The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-08
WORKMEN TRAPPED ON BRIDGE
CAUGHT BETWEEN TRAINS-ONE
DEAD, TWO MISSING.
There We're Twenty IN the Gang and II was
at First Thought rat they Had All
Been Killed -MOst or Them Jumped
Just in TIme-One MortaIly injured.


Been Kined-MOst or Them Jumped
Just in TIme-One MortaIly injured.
The entire available STATS of the Harlem.
Lincoln and Lebanon hospitals, the Bronx
Coroners and their physicians and the
police reserves were called out late last
night as a result OF twenty laborers being
caught in a trap between two passing
trains on the Harlem River bridge Of the
New York Central at Mott Haven.
!. One man was killed. one MORALLY in
iured and two are missing as a result OF
being struck by a n~orthbound train.
The men were ordered TO go to work
at midnight at the Mott Hsven round
house. No local train being due for some
time they decided to walk across the bridge.
There are four tracks across the bridge,
laid in pairs. the pairs Of tracks being
separated by a wide gap. One track is
used for express service and one for local
service OF each pair, one, the express, being
for northbound and the other for south
bound local service.
hO AlA"A ~ tAc NeNN N~
at ii:2O o'clock and passed over the draw
on the northbound track. They saw a
train approaching on the southbound track
and also one coming on the ~northbound
They crossed TO the southbound track, think
ing that the express would pass them first,
but found that they had miscalculated and
that the trains would reach them together.
A wild panic among them followed and
- ..-,a.II.l gAn anHafu hot w aao
the tracks as the two trains passed each
| other. Some of the men dropped and
gripped the ties. Four OF the men jumped
to the northbound track just as the train
reached them. Little could be seen in the
darkness. but two were hurled or jumped
into the river. The engine hit and ran
over the other two. John Pitts, engineer of
the draw, heard the yells of the men and
blew his whistle for help. The Alexander
avenue police station was notified that
twenty men had been killed in a train wreck
and ordered Out the reserves, al the same
time notifying the hospitals.
Coroners Mcdonald and Schwanecke
of The Bronx hurried to the scene with
their physicians. The news spread quickly
over The Bronx section near the bridge
and a large crowd collected which the police
had TO fight to keep off the bridge.
For some time after the trains passed
their was absolute stiffness on the bridge,
ar the men we're too frightened 10 call oil
move. The police finally went out on the
bridge. They first came across the body
of Joseph Baumgarten of 80 East I7sth
street. who had been run I'VE and killed
instantly.
They found other men Of the gang cling
ing TO the ties and hanging over the river
After a roundup had been made IL was found
that three we're still missing. Lanterns
we're procured and one man was found
He WIS hanging partly over the river and
along the ties beside the outside rail. Hi
left hand had been severed and was miss
ing. He was hurried 10 the Alexander
avenue police station and remained there
az his condition was too serious 10 permit
OF his removal. The doctors said he would
lie. On his clothes was a New York Contra
pass made out TO Joseph Kaiser,
The two other missing men were not
found. and the police are OF the opinion
that they ere drowned.
Neither of the two trains stopped after
the accident. and up to midnight the police
had not found who the engineer of th'
north or south bound train vas.
Coroner Schw anecke examined witnesse:
In the Alexander avenue police station last
night in order to place the blame for th'
accident, hut until the engineers are exam
ined the Coroner said he could do nothing