The sun., 1909-11-07
TRAIN WRECK IN JERSEY CITY
MUIR KILLED IN CRASH on
@ENNSYLVANIA n. X. TRESTLE.
Messenger Train Takes q CrOssOSer and
8idewipes q LOcOmOttVe-SmOke er
n Thrown ON ITS side and Nearly TO the
street--A Score or More Injured.

IN street---A score or More Injured.
Two locomotive engipeers. a fireman
and q trackwalker were killed outright
and a SCORE OF more Of persons were hurt
yesterday morning when the Philadelphia
and New York accommodation. known on
tbe Pennsylvania Railroads running
schedules as train ice, took to crossover
switch at the II. u" tower on the elevated
waxcks in Railroad avenue at Monmouth
street.. Jersey City. nine blocks from the
terminal station, "sidewiped" a detached
light locomotive running east in the same
direction and was wrecked. One OF the
!. four injured persons still at the hospitals
4 In Jsrsey City last night was an unidenti
ned unconscious Pole whom the doctors
boiiove will not survive. His skull is
frActured.
The four railroad men who died at their
costs Of duty were;
John spille, Is years old, IS Chambers
okroet. Trenton. engineer OF the accommo-
Cation train.
John W. Monroe, Perth Amboy, engineer
of locomotive si7S.
John H. Mcclure. d years old, % Thomas
street. Newark. fireman Of locomotive 3i75.
stance Broskie, 90 years old. a track
walker. ii2 Dey street. Jersey City.
The accommodation train left the Broad
atSeet station In Philadelphia at 55s o'clock
and made twenty-nine stops on its way
into Jersey City. where it was due to ar
rive at e:i7 o'clock, II was in charge OF
Conductor George 8. Stultz and consisted
II three steel passenger coaches, a heavy
eteel smoker. and an old fashioned frame
expreas and mail car. drawn by powerful
locomotive. An the train was nearing
Monmouth street Daniel Mead. the fire.
man. who lives at 3si South Nineteenth
street. Newark. sang out to Engineer
Spdlle, The eignal shows white, John!"
and the train passed the tower at a speed
of At least thirty-five miles an hour.
4 -kmoment later Daniel Harrington, the
towcrman. saw the heavy passenger train
pass with a mighty shake from track SON
tho crossover to track ?, on which loco
motive s175 was slowly backing down
toward the station TO take out a train.
The wheels of the passenger locomotive
ieft the rails TO the north, bumped over the
tiesand -sidewiped- the wildcat engine on
track 2. shcing OF one side of il. The
tender OF the light locomotive slowed
around and the passenger locomotive
turned IL over on its side on the south
track. spilling several tons OF coal on the
sidewalk. Engineer Spille stuck strictly
10 business as his powerful machine
rAnnmed the detached locomotive ahead
a II and sent it distance OF city block
down the track to Monmouth street.
where it was found after the accident
badly battered but still on the rails. Then
tho passenger engine went cavorting
over two tracks 100 feet further. where
Il came TO a stop with its tender partly
tilted over. Spille was found dead in the
wreckage. Engineer Monroe was pinned
down bv the weight of his tender and was
terribly crushed. His fireman, Mcclure.
suffered an equally sad fate near him. The
trackwalker was bowIed over by the
upsetting Of the tender and was instantly
killed
The mail car was derailed as the bar
coupling Il with the locomotive was torn
out and 1t received a jouncing which
eplinterod the woodwork in many places
The second car, the smoker, turned over
On les side on the most northern track near
the middle OF the block and a small sec
ftun Of its front platform projected over
the edge Of the elevated structure, twenty
feet above the heads Of passersby. The
6rst OF the three passenger coaches also
isft the track but travelled only a short
dietance.
When the first irregular Jerking OF the
train came as it struck the crossover.
many OF the passengers were getting
ready to leave their seats. or were stand
tng in the aisles. As the two locomotives
ground their sides together the passengers
we're tumbled in heaps and were thrown
forcibiy against one another. Wild ex-
element followed. Men and women.
many OF whom were commuters, struggled
70 reach the doors and some climbed out
Of the windows. Train hands and the |
00oIaT hAoAad na Iel ~.
fhe danger was over and orders were
givsn not to push for fear somebody |
would be showed on the trestle into the |
street.
The thirty or forty passengers in the
smoker had nerve rscking experience |
- the car Topped over on its side and for |
q moment seemed in danger of sliding |
into the street. They were catapulted |
across the car and were iammed between |
the seats. As they picked themselves up !
q strong pair OF lungs called out. This |
way. please. and they orawled toward !
the doors. c. r. Wilson, trainhand, did |
good work lifting the badly shaken
smokers through a window. and a six |
footer whom nobody knew helped many |
more to reach the tracks before he climbed |
out Of the car himself.
The moment that Towerman Harrinp-
ton saw the smash he informed the chief |
dispatcher at the Pennsylvania station |
What had happened and the dispatcher
bottled Police Headquarters that a seri- |
Gus wreck had occurred Telephone |
Operator John O'Donnell sent out all the |
police reserves and patrol wagons and |
ordered the ambulances from the City, |
Christ and st. Francis's hospitals to the |
scene. Chief Frank Monahan, Inspector |
Philip Leonard and Capt. Tim Murphy
OF the City Hall station took charge Of the |
cops.
Truck Company Of the city fire depart
ment took its apparatus 10 Monmouth |
street and ran it's ladders to the top Of the |
elevated structure. In the meanwhile |
most Of the badly frightened passengers
were trudging along the trestle toward |
the station or slipping down the dirt en-
bankment at Monmouth street. few |
Arcepted the invitation OF the firemen |
and went down the ladders.
A corps Of Jersey City physicians
responded to hurry telephone calls sent |
out by railroad officials and police |
headquarters and helped the ambulance
surgeons from the hospitals dress the |
hurts OF many before they voluntarily |
left the trestle or were taken to the hos |
pitfalls.
Several workmen and trainhands
~