New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-13
OTHER CURVES DANGEROUS
MAY ORDER CHANGES.
Commissioner Baker against Grade
Crossings ON EIeUated Road.


Frank Baker, state Railroad Commissioner, yes
terdav talked strongly in favor of removing the
grade crossing OF the elevated railway lines at
sth-ave. and 53d-st., as an effective means OF pre-
venting recurrence of Mondays frightful dlsas-
ter there. He would not say that the State Raii-
road Commission would recommend such CHANGE
as the commission is to make thorough inquiry
into the causes of the disaster, the formal taxing
of testimony to begin at the rooms OF the commas
sion this morning at 10 o'clock. No recommended
ton by the commission. he said, could be mads
until the testimony was in and the commission
had before it all the facts.
81 will not say that the removal Of the grade
crossing at ethave. and 53dst would make another
accident like that of yesterday Impossible ME-
Baker said to a Tribune reporter, but it would
make conditions there much safer that no such
accident would be expected. The plan would be
to start third elevated track the west side Of
sth-aye., few blocks north of 5Sd-st., and carry
it at increasingly higher grade to 6Sd-st, whers
it would curve the present tracks. getting
down to the level of the 6th-aye. tracks in
53d-st., near the Sth-ave station The down trains
Of the 6th-ave line would then leave the sth-ave.
line nearer 59th-st., and would round the curve at
bSd-st. without grade crossing.
One dangerous feature of the present curve at
5Sd-st IS that 1t is fiat. A curve at a higher
grade could be banked. and in that way made
safer OF course, it would be dangerous to run a
train around the curve at full speed, but as the
curve would be used only by the 6th-ave. trains
the motormen would go the same slow speed
they are accustomed to use at the present curve
There would be no danger of eth-ave train run
ming wild around the curve"
Mr.. Baker said that he had no faith in any me-
chanical appliance for regulating the speed OF a
tram and ne was inclined to think that even the
pest piock signals and safety devices were liable
70 failure at critical times. so that it came down
70 t Is, notorn1an or switchman whose fidelity
sure bned mat grade crossing increased danger and
sRoulo ne removed wherever possible. His study
OF the elevated lines in this city he said led him
to the conclusion that there were two other grads
attention-one at Battery Place where the stb
ave ave. line goes down a sharp grade and connects
Square. where there is double junction between
ave. line and its City Hall extension.
The situation at Chatham Square made
ago as last February Mr. Baker said We recor
mended that the InterboTough doubledeck its tracks
ID ave- trains could run directly to the City Hall
ments. It would remove dangerous grade crossing
and it would enable passengers to change from one
e 10 Soc IN Iengtb the copany had al fs nans
drawn to comply with our Recommendation. but they
Commission Comm AS it stands now tbs State Railroad
cannot enforce them without the approval Of the
Rapid Transit Commission.
State Railroad Commission spent several hours
yesterday afternoon making careful examination
where the elevated fell to the street Monday
Of the grade crossing by means Of third track for
down 6th-ave trains, as described by Commissioner
oT was o a6gT at that po Oe
stantially the same method ought to be employed
ham Square and Battery Place crossings.
SPEED APPLIANCE IMPRACTICABLE.
1t would be impossible to bank the present curve
for down 6th-ave trains at 9th-ave. and 53d-st.
Mr. Barnes said. because the curve is part OF the
an appliance for compelling all trains, whether
Of the 6th-ave 9th-ave. line, to approach 5Sd-st
at a slow rate OF speed. and he replied:
There is such appliance but it is so COM
plicated that it is mpracticable It would be sure
to get out of order and fail to work whenever
nnotornnan Let his train to 63d-st at full speed"
An engineer of the PETERBOROUGH said yesterday
that the company had full plans ready for the
elimination OF grade crossings at Battery Place
and Chatham Square. There had been sugses-
ton for such change at sth-ave. and 5Sd-st The
company however. could not carry its plans into
effect without the consent OF the Rapid Transit
Commission
Coroner Scholer yesterday said the inquest for
Mondays disaster probably would be held Fri
day OF next week. adding:
The INQUEST will probably take up two days. It
will be held on all the bodies Of the victims Of the
wreck at the same time ! shall select fun jury
citizens from all parts Of Man l9S not merely
from one es or o other pson
interested IN the marlborough There Will ba pro-
tion from service on coroner's Jury, So far as
can now, the whole blame for the catastrophe
rests on Kelly, the fugitive motorman
A police alarm for the arrest OF Kelly. signed by
Tnspector Flood was tslesraphed all over the
try yesterday. 1t reads:
Arrest for homicide Paul Kelly thirty years old.
5 feet ii inches black curl. mar s ana mustschs'
brown suit and straw hat ana tan shoes-
Caorze Hughes motorman on the Sd-ave. els-
vated line WAS taken from his home at No. 2O1
ETas 12sth-st to the West 47th-st. station yester-
dav afternoon, to make statement TO Coroner
scholer about Kelly The police had learned that
Kelly had been at the home or Hughes after the
accident Hughes said TO the coroner;
so far as know, Kelly does not know where st.
o ou IL He has an aunt IN Boston. and that is
the oniy relative he has in this country. so FAR as
Yaa Know 70 my knowisdse-hs was employed as a
S the Was last March se
applied for transfer to the elssated. and was
Kelly came to my house. about 7:5 o'clock yes
terday morning lac vas n nervous ,S wreck He
Which 1 70 IT, ar and 6ssSsd hin g g and
slV so however as he said ne public mind was so
sSIfated that he feared for his life He said that
would take day or rTs S S think Il sst and
would be perfectly safe In doing.
KeIly's version OF the accident. told by him to
Hughes. and repeated yesterday by Hughes to the
police and coroner. is as follows;
left the yards ut 15sd-st three minutes late
The train was given 10 me In perfect order. and
both the swtchman and I that there were
X.
These indicated a ath-ave local When l got TO
bsth-st. was handed q skip" paper. telling me
to skip the 50th-st station. as the train stil
three minutes behind time. and II 10 make up
This time that we Mere g skip The 9sSt station
when | got the signal started of. The road is
OF the Juice as the grade was SUFFICIENT 10 carry
the train at the proper speed. was probably
fifteen miles hour
When ] approached the switch at 6SG-st. saw
the two green signals displayed. indicating that
had the right OF way down eth-avs- I glanced At /
The dials to look at my air. and ~ hooked up