The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-09-15
CRASH ON ELEVATED
Crowded Car Plunges Into
New York Streets.
TWELVE DEAD AND FORTY INJURED
Eight Others So BADLY Hurt That
They Are Likely 10 Die-Train Was
DcrniIed While Running at
Full speed.

Full speed.
NEW YORK. Sept 12-Twclye pas
scngcrs were killed, eight mortally
hurt and more than forty injured yes
tcrday in the worst wreck in the his
tory Of the elevated railroad in this
city. The scene Of the disaster was
the curve at the junction Of the Ninth
and Sixth avenue lines az Ninth ave
nue. and Fiftythlrd street
One explanation given is that the
towerman had the switch set wrong
and that seeing his mistake when the
first car Of the train and the first truck
of the second car had taken the curve
swung il back so that the other trucks
continued down the Ninth avenue
track until they were jerked on TO the
ties
Trainmen said, however, that II
would be a physical imposslbility for
the switchman 10 have changed the
switch once the first car had struck
the curve.
AAN n AAu N ~ ANAAAAAAA AhNAAe AAAt'fh A.
miles an hour and the momentum flung
the second car In somersault of the
structure 10 the street where IT rested
end up. The third car balanced on the
edge, its end reaching to the wall Of
the house on the southwest corner.
Those in the first car were hurled
into a struggling heap In the end Sev-
cral were flung by the fall into the
street and the heavy car came on top
Of them
The bodies Of the dead were fright
fully INITIATED. Fire alarms were sent
IN. and the reserves Of all the nearby
police stations were turned out to han
die the great crowd which gathered.
Ambulances were called from every
hospital in the city. The dead were
taken 10 the West Forty street
station. -Four hours after the disaster
service was resumed on both lines.
The accident was caused by careless
ness or incompetency The swltchman
I'm the tower at the turn started to
switch the Ninth avenue train to the
Sixth avenue track. Had he realizing
his mistake, made no effort 10 remedy
II no great damage would have been
done except 10 his reputation as care
ful employee But MS soon as he
what he had done he swung the switch
quickly, and IN a second the crash had
come
The first car Of the train had passed
over the Sixth avenue track and the
motorman was slowing down, know
ing that an error had been made, when
the towerman threw the switch back.
The first truck Of the second car started
around the curve, but the second truck
continued in a straight line on TO the
Ninth avenue track until the coupling
broke and the wheel langes giving
way under the strain left the track.
The scene following the wreck was
the most horrible that has come 10
New York since the slocum disaster.
The passengers in the crowded car
were flung into a smothering, scream
Ing hoap, where they were crushed by
falling tlmbers and iron. Iron coming
into contact with the third rail set of
series Of detonatlons and spread white
and blue sheets Of fame across the
structure.
The officers Of the elevated railroad
system were busy trying to fix tho
blame for the disaster. The police and
coroner were energetic, too. and four
arrests were made. The search was
still being kept up for Paul Kelly the
motorman Of the train. who disappear
ed after the accident The men placed
under arrest were Cornelius a. Jack
son. the swtchman at the curve; First
Guard Timothy Hickman Of 225 West
One Hundred and Forty eighth street;
Second Guard Bernard Clare and
Third Guard Walter Berry.
When Jackson was taken to the West
Forty-seventh street station he said 70
Detective Glennon: "Yes. l turned that
switch. My duty ended there. When
the first car went the right way that
ended my duty. II the whole structure
went down and a thousand were killed
I would not be responsible"
Superintendent Hedley admitted that
so far as could be Judged from facts
known he would look largely TO the
motorman to explain the cause Of the
accident.
1t would not be fair to either tower
man or motorman." said Mr. Hedley,
"to fix the responsibility yet"
Switchman Jackson told Captain Gal
laghor Of the West Forty-seyentb
street station the following story:
Il saw nothing but Sixth avenue sig
nails displayed on the train. Not only
were the lights on top Of the motor car
set for Sixth avenue, but the sign
which hangs on the platform railing
was a Sixth avenue sign. I set the
switch for Sixth avenue, and that was
all l was supposed to do. 1t isn't my
business TO attend 10 the signals on the
train. If they are set wrong II isn't up
10 me: it's up to somebody else"