Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-09-12

the wrecked train had SlXth avenue
signals set and he expected it to slow
down to take the curve. Instead vt
maintained the speed usual with Ninth
avenue trains on the direct line. The
officials of the road further declare
that it would have been a physical I'M
possibility for the switchman to have
thrown the switch after the forward
car had passed on it.
The curve at SD street is 4 sharp
one and is practically unbanked. ac-
cording to statements made. today. 1t
Is intended to be taken slowly and is
not constructed for higher rate of
speed than six miles an hour.
Conductor johnson. this afternoon.
made a detailed statement to Police In
spector Flood He said
Il vas on the first platform of the sec
ond car We had just left 5Sth street and
were going at Il fair rate of speed. as it
| is a long run TO 10Th street. The car was
pretty we'll crowded. There were a num-
| Der Of men on the platforms and in the
| aisle of the second car there were num-
| ber of shop girls who were laughing and
| Joking. When we reached the curve, the
| first car went ON, and the second and
third cars went together like a Jack
| knife. sticking right up in the air and
| practically closing against each other. In
| consequence, from where l was on the
| front platform of the second car at the
start, was dropped to the rear platform
| of the first car. Then the second car
| dropped to the street l held onto the
/ I, M 81
in tho air l saw girls and women climb
ing over the seats of the car that they
might escape.
Being an cid railroader. / pulled out
my watch and looked at it, 1t was eS-
| actIy 706 A. NJ. The signals were set
| wrong That was the trouble. They were
set green and yellow. which Is for q
Sixth avenue train. | think that both
motorman and Switchman are equally to
| blame
| Ball was accepted for all the railroad
mon under arrest. late tonight.
| Eight bodies of those killed In the
| wreck We're taken to the Attn street
police station. In front of the station
house the street was packed and 1t
was all that the squad of policemen
placed at the door could do to keep the
throng from forcing its way inside
Many in the crowd We're hySterical
The dead were laid out in a row on the
floor of the back room and as fast as
persons who could convince the police
that they could make possible identiti-
cations reached the station house they
We're admitted AS the news of the
disaster spread the crowd in front OF
til" station had increased until there
was danger of a fatal crush and extra
police were summoned to aid in clear
ing the street.
The head which was found detached
: from the body. was that Of James
Cooper. He had been at the front end
of the car which jumped into the street
when n sharp piece of board or metal
severed his head from his body as
clelnly as though done with an axe
Both head and body were found on the
tracks but separated by several yards
In a short time after the accident a
crowd Of thousands of people had
rushed TO the scene. The police re-
serves had difficulty in keeping back
the crowds They were aided, however
by tircmen.
The street was filed with debris
broken timberS and twisted steel OF
the car and as the bodies Of the dead
were removed from the wreckage the
women in the crowd became hysterical
AS the wreck happened at an hour
when the thousands of office and shor
workers We're hurrying down town. the
block on the elevated which ensued
caused crush at all the up town ele-
waited stations before the news became
circulated that the road was tied up
Then there was a rush for the subway
stations and its capacity vas heavily
overtaxed for time.
II am satisfied that the whole accj-
dent was due to the criminal neglect OF
the switChman." said Coroner SCholer.
In the first place he made a mistake
In turning the Ninth avenue train into
Fifty-Third street stnd then added to
his blundcr by turning the switch back
again In an attempt 20 divert the train
into Ninth avenue again. The last mis-
take caused the terrible accident and
loss of life"
L. +. Schelble. one of the dead. can't
TO New York Il month ago from Chica-
go. He was % years old. an employe OF
the Western Electric Co.. and lived al
400 West 127th street.
Statements tending to fix the blames
for the accident wer> made by officials
OF the company after several hours In
"estigation E. P. Bryan. vice presiden,
OF the railroad company. speaking fo,
the switchman who set the switch s.,
that the train turned off on the Sixth
avenue track at nearl% right angle 4
It's natural course. made the following