Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-02-18

thdt II was believed that the axle Of
the first passenger coach broke.
Leonard Greene, OF White Plains.
who occupied seat in the smoker.
told the story of the trains approach
10 the curve. 1t was travelling at ter
rifle speed.
Il remarked on the speed" said
Mr. Greene. when We hit that curve.
and We stopped playing cars and
looked backwards. Suddenly the car
lurched to one side In moment W.
broke loose from the rest or the train
and we could see the rear cars turning
over"
Stories by other survivors were sim
ilar. Dismembered bodies were
strung along for distance Of one
hundred yards. One woman was inn
paled on huge splinter from rail-
road tie. Although the scene Of the
wreck was in the heart of thickIy
populated section. il was some time
before nearby residents reached the
seen. For time only one physician
could be secured, Later aid came
without stint
Edwin Nanderverst Of White
Plains, was one Of the passengers Of
the four derailed cars who escaped
with very slight injuries He said:
The train was going at a very
rapid rate. SO that ii probably jumped
the track from its own speed. The
four cars back of the smoker went
over on their sides and the persons
sitting on the right hand of the cars
were thrown against the side of the
cars. which We're scraping along the
third rail.
There was a binding flash Of oIee-
tric flame from the third rail when
the cars lay over on Il. and / thought
the ears were going to burn, but They
did not. | was thrown about ana
bruised, but joined the other injured
passengers and helped to take out the
dead and injured"
Miles Bronson, superintendent Of
the Harlem division. said he was un-
able 10 determine the cause of the
wreck. The tracks were badly torn
up and there had not been time tn
investigate. Mr. Bronson added:
1T was said that q tire was broken
off from one of the rear wheels Of the
electric locomotive ana that this tire
dropped in such a manner as to cut
off the heads of the bolts holding the
ends IF the rails together. This would
weaken the tracks So as to allow the
rails to spread and throw the train off
the track"
shortly after midnight Coroner
STlWannecker made statement in
which he said. Il have taken posses
sion of one of the rails and shall hold
It for technical examination. In my
preliminary investigation ! found a
defect i'm this rail which Indicated. in
my opinion, the place whore a big
wheel, probably one of the drive
wheels, Of the electric engine hit the
rail at point almost directly under
the Woodlawn road bridge This rail
has a clearly defined indcntati0u.
which shows where some heavy object
dropped on it. The theory is that fol
lowing the dropping Of this heavy oh
iect on the rail 1t spread. one witt
ness says that while passing at a point
almost under the bridge he felt the
train rise up off the tracks, and it
seemed to fly through the air
The coroner ordered the arrest Of
Engineer Warren Willinms and his
assistant, Stansfield. The engineer
was held without bail and his assistant
9aroled
Speculation as to the speed of the
train when it struck the curve was
general among the survivors Of the
wreck tonight, but there was littlo oil
which to base reliable estimates.
According to some railroad mon
who have watched the train pass this
point. the express usually reaches the
curve ten minutes after drawing out
Of the stable at 125th street. The
distance between the two points is
about six miles.
A sheet of electric flame that sig
nailed the disaster enveloped the rear
car and for moment threatened to
coast the victims ninioned I'm the de-
bris. The flames did not. however.
road and tho horror. or a bo1orauet
was ayerted As thc cars feIl they
smashed fhe third rail breaking the