Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-18
SPREADING RAILS
KILL z PEOPLE
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age. but the other cars gave evidence
of the dragging along the roadoed'
When the wreck occurred the three
rar coaches, filled with passengers, We're
thrown on their right side just above
Ia. sharp curve at WoodlaWn ROAD plluse'
The shock was terrific.
People were hurled violently from
their seats and the most of those VINO
we're killed were pitched through the
windows as the cars slid on their SIDES
The third rail finally broke win
flash and a roar seen and heard Tor
great distance. Between the wreck OF
the current" rail and the main track
the bodies were wedged. Ihey were
held here as the cars passed along anu
in this way were mangled.
Relic Hunters Busy
The relic hunter was much in evil
dence today and this probably gave
rise to the stories of ghoulish work.
The police guarded the wrecked cars
all day, but with daylight a large
number of persons managed to work
their wav to the coaches and cut out
pieces Of cushions, curtains and car
peting and even taking bits or glass
from the broken windows.
Assistant District Attorney Smith
said he had made his inquiries par
ticularly on the speed of the tram
whether a tire had been lost from one
of the motors, and as to the condltlon
of the rails. He said he found thar
one of the outer rails on the curve had
bocn torn up and that the heads of
the spikes which held the rail to the
ties had been cut off, but there was
nothing to indicate by what agency.
He said pieces of a broken wheel OF
the first motor were found at point
far beyond where the rail rad been
ripped up Whether the rail or the
wheel was the first to give way he mad
no means of knowing, but 1t appeared
that the wheel had broken some time
after 1t had passed over the dlsplaceu
rail-.
AS 10 the speed of the train at the
time of the accident, Mr.. Smith said
that e. r. Rogers. the motorman' VINO
was operating both motors under one
control, declared he was running forty
eight miles an hour.
The state railroad commission is pre-
pairing to make searching inquiry into
the wreck.
Train Was Late
In an official statement today j. c,
Hammond press representative OF the
New York Central railroad, said the
Investigation made by the railroad
officials had not disclosed the cause of
the accident. one of the small wheels
on the left side of the front Of the lead
ing motor was found to be broken at
the point Of derailment, as pieces OF the
wheels were picked up at that point.
At this point a rail was broken, but
whether they caused the wreck or re-
suited from It is yet unknown. The
rails were Of standard weight, 100
l, nd q
the best construction, and in tirst-class
condition and the electric motors had
been thoroughly tried on an expert
mental track before they We're put into
service. He said the train was six
minutes late and that the reports of
the Jrainmcn and officials who had In
,Vestlgated showed that 1t was going
from As TO 80 miles an hour which he
1deClared was not excessive.
IT had been intended to run all the
suburban trains on the electric system
stoday, but because OF the wreck the
further installation of electric motive
power on the Harlem division was
postponed until tomorrow when II will
be put into effect.
There were many exaggerated stories
lpf the wreck in circulation last night
Shnd today. one was 10 the effect that
<many of those killed had been electro
huted by the third rail. This was abso-
tutely denied by the coroner as well as
Boy the police, who declare that none of
he bodies were burned
" The wrecked cars Of the Brewster
4 rain were put on trucks and hauled to
. he Bronx station today.
The coroners jury Will commence the
8nquest and investigation tomorrow.
4 IT has been learned that the railroad
company has detectives at work on a
Htheory that wreckers had tampered
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