Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-17

NOMlAN, 81 years OF age
The list Of dead at the Grand Central
station included:
MRS. G. KINTZH OF Chatham, N. Y.
This name may have been confused with
that of Mary Kinch. before reported. Annie
Morehead is said to have belonged in
Fitchburg. Mass. She died at the hospital
Train Derailed on Curve.
The train left the Grand Central station
at e:ls o'clock, drawn by two heavy elec-
tric motors and loaded with a matinee
crowd of commuters on their way home
from business in the city. 1t consisted of
combination baggage and smoking car
and hve coaches. After stopping at 125th
street, the train was scheduled to run eX-
press to White Plains. At Woodlawn Road
the four tracks run through a rocky cut
and take a sharp curve. When the train.
reached the curve It was running at a
| speed estimated by some at sixty miles an
hour. Both motors and the smoking car
swung safely around the curve. but the
4 other cars left the rails and plunging over
on their sides with a terrific crash. tore
up the tracks for 100 yards before they
collapsed. or those instantly killed, by far
/ the greater number were women. Many
were mangled beyond recognition. Many OF
/ the injured were quickly extricated from
{ the wreckage while others were 80 pinioned
Z that they could not be taken out for some
time. Those most seriously injured were
/ hurried to hospitals, while coroners took
charge OF the dead as fast as the bodies
were recovered. Fire started in the over
! turned cars, but the flames were quickly
extinguished and the fremen lent their aid
| to the injured. Special trains carried many
! OF the injured TO White Plains and Mount
Z L
/ pitfalls in this city.
| The rear car. containing more women
than the others, suffered the greatest, as
! II overturned and before the breaking Of
the coupling released II from the cars
ahead II was literally torn to pieces and
broken bits scattered for 100 feet across
woodiawn avenue. Many passengers prac-
ticaliy uninJured tumbled from the cars
and hurried to telephones summoning aid.
/ The train was in charge Of Engineer Ed
ward Rogers and Conductor John Will
Iiams In the motor car with Rogers was
Assistant superintendent OF the Division
r. z. Williamson. Operating Inspector B.
o. Stevens was also on board.
RumOrs as to Cause.
The cause OF the wreck was not Of
fcially determined tonight. At the Grand
Central station there was inclination to
blame the accident to spreading rails, but
later # was naid that II was believed that
the axle OF the FIRST passenger coach broke.
! Leonard B. Green of White Plains, who
occupied a seat in the smoker directly be-
hind the second motor, told the story OF
the trains approach TO the Woodlawn
Curve road. It was travelling at terrific
speed, according 20 Mr.. Green. though rail-
road men estimated by TIE distance the
cars mara carriad that he tru IN
was making between 40 and 80 miles an
hour.
'I remarked on the speed" said MI
Green. when we hit that curve and we
instinetively stopped playing cards and
looked back Suddenly the car lurched 70
/ one side. In a moment We broke loose
! from the rest of the train and we could
see the rear cars turning over"
Stories by other survivors were similar
Dismembered bodies were strung along for
a distance OF 100 yards. One woman was
impaled on a huge splinter from railroad
tie.
Cars Strike Third Rail.
A sheet Of electrical flame that signalled
the disaster, enveloped the rear car and for
a moment threatened TO roast the victims
pinned In the derbis. The flames aid not
however. spread and the horror Of a holo-
caQSt was hNeTlea- A6 the cars zen NleY
smashed the third rail. breaking the cur
rent and ending danger from this source
In the crash. however. there was death for
many, while practically every one IN the
four coaches received injuries OF some sort
Many were ground to pieces and for hours
Identification was almost hopeless. As the
cars went over many OF the passengers
were thrown into or through the windows
and out and mained.
shortly after midnight Coroner Schwan-
necker made statement in which he said /:
IT have taken possession Of one OF the
rails and shall hold il for a technical ex-
animation. In my preliminary invsstigA-
ton / found a defect in this rail. which
indicated one OF the drive wheels OF the
electric engine hit the rail- at a point al
most directly under the Woodland Road
bridge This ran has a clearly defined In
dentation.
Oregon Judicial Bill Passes.