The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-11
STATEN ISLAND TRAINS CRASH
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Three tersuns wcrr severely hurt and
thirty or forty slightly injutri whcn o
To',cnville express crushed into tho rcar
end ~ n South Reach sreclal In front ~
tho St0plcton station yesterday after
- during the rush to tho lpachcs. The
accident occurred n few minutes trforc
O'Clock. Tho Staplcton depot vas turned
into an emergency hospital
Among those most hurt was ieabella
Smatt Of NJ Washington street, Manhattan.
who sustained n severe scalp wound and
mas cut and bruised about tho legs and
body, She was taken 10 the =. n. Smith
Infrmary, and was the only one who had
10 lie taken To n hospital.
John Thompson. 2si Second avenue.
Manhattan, had his right leg cut and bruised
and his bock strained. He may be in-
~tornally hurt.
Anna Conklin Of DeKalb avenue. Brook
lyn, was cut On the right nee and her
kneecap was injured. She was also mi
about her face and arms by glass.
The South Beach special left st. George
on the arrival there Of a municipal ferry
boat at $3.50. II used to be customary for
the specials to run from st. George to South
Beach without stop. but yesterday they
stopped at Tompkinsville and Stapleton.
The Staten Island railroad train for Totem
vile followed out four minutes later. It's
first stop was to he Stapleton. The regular
Staten Island Rapid Transit train for South
Beach left a half minute after the Totten-
vile train, but vas to stop at Tompkins-
vile. Both the special and the Tottenville
train Use the same racks as far as Clifton.
When the special stopped at Tompkins-
vile it was delayed slightly and then ran
to Stapleton and stopped. 1t had just come
to a halt when the express ran into it's rear.
The special consisted Of an engine, three
open cars and two winter coaches. The
express consisted Of a heavy engine and
eight day coaches.
Two blocks back Of the station there is
an automatic signal which should nave
indicated to Reuben Androvette, the engi-
neer Of the T~ottenville train, that he should
stop, but he did not. He explained after
ward that he tried to stop, but that his
air brakes would not work.
The passengers in the rear car Of the
special had q little warning, and ran to the
front end Of the car and some leaped through
the windows. The engine Of the Totem
vile train lifted the rear car from the trucks
and partly ~telescoped IL. Tn blow broke
the forward train in two and the engine
and two cars were driven ahead four blocks
by the impact. The other coaches, with
the last one impaled upon the heavy engine.
travelled a block. When the crash came
it could be heard for blocks, and this with
the screams and cries drew big crowds.
Glass was broken in all the cars Of both
trains and this caused most Of the injuries.
Many leaped from the windows after the
crash and were cut and bruised in that
way.
Supt. Cassidy, who was in charge, said
that the fault appeared to lie with Engineer
Androvette. Even il he did not know the
special was to make the Tompkinsville
and Stapleton stops he should have halted
at the red signal over two blocks back.
Instead he apparently ran past and then
could not stop quickly enough. Androvette
when seen last night said that the fault
was due to the fact hat his brakes would
not hold his train. He refused to say
whether he saw the red signal at the post
or not. He said. however, he understood
that the special was not to stop at all and
supposed it had gone through without
stoppinp