The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-09-12
CAR LOADED WITH PEOPLE
PITCHED INTO STREET
Stood On End for Moment and
Then Sides Gave Way, Mass
Of Humanity Belching Forth.
Man, Hearing Of Death
Of Son Goes
Insane.
(By. Associated Press.)


OF to-day's accident on the Ninth Ave
nue. elevated railroad, when car crowd
ed with early morning workers on their
way down town. pitched headlong Into
the street, stands at twelve.
Three men are in hospitals with frac-l
tured skulls. One OF these. who as yet
remains Unidentified at Roosevelt Hos
fpital, Is unconscious and is not expected
to live. More than two-score persons
were injured. many OF them seriously.
The cause OF the accident and tho i'm
mediate responsibility remain to be set.
tied The motorman OF the wrecked
train Is a fugitivea while switchman.
conductor and four guards arc under
arrest. The switchman Is charged with
manslaughtcr and the trainmen arc held
as witnesses. Tonight Coroner Scholer.
who has undertaken the work OF 4 king
the blame for the wreck, announced that
the swltchman's bond had been placed
at $500 and the bonds Of the witnesses
4 at slO0 each.
Frightful Scene.
Whatever may caused the mistake. the
accident, the worst in the history OF the
when souti1bound train on the Ninth
Avenue line was switched of to the
Sixth Avenue line at the Fifty-third
Street Junction. The motorman. expect
ing clear track on the direct line Of
Ninth Avenue, or dsrcgarding the warn
ing signal that the switch was OPEN
4 rushed his train along at a high rate
OF speed. The first car swung around
the right-angle curve, holding to tho
rails because of the weight of the train
+ /. .llnt1 ind a har rslf fr1o
great.
The coupers broke, the second car was
whlrlcd about almost end for end. and
to the horror OF those who looked or
from below. pitched into the street.
The first Indication people on the side
walk had of the accident was a loud
rumbling along the overhead structure
Looking up they saw shower OF sparks
then followed splinters and the sound
of splitting tlmbers. Suddenly the outer
guard-ral Of the railroad structure gave
way. a score OF bodies were hurled
through space. and with n deafening
crash the car fell to the street. For an
instant 1t stood fairly on end. then the.
sides gave way as II they were made
OF paste board. belching out a mass OF
3 humanity. Those passengers who had
not Jumped from platforms and windows
before the plunge came, were thrown
into n mass Mt the forward end OF the
car.
Trucks Fell On People.
AS the injured men and women We're
struggling. to free themselves, the heavy, S
fell almost in their midst as the car IT.
self iumpcd partly of the elevated
structure and was wedged against
building at the southeast corner o. Ninth
Avenue and Fifty-third Street
Huge crowds were soon on the scene,
~ II, cft 1Nr uiIIr
moned police reserves was directed to
clearing away for tho effective rescue
~ the passengers pinned down BY the
wreckagc. Almost every ambulance ~
Manhattan WAS summoned ana the "
jured land dead were hurried away "''''
all speed.
Three alarms of fire brought many en-
rines to the scene. slight fire.. caused
y by burning insulation, was quickly ex-
tinguIshed and the tiremen set to work
chopplng out the dead and injured me
task was not easy, for ". heavS Ga.S
nerlestrians m in lin in its wreckage. At least
one was killed outright in this way, and
Policeman Henry Aitkcns, who was
standing directly under the elevated
structure, Is among those mos! seriously
injured. Eight persons We're dead When
taken out Of the wreck and four died
later at hospitals.
Thieves Rob Victims.
Before the great crowds collected By
the news of the wreck could pc ciear-
ed away, the police were compelled to
use their heavy night sticks on a NUM-
ber of men who were attempting 10
snatch jeWelry or other yaluabes from
the victims. The officers had not time
10 make arrests. contenting themselves
with drubbng the miscreants as heavily
as they could.
Coroner soholer ordered the arrest Of
all those Immediately concerned. Search
was at once made for the motornan,
Paul Kelly, who secured position on
the elevated lines six months ago. He
came here from st. Louis Kelly could
not be found and at late hour to-
night was still missing, although 1t was
said he had spent the afternoon at the!
house OF friend. The swltchman in
the tower at Ninth Avenue and Fifty
third Street, Cornelius a, Jackson. was
<Ccntinusd an Third Paga.f M