River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-02-21
TWENTY DEAD
IN RAIL DISASTER
NEW YORK CENTRAL ELECTRIC
TRAIN is. WRECKED.
CARS FLUNG FROM TRACK
One Hundred and Forty-fiVe Passen
gers Hurt-Victims, Nearly All
Women, Terribly Man.
gled.

New York.-Twenty- two dead and
145 others more or less seriously in
jured, is the result of the wreck of an
electric express train on the New
York Central railroad at Two Hundred
and Fifth street and Webster avenue
Saturday night.
Of the large number of injured, so,
according to hospital and police re-
ports, are seriously hurt and the death
list may be increased within the next
"a hours. Most of the others are suf-
fering from decorations or shock, and
will recover.
Cars Hurled from Track.
Four cars of the train, which was
drawn by two big electric locomotives
and running at high speed, left the
track and plunged down an embank-
ment
The wreck occurred on a curve, and
so great was the momentum of the
train that the cars which left the
track were dragged along the ties and
shattered to bits The rear coach,
which was filled mainly by women,
snapped from the train, rolled over
and over and finally collapsed, mass
of splintered wood and twisted steel,
while the bodies of dead and injured
passengers were strewn for 100 yards
along Woodlawn avenue.
Crowded with Women.
The train, which was made up of
the two motors, a combination bag
gage car and smoker and four pas
senger coaches, left the Grand Central
station at Glib o'clock. 1t was crowd
ed with women on their way home
from matinees, and with commuters
for White Plains and points beyond.
After making the stop at One Hun
dred and Twenty-fifth street, the train
was scheduled to run to White Plains
without a stop. 1t had clear track,
and was making unusually fast time.
At Woodlawn avenue the four
tracks run through rocky cut and
take a sharp curve. When the train
reached the curve both motors and
the smoking car swung safely around,
but the cars following left the rails
and, plunging over on their sides with
a terrific crash, tore up the tracks and
after sliding 100 yards collapsed.
Dead Strewn on Track.
The dead and dying were strewn
along the tracks. Many of the vic
TINS were almost unacceptable. In
being dragged along the cinders and
coal dust had been SO ground into
their faces and the exposed parts of
their bodies, that it was with difficulty
that the rescuers could tell whether
they were white or black.
Ambulances and surgeons from
every hospital in Bronxborough and
from Bellevue, and the police reserves
from many stations were soon on
hand and the work of rescue was car
ried on rapidly.
Cause of Wreck Unknown.
The cause of the wreck is still a
matter of speculation. All Saturday
night Inspector Flood of the police de-
partment, Coroner Schwannecke and
Assistant District Attorney Smythe,
togther with other members of the
district attorneys force, looked over
the scene and sought to determine the
cause of the derailment of the train.
The wreckage was completely
cleared away Sunday. All four of the
tracks of the New York Central
through the rocky cut where the train
left the rails and several of the cars
went to pieces, had been cleared. The
track on which the train was running
and which was ripped up in the acct
dent had been restored, the third rail
replaced and traffic resumed.
Statement for the Company.
In an official statement Sunday, j.
C. Hammond, press representative Of
the New York Central railroad, said
that the investigation made by the
railroad officials had net disclosed the
cause of the accident. One of the
small wheels on the left side of the
front of the leading motor was found
to be broken at the point of derail-
ment, as pieces of the wheel were
picked up at that point. In almost the
same spot, he said, rail was broken,
UuC IL was AlnpOo0lOlO " 0e'J "A "
these caused the wreck and which re-
suited from it. He said the train was
six minutes late and that the reports
of the trainmen and of officials who
had investigated showed that it was
going from As to so miles an hour.
There were many exaggerated
stories of the wreck in circulation.
One was to the effect that many Of
those killed had been electrocuted by
the third rail. This was absolutely
denied by the coroner as we'll as by
the police, who declare that none of
the bodies was burned.