Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-09-11
TOday's Telegraphic News
Elevated Railway Car Plunges Into
the Street


the Street
New York, Sept. l1.--As as result of
one of the cars composing a train on the
Ninth Avenue Elevated Railroad plung-
ing into the street at Ninth Avenue and
SD street at 1880 O'Clock this morning,
ten persons are dead, and the number of
injured will, it is believed, total 25. The
train was bound down town and every
car was packed With people-men, wom-
en-, boys and girls-goingto work. The
train was delayed at the station at 10th
street, and Eight avenue for several
minutes aud when it finally got started
the motorman tried to make up the time
that had been lost. AS the train ap-
preached Fifty-third street, where the
Sixth Avenue Elevated Railroad trains
are switched off from Ninth avenue
and sent through Fifty-third street to
Sixth Avenue, the mOtorman thinking
that the switch was properly set for him,
did not slow the speed of his train Cars
No. 1876 and 1742, the FIRST cars of the
train, went around the curve into 53d
street, and the switchman, seeing his
mistake, SEE the switch for Ninth avenue
train. The second car which was just
about to cross the switch, was derailed
and after humping over the ties for about
20 feet, crashed through the railing and
plunged into the street below. In its de-
scent the car struck the front windows OF
J. F. Jones's drugstore at the corner,
wrecking it completely. Fortunately the
coupling connecting the third car with
these behind it broke, and the fourth
and fifth cars remained on the track. AS
the car left the track men and women be-
gan to scream and attempted to force
their way through the windows and doors
but in an instant, they found themselves
being carried through the air and finally
landed with a crash in the street. Per-
sons who were in the vicinity took in the
situation at a glance and hurried calls
we're sent to the police station for the re-
serves and to all the hospital ambulances
and surgeons. Coroner Scholer has or
dered the arrest of the motorman, switch
man, and conductor. The latter, John
J. johnson has been arrested and the
police are searching for Paul Kelly, the
motorman, and @. I. Jackson, the SWITCH
man.
The scenes of horror about the wreck
can be imagined, but not described. The
great crowds of people who had been at
tracted to the spot pressed as close as
possible to get glimpse at the damaged
car. Lying about the car were the in
iured, with here and there body whose
very quietness told the story that it
would never move again.
The dead and injured were soon re-
moved from the scene, however. The
by-standers then turned their attention
to the wrecked cars. Theses car, or
the shell that was left of it, hung from
the elevated structure, the nose resting
on the ground. The car listed at an
angle of about 80 degrees. The entire
bottom had been ripped out, as the
whole floor had been Jared out by the
shock, bringing with it the running gear
and the heavy trucks. These had assist
ed with deadly force in the work of de-
struction. AS the car went of the struc-
ture the passengers had been hurled in
pile at the bottom. On them the heavy
steel wheels and running gear descended,
toboggan fashion, crushing out the lives
of some and injuring all they fell upon.
When the people had all been removed
workmen cut away the end of the car
which hung upon the elevated structure
and it fell to the ground, completing the
wreck of the drug store into which it had
L Il L.