The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-12-20
MANY INJURED
IN COLLISION
New York Central and ConSol.
Idatsd Trains in MidaIr Smashup
AND ONE Man WAS KILLED
Engineer Of New York Central Train
Arrested on MansIaughler Charge.
Western Trains Help Up.
AND ONE MAN WAS KILLED

New York Dec. s.--rn an extraordi-
nary accident two heavily crowded pas
senger trains came together on the eie-
waited tracks OF the New York Central
and Hudson River railroad last night
near One Hundred and Tenth street in
Harlem.
One man was killed and 40 persons were
more or less seriously injured.
Both OF the colliding trains were north
bound and had left the Grand Central
station at Forty second street within
few minutes OF each other. One was
Stamford local on the New York, New
Haven and Hartford railroad, which COM
pany uses the New York Central tracks.
The other train was the Poughkeepsie
local OF the Central.
Rushing along on parallel tracks, the
two trains suddenly came together. The
local was switched from the third track
on 10 the fourth and In an instant the
engine OF the Poughkeepsie train had
crashed into the day coach following the
smoking car OF the Stamford local.
The dead man was about 65 years OF
age and a match box taken from his
spocket bore the initials ~ w. X. II
was several hours before the wreckage
was cleared away sufficiently 10 permit
OF the removal OF his body and 10 learn
that he had been the only person killed.
He was later identified as j. w. Knapp
OF New Rochelle. ~. Y.
The tracks at the point where the col
llsion occurred are about 30 feet in the
air. This made the work OF rescue Diff
cult and hazardous and lent materially
20 the terror OF the passengers. most OF
whom were commuters and residents of
nearby points In Connecticut and New
York state, who had come to the city
on holiday shopping tours. Fire appar-
atus from several stations was summon
ed and many persons were rescued by
means of the ladders placed against the
structure.
Serious injuries befell most OF those in
the car demolished by the Poughkeepsie
train.
John ID. Horn, engineer OF the express.
was arrested on the technical charge OF
manslaughter and later was released on
bail
No one on the Poughkeepsie train so
far as can be learned was hurt. The in
tured, many OF whom were treated at
the Harlem. Fowler and Presbyterian
hospitals were for the most part from
Port Chester and New Rochelle, n. Y.
Greenwich and Stamford. Conn. The
trains left the Grand Central station
about $50 o'clock. just at the height OF
the suburban rush.
Trains leaving the Grand Central sta
ton run through the Park avenue tun-
mel 10 Ninety-seventh street where the
tracks are elevated. Part of the q istance
there is n stone viaduct and further along
steel and stone structure. There II
switcb=over from the express to the To-
cal tracks before the One Hundred and
Tenth street station is reached. II was
here the accident occurred.
Stories as TO the cause are conflicting
as both engineers claim TO have been
given the proper signal lights. The ex-
press train had left the Grand Central
station n few minutes behind the local
and had overtaken II at One Hundred
and Fourth street.
The blocking OF the north-b bound tracks
congessed traffic on both the New York,
New Haven and Hartford and New York
Central railroads No trains left the
Grand Central station for an hour or
more and police reserves had to he called
10 handle the crowds which choked the
big structure.
Coroner Scholer examined Towerman
Dwyer. in charge Of the switch -og sr. who
declared that the Stamford train had
clear right of way Dwyer said Engi-
neer John ID. Horn of the Poughkeepsie
train had disregarded signal which
was set against him and had come on at
undminished speed After hearing this
Coroner Scholer caused the arrest of
Horn.
At midnight 1t was stated at the Grand
Central station that only about one-fifth
OF the regular trains had been sent out
at that hour. To relieve the badly con-
gested conditions at the station a num-
ber OF local trains We're sent out over
tho tracks used for incoming trains Sew
eral OF the through Western expresses
were held up until this morning Many
people passed the night In the Grand
Central station.