The Washington herald., 1909-10-18

New York. Oct. 17.-William K Van
derbilt. ST.. principal owner OF the New
York Central Railroad; ". c. Brown,
president OF the road. and William L.
Newman. the former president. now a
director, were pretty well shaken up in
their private cars this morning when
the New York Express, train 2S. was
ditched by a broken rail near Rhine
cliff station. One man was killed. and
| ten persons hurt when the express was
flung from the track
Just about the time that 8Gr Van
derbilt Mr.. Newman, and President
Brown were picking themselves up from
the car floor. where they had been
pitched by the sudden stoppage, H.
Schelmeyer, the fireman Of the New
| York express. was running up the track
lickety split. swinging a red lantern.
With the train piled up in a heap
back OF him, schelmeyer had his mind
on just one thing-No. q. the midnight
express. which swung out OF the Grand
/ Central Station for the North at 12.3l
a. m, was due at RhinecIiff in 8 mighty
few minutes. He knew as he ran that
! the chances were about even on his
stopping the midnight before she piled
into the wTeckage Of the New York.
/ Flags Train in Time.
Schelmeyer painted down the track.
whirling the red lamp as he sprinted-
Two minutes after he got a safe distance
F, from the derailed train he saw the yei-
low headlight Of the midnight express
shooting toward him In the darkness.
The fireman yelled snd sssUng the lamp
about his head. and the midnight gave
a surprised tOot or two and came to
halt.
And let me tell you" said Schelmeyer
afterward. 'it seemed like q week OF
sundays before could get that red lamp
and beat 1t down the track And L
wasn't loafng when hit the track. you
bet"
The New York express left Albany az
Sis g. m, and was due here about :
o'clock. 1t was running as the third sec
I AAlAt u w 90 1-AA " eAS AA1AAG ~ u AAD
day coaches. two express cars a baggage
car. and three Pullmans. one Of which
was a regular sleeper. the others Mr..
Vanderblts private car Idle Hour and
President Browns private car The Forty
four. One Of the coaches was a smoker.
filed mostly with Poles.
Mr.. Vanderbilt, President Brown. and
former President Newman had been out
on the system making a trip Of inspec-
ton. They pulled in from the new Clear
field branch Saturday night and had their
cars hooked on TO the New York ex-
press at Lyons Mr.. Vanderbilt and Mr.
Newman were in the Idle Hour and Presi-
dent Brown had The Forty-four 10
himself. with the exception Of his serv-
ants.
Train Is Late.
The third section was late by seven
minutes when it shot by RhinecliR sta
ton There is an easy curve Just below
the signal tower at Rhinecli1, and the
instant the train tilted on the curve NJ
II. Wright Of Albany. the engineer. knew
that there was trouble behind him Ills
big locomotive bucked and dragged as
the coupling between its tender and the
\ baggage car snapped. then stopped with
a terrific Jerk as Wright threw off the
power
One look back told him what had hap
pened. His whole train was of the track
and he could see that the smoker had
turned over. From the smoker came the
cries Of men and women in pain and
fright II was just at that minute that
( Fireman Schelmeyer and the engineer
thought Of the midnight express and
realized that she was due on the spot in
/ less than five minutes. They remem-
bered too that the midnight makes no
stop at little places like Rhineclin.
! Hustle" said Wright: ard ScheIneyer
found the lantern and hustled
The jar that shook the big. solid pri-
vate cars when the express went OF the
track jeTked ali three Of the executives
/ Of the road out OF their beds Mr.. Van
derbilt and Mr.. Newman got of without
( anything more serious than shaking up.
! President Brown was thrown TO the floor
OF '''rhe Forty-foUr' so hard that his
side was bruised.
Nothing really serious. though" he
said tonight. 1t wasn't the first wreck
had been in, and so I wasn't much up
set.
Hasten to Scene.
The roads president and its owner and
Director Newman threw overcoats over
their pajamas and jumped out OF their
cars to see what had to be done When
they reached the ground none OF the train
crew had had tine to find out just hsw
much harm had been done. They took
a quick survey OF the situation and put
the trainmen to work
President Brown, directing the train
crew. found that one man was dead and
I eight injured In the overturned smoker.
The dead man was a young Pole naned
James Kralowsld. who lived In Man
1 haitian. In the fright Of the crashing
and jarring Krakowsxi had put his head
out OF window to see what was tiit
matter. A tie came I'D out OF the dari