The San Francisco call., 1907-02-17
TWENTY-SIX ARE
KILLED AND FIFTY
HURT IN WRECK
Electric Express Train
Jumps the Track
, Near Harlem
MANY DIE INSTANTLY
Cars Leave the Rails and
Mangle Many of the
Passengers
BODIES DISMEMBERED
Flames Break Out and
Imperil Victims in
the Debris

NEW YORK. Feb. l6.-sxteen
persons were killed outright. ten others
had died of their injuries up to mid
night and at least fifty more were more
or less seriously injured IN a wreck of
the White Plains and Brewster Ex-
press on the Harlem division of the
New York Central and Hudson River
Aailroad. near Woodlawn road, In the
Bronx borough of Greater New York
tonight.
The dead: NJ E. Vance, White Plains,
civil engineer; Robert ]. Roseborough.
White Plains. employee; T. Johnston.
Rosborough, White Plains. empIoye:
.. F. Johnston, Briar Cliff. n. Y; c. F.
Page. Williamsburg. N Y; Mrs. Mary
Kinch. Chappaqua, n. Y: Miss or Mrs.
E P Warren; W. z. Sloane; J. Sloan;
Annie Morehead. aged Il; Josie A Abin
Mrs. Catherine Keen Farrand, Pleasant
Vile, \. Y; Mrs. McClain. sister-in-law
% Superintendent Lyons Of the Bloom
ingda1e Asylum: Mrs Edward Brady.
Golden Bridge. \. +; Clara S. Hudson
Mrs. Jessie Tobfn.
Unidentified dead: Woman. about 10
years old: woman. about 81 years old !;
woman. about IS years Of age: woman,
about p years old. woman. about IS
years old woman. crushed beyond rec
ognition; woman. so years old; woman,
ss years old; man, about 30 years old.
The train left the Grand Central sta
tion at e:I3 o'clock. drawn by two
heavy electric motors and loaded with
q matinee crowd and commuters on
their way home from business in the
city It consisted of q combination
baggage and smoking car and five
E3sches-
After stopping at One Hundred anS
Twersty- fifth street the train was schedT
uled TO run express TO White Plains
At woodlawn road the four TRACES
run through a rocky cut and ts1ke
q sharp curve. When the train rescbed
the curve II was running at Z speed
estimated by some at sixty niles an
hour Both motors and the smoking
car swung safely around the curve.
but the other cars left therafls. plunz-
ing over on their sides With a terrific
crash and tearing UP ltne tracks for
100 yards before thsy collapsed. Of
those instantly killed by far the great
er number were. women. Many were
usngled beyogd recognition. Those
most seriously injured were hurried
70 hospitslsI where coroners took
charge of the dead as fast as bodies
were recovered.
but the flames were quickly extin-
Euished. and the fremen lent their aid
70 the injured Special trains carried
away many Of the injured to White
Plains and Mount Vernon, while others
were brought to hospitals in this
city.
The rear car. containing more women
than the others. suffered the greatest.
IS II overturned. and the breaking of
the coupling released it from the cars
ahead. It was literally torn TO pieces
and scattered for hundred feet across
Woodland avenue.
Dismembered bodies were strung
along for distance of 100 yards One
woman was impaIed on huge splinter
from a railroad tie.
A sheet OF electric fame that orig
mated from the disaster enveloped the
rear car. and for a moment threatened
TO roast the victims pinioned in the
debris. The flames did not, however.
spread. and the horror Of a holocaust
was averted. AS the cars fell they
smashed the third rail and caused much
danger.
In the crash, however. there was
death for many, while practically every
one in the four coaches received in
iurtes Of some sort Many were
ground to pieces. and for hours iden-
tfhcation was almost hopeless AS the
cars went over many Of the passengers
were thrown out or through the win
dows and cut and MANNED
Coroner schwannecker made state
ment In which he said:
have taken possession OF one OF
the1 rails and shall hold Il for tech
nichal examination In my preliminary
I found a defect in this
rail which indicated, IN my opinion, the
place where big wheel, probably one
OF the drivers. had hit the rail at
q point almost directly under the
Wooclawn soad bridge. This rail- has q
clearly defined dA<eet1e-"