The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-18
AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATING Death List Still Filing
 Up.
CAUSE OF NEW YORK DISASTER
Coroner Believes Spreading Rails
 Responsible for Wreck.
Motorman of HI Fnted Train Admits That He was On Time and Rum ming Seventy Niles An
 Hour.

New York, Feb. 17.---Twenty dead, two fatally hurt and 145 others more or less seriously injured is the result of the wreck of an electric express tram on the New York Central haiiroad al 205th street and Webster avenue last night. Of the large number of inJur- cd, fifty are, according to hospital and police reports, serlous4y hurt and the ueath list may be increased within the next twenty-four hours.
 Most of the others are suffering from decorations and shock and VIII recov- CT
 This was a day of investigation and inquiry by representatives of the dis trict attorneys office. the coroner and the police. When daybreak came the police lists of dead had increased to eighteen, an hour afterward, there were two more deaths reported and tonight 1t is believed two additions will be added to the list The cause of the wreck Is still q matter of speculation. All Night In- spector Flood of the police depart ment, Coroner Schwannecke and Assis- tant District Attorney Smythe, togeth- CT with other members of the district attorneys office looked over the scene and sought to determine the cause Of the derailment of the train. The re- suit of their investigation may become known when the inquest is held tomor- row by the coroner.
 The wreckage was completely clear ed away today. All four of the tracks of the New York Central through the rocky cut where the train left the ratls and several of the cars went to pieces. had been cleared.
 Three Bndfes Unidentified. At the Webster avenue police sta- ton late today lay eleven mangied bod fes. three of them unidentified. One was so badly crushed that identtfica- tfon seemed impossible except through the clothing. All day stream of peo- pie passed through this temporary morgue. many leaving in tears aftey having found some friend or relative l in the gruesome row. Tonight the line | of persons seeking to identify the re- maining bodies continued.
 With the clearing of the wreckaEe Interest turned to what the authorities might do Perhaps the most siknifi- cent statement of the day was. the one
 made to the Associated Press by Cofo- ner Echwannecke. He had secured | statement rom Motorman Rogers Of the wrecked train. In this. according | to the coroner. the motorman had made | a statement that he was running on | schedule time when the accident oc- cured and admitted that the speed of his train was seventy miles an hour. Rogers said the coroner declares. that | he did not know anything was wrong | until an eighth of a mile beyond the place c| derailment. The coroner said | to the Associated Press today.
 'Tt appears to ,me that a spreading | of the rails caused the disaster. l think that one of the motors hit a sec- l tion of the track with force enough to
 cause 1t to jump off. The smoker fol- lowed and swung the cars. following | completely off the track, breaking the 1 coupling When the roar cars broke | loose. they ran wild for a distance and 1 finally turned over"
 One Car Caught Fire.
 | The smoker showed but little dam 1 age. but the other cars gave evidence ! of the dragging along the roadbed. | The combination car called by the cor 1 oner the power car, was scorched in
 inc center and one end. probably hav- 1 ing caught fire from the lighting gas | after the wreck. The other two cars were badly smashed on their right l sides Windows were gone. seats torn | up and curtains ripped in pieces. Great
 dirty streaks marked where they had | skidded along the third rail and then
 upon the ground and the slips on the | right side were torn away.
 When the wreck occurred, the three
 rear coaches completely filled with pas | sengers. were thrown on their right
 side lust above a sharp curve at Wood | lawn road bridge. People were hurled | violently from their seats. and the | most of those who were killed were | pitched through the windows as lhc
 ears slid un their sides. The third rail held for a time, but finally broke
 with flash and a roar seen and heard for a great distance. Between the {, wreck of the current rail and the main l track the bodies were wedged. They l were held here as the cars passed
 along and in this way were terribly
 mangled.
 The relic hunter was much in evi-
 dence today and this probably gave
 rise to the ghoulish work. The police
 guarded the wrecked cars all day. nut
 with daylight a large number of per
 sons managed to work their way tC
 the coaches and cut out pieces of cush.
 ions. curtains and carpeting. even talk
 ing bits of glass from the broken win