The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-27
WRECKER THROWN
FROM The TRACK
New York Freight Traffic
Held Up Near Water
Street For Five
Hours.
DERRICK STRUCK
OVERHEAD BRIDGE
Car Has Been Owned Only a
Month and is the Larg-
est In Company's
Service.

Traffic on the outbound New York
through track of the New York, New
Haven and Hartford railroad was sus-
pended for five hour yesterday after
noon by the oyerturning of one of tho
roads new leviathan wreckers. In pas
sing under the Water street bridge the
big derrick hit that structure and the
wrecker was toppled over on its side,
blocking its own track and the next one
the through freight track 20 New York.
The accident, 1t is said, was due to
the negligence of the crew of the
wrecker in not lowering the crane sutfi-
GENTLY to pass under the bridge In
3 very few minutes one of the old style
wreckers, number 80, came up and COM
menced the work of righting the fallen
giant. 1t was soon seen that it would
take at least two to get the new
wreeker back on the track, SO wreck
ing outfit 80 was sent for. Number 80
backed UP to the wrecked car, and
Number 85 came up on the other side.
Yardmaster Ross took charge Of the
wrecking work. A large crowd was at
tracted and the cut was filled with
people. The Water street bridge all
most under which the accident happen
cd was lined with spectators as were
both sides of the cut. So filled did the
cut become thlt the railroad police
were called out to clear it. Chief Mac
Donald in command.
Last e1ening there were at least a
Thousand looking on at the wrecking
operations and 1t was a wierd scene
they saw. There were about thirty
men at work and they were working by
the light of many railroad torches scat
tered here and there about the wreck,
In commencing the operations all
separable parts Of the wrecker were
removed and 1t was dismantled as far
as possible. Then chains were slung
about each end of the ear and attach
ed to the derricks of wreckers thirty
and thirty-fve. Time after time the
chains slipped and the car remained
where it was. Finally they succeeded
In jacking up the wrecker and once
having started it they made progress
steadily, although slowly, At about
nine o'clock the car was swung back
onto the track. 1t was then taken
down to the railroad shops and the
work of repairing will be begun to-
day.
While this wreck lasted all the west
bound trains took a cross over between
Chapel street and Grand avenue and
went in on another track. Owing to
the switching back and forth about the
derailed car Of the wrecking outfits all
traffic was late in one instance a train
being over half an hour late.
The wrecker which toppled over has
been in the service of the road only
about month and is a new departure
In the wrecking line. 1t was made in
Bay City Michigan, and is the heaviest
I In the New Haven lines, Weighing
4 about 12G tons.
A prominent feature of the new car
Il ds its short wheel base and it was said
N by several railroad men that had the
+ wheel base been larger the car would
= not have toppled over. At first it was
4 thought that owing to the wreck0r' s
< steel construction it would not be
a found very much the worse for wear,
N but after it had been righted and taxi
a en- to the shops it was found to be
badly damaged 1t was said that the
person or persons whose negligence
caused the accident will be discharged
from the service of the railroad.