The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-09-22
A FATAL WRECK
Worst Accident of the Kind In
New York's History.
BAN in OPEN SWITCH.
Twelve Persons Killed and Thirty Ia.
jured. Responsibility for the Trag.
edy Not Yet Flxed. The Motor
man Fugitive and Other
Trainman Arrestod
Trainmen Arrested.

.
! man Fugitive and Other
Tralnmen Arrested.
Tho death list of the accident on
che Ninth avenue elevated railroad in
new York Monday, when O car crowd
ca with early morning workers on
their way down town, pitched head
long into the street, stands at I2.
Ihrce mon are in hospitals with frao-
cured Skulls. One Of these, who "a
yet remains unidentified at Roosevelt
hospital, 1s unconscious and not ex-
pected TO live. More than two scoro
persons were injured, many of them
seriously
The cause OF the accident and tho
Immediate responsibility remain to> ba
sebtled. The mOrtorman Of the wreck.
ed train is fugitive, while q SWITCH
man, conductor and four guards are
under arrest. The swiCchman ia
charged with manslaughter and the
tralnmen are held as witnesses. What
ever may have caused the mistake.
bne accident, the worst In the HISTORY
or the overhead railroads in New
York, came when q sOuthboL nd ira n
on the Ninth avenue line was switohed
on to the Sixth avenue line at the
Fifty third street junction,
The motarman, expecting a clear
track on the direct line of Ninth
avenue, or disregarding the warning
signal that tho switch was opan'
rushed his train along at a high rate
OF speed. The irst car swung around
Ghe right angle curve, holding to the
rails because of the weight of the
6raln behind. Then the strain bs.
came too great. The couples broke,
the second car was whirled about al.
most end for end and, to the horror OF
those who looked on from below,
| pitched into the street.
The first indication people on the
sidewalk had Of the accident was
loud rumbling along the overhead
structure. Looking up they saw a
shower Ct sparks, then followed splin-
ters and the sound OF splitting tim.
bers. Suddenly the outer guard rail
of the railroad structure gave way. n
score of bodies were hurled through
space, and with deafening crash, the
car fell to the street. For an instant
IL stood fairly on end, then the sides
gave way as II they were made of
pasta board belching out q 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 women
we're struggling to free themselves,
the heavy front trucks Of the third car
on the train fell almost in their
midst, as the Car itself jumped partly
Off the elevated structure and was
wcdged against building at the
southeast corner Of Ninth avenue and
F'iftyty third street.
Huge crowds were soon on the scene
and the lIst work Of the hastily sum-
rnoncd police reserves was directed to
clearing a way for the effective res.
cue OF the passengers pinned down by
The Wreckagc. Almost every ambul-
ance In Manhattan was summoned
and the injured and dead were hur-
tied away with all speed. Three
alarms OF fire brought many engines
TO the scene. A slight fire caused by
burning Insulation was quickly ex.
ttnguishcd and the firemen set to work
chopping out the dead and injured.
Inc task was not an easy one for
the heavy car In falling had almost
completely buried pedestrians In It's
Wreckage. At least one was killed
outright In this way, while Police
man Henry Aitkens, who was stand.
ING directly under the elevated struc-
ture, IS among those most seriously
ipJured. Eight persons were dead
when taken out Of the wreck and four
died later at hospitals. The officers
nad not time to make arrests, con-
tenting themselves with drubbing the
miscreants as heavily as they could.
Coroner Scholer ordered the arrest
Of all those Immediately concerned.
Search was at once made for the mo.
torman, Paul Kelley, who secured a
position On the elevated lines ak
months ago. He came there from
st. Louis. Kelley could not be found
and at late hour Monday night was
still missing, although it was said he
had spent the afternoon at the home
Of friend.
The switchman In the tower ab
Nincth avenue and Fifty third street,
Cornelius A. Jackson, was first arrest
ed. Then Conductor j. w. johnson
and Guards Timothy Higginson, J.
McDavitt, w, l.. Berry and b. Clark
were taken into cousody. AT pre-.
iminafy hearing Monday afternoon
all the men waived examination.
Two versions OF the cause OF the
wreck were told to the coroner. One
OF these was that the switchman had
set the tracks for Sixth avenue train
and when he saw his mistaken had
attempted to rectifY 1T while the train
was on the curve, the change throw.
ing the second, third and fourth cars
off the track
Shot by His wife.
At Now York George Williamson o
:ompositor 20 years old, while on his
way to work Wednesday morning, was
met by his wife with whom ha Ia ,nh