line was switched OFF 10 the Sixth
avenue line at the Fifty-third street
junction, the motorman expecting a
clear track on the direct
line Of Ninth avenue, or disregardinS
the warning signal that the switch
was open, rushed his train along at
a high rae of speed.
The first car swung around the
right angle curve, holding to the
rails because Of the weight OF the
rain behind Then the strain became
too great. The couplings broke, the
second car was whlricd about almcs'
end for end, and to ,he horror Of
those who looked on from be,ow
pitched into the street
The first indication people on he
sidewalk mad of the accident was
a loud rumbling along the overhead
structure. Looking up they saw
shower Of sparks, then followed splln.
'ers and the sound of splitting tim.
bers.
Suddenly the outer guard rail OF
he railroad structure gave way,
score Of bodies were hurled through
space, and with a deafening crash
the car fell TO the street. For an
instant 1t stood on end, then the
sides gave way as II they were made
Of pas'ebolrd, belching out a mass
Of humanity.
Those passengers who had not
jumped from platforms and windows
before the plunge came. were thrown
into a mass at the forward end OF
the car, As the injured men and wo.
men were struggling to free them. /
selves, the heavy front trucks of the !
third car on the train fell almost in
their midst as the car Itself jumped |
partly on the elevated structure. and /
was wedgrd against a building al /
the southeast corner Of Ninth avenue |
and Ffty.third street
Huge crowds were soon on the
scene, ana the first work OF the has.
tily summoned police reserves was
directed 10 clearing a way for the |
effective rescue OF the passengers |
pinned down by the wreckage. Al. /
most every ambulance IN Manhattan !
was summoned, and the injured and
dead were hurried away with ali
speed.
Three alarms OF fire brought many
engines 70 the scene. A slight fire.
caused by burning insulation. was
quickly extlnguished. and the fircmen
set TO work choDpIng out the dead
and injured.
The task was not an easy one, 70!
he heavy car, In falling, had almost
completely buried pedestrians in its
wreckage. At least one was killed
outright in this way, while Police.
man Henry Athens. who was stand.
ing directly under the elevated struc.
iufp Is nmNng 4hpaa ..,o.. -,-f---.-t-- |