The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-17
FIGHTMCAR CAUSES COLLISION
ONE ELEVATED TRAIN CRASHES
INTO ANOTHER-3O HURT.
Italians Crowd Up ON Motorman and Pre-
vent Him From shutting on Power
Front Platform Hts Rear Car Of
standing Train Panic In ~NcIghborhood.

A southbound South Ferry train Of three
cars bumped into the rear Of a five car
City Hall train while the latter was stand
ing at the lOeth street elevated station
on the Third avenue road at IL o'clock
last night Upward of thirty persons.
mostly Italians, returning from the cels-
bration in Harlem, were more or less hurt.
but none dangerously
Motorman William Williams Of the
South Ferry train. who had a lucky escape
from injury when the front platform of his
motor car was smashed to splinters. ran
down the elevated stairs and disappeared
for a time. Later he gave himself up 10
Chief Surgeon Quigley of the Police De-
partment and said the collision had been
caused by a fight in his car in which a score
OF the passengers participated.
Williams said that soon after he left
lioth street a lot of the passengers began to
scuf1e, and when he neared ioeth street the
trouble in the car had moved up to the side
Of the motor box, the door Of which was
open. Many Of the passengers were
BINbFti dkdlllrl III IlDlOT u 80 IlRDklH
that he couldn't move his controller.
The collision created the greatest ex-
element and disorder in the neighborhooi
Of l0oth street. Because of the Italian
celebration the streets we're jammed with
Italians, whose festival was Just at it's
height. When the noise OF the colHding
trains was heard it was thought at first
that a dynamite bomb had exploded. Later
vyhcp the cr~ro tka ,a,~ go. -
the City Hall train and the motor car of
the colliding train began piing down the
steps of the elevated station the Italians IN
the neighborhood grew frantic.
Word was sent to Police Headquarters
quickly and four ambulances we're sum
moned from the Harlem, j.. Hood Wright
and Presbyterian hospitals. When it was
seen that the number Of injured was large
the police sent for three more ambulances
from the same hospitals. The police re-
serves from all the East Side stations were
hurried up there. and the 100 or more men
who tried to keep the street crowd in order
had the tussle of their lives. Many Of the
Italians had just parted with friends at
the foot of the elevated stairs and the belief
that they were on the City Hall train which
was run into caused the panic.
Motorman Williams had to fight his
way out of the South Ferry motor over
heaps of passengers, who were thrown
headlong on the car floor. He was scarcely
missed before he had given himself up.
He approached Chief Surgeon Quigley
while the latter was bandaging a broken
nose and asked IL he was a policeman.
wi at do you want to know for2" asked
the -Ir-teon.
sl'F, 9 n pNAf m ~ 80 shA Nau.. AL
l want to give myself up" said Willismp
The collision couldn't be helped. II the
fight hadn't started in my car there never
would have been an accident. l had the
door Of the motor room open 10 give me
ventilation, and | had no idea the trouble
in the car was serious until the fighting mob
pushed its way up to where I was working
the controller. Even il il meant the killing
Of every person on the train I couldn' nave
stopped after the crowd jammed me help
less into the corner of my car
Williams was taken at once to the East
l04th street station, where he was-detained.
Many of the passengers in the motor car
Of the South Ferry train denied that t here
had been a fight. When Williams was con-
fronte with their statements Re stuck to
his story that the passengers piled into his
itrOlOI " diu ilIlutTtu tut WOThluk u
the controller and brakes.
He added that many OF the Passenger
got on the front platform and obstructed
his view OF the track to such an extent that
when he finally got his controller and emer-
gency brake free he couldn't stop in time.
One Italian drew a knife. he said, and the
crowded car was quickly in an uproar.
Supt. Smith Of the Interborough's ele-
.,at.I EA-, .a.l - lEz-I A.
told by Williams and wasn't inclined 20 hold
any Of the train crew responsible until
after a thorough investigation had been
made. He said that Williams had been
running elevated trains for thirty years
and was considered thoroughly competent.
The force of the collision threw the rear
wheels Of the last car OF the City Hall train
off the track. fitting the car somewhat
When the down track had been filed with
trains almost from l08th street 10 I2sth
street and il was seen that the car couldn't
he got back on the track without wrecking
apparatus Supt. Smith had the centre track
cleared Of empty cars for some distance
below lOeth street.
Down this centre track the stalled txains
were run, being switched hack TO the south
bound track at N~inety-ninth street. The
tThCh AZ lVOIn street. Wds1 I CltHTeu IOr
several hours.
There was little for the firemen TO do
except to help get the injured passengers
out.
Inspector Dillon had TO send a big squad
of policemen to the 10th street and l25th
street elevated stations to keep back the
crowds that wanted TO pile onto the station
platforms. Deputy Commissioner Hanson
arrived in time TO be Of assistance in han
ding the police arrangements.
Patrick D~evereaux, the conductor of the
colliding train, was arrested after the mo-
torman had been locked up.
The first mar to get to the scene Of the
accident was Policeman William Hauser
Of the East l04th street station. He had
been standing on the street under the plat
form when the crash occurred. Running
up the steps he came upon the wreck az the
point where the two trains had come to-
gether. The first man he saw was Leeur.
the man who will die. He was pinned
the wrecksge Of the two cars which had
smashed together and was proaning Fri 0h,-