New-York tribune., 1910-06-02
One of the Worst Accidents in
the System Due to Blaze in
Pumping Station.
TRAIN RUNS INTO ANOTHER
One Car Thrown from Rails
Panic Follows-Employe
Only One To Be
Badly Injured.


southbound trains at the Mott avenue
station.
Several persons were overcome by the
smoke and were attended by physicians
from Lincoln and Lebanon hospitals An
employe of the subway also was taken
to the latter institution suffering from a
lacerated scalp wound received in an un-
usual manner.
Albert Burlington, a guard on the sec
ond of the southbound trains was sent
back to flag the following train. as the
smoke was so dense that the motorman
was not expected to be able to see the
danger that lay ahead Of him.
While Burlington was making his way
back toward 149th street with a red
lantern which he had taken from the
rear of his train he was struck by the
train which he had started to flag. The
motOrman saw Tim in time to avoid
more serious accident. and Buffington's
wound was slight.
Panic at the Station.
Meanwhile there was a panic at the
Mott avenue station. There were about
eight hundred passengers in the two
trains when the collision came. The
passengers of the first train were uneasy
because of the smoke in the subway and
the fact that the motorman did not dare
to proceed. At that point the subway
is one hundred feet below the surface,
and the smoke was gradually becoming
denser.
Just as the passengers were coming
to the belief that their plight was
serious one the train following crashed
into the stalled train. All the cars
stood the force of the collision we'll
with the exception of the second car
of the second train. This car was of
light construction and was badly shat
tered
The car was about half full of pas
sengers, but none was seriously injured.
A Mrs O'Brien, who said she lived in
Brooklyn. tainted and her seven
months old baby fell to the floor. Mrs,
O'Brien did not revive completely un-
til she was taken out Of the subway
several minutes later.
Captain Post. Of the Alexander avenue
station. brought over his reserves and
/ Inspector Flood led the reserves of the
! Morrisania station to the scene. They
pushed down into the subway at Mott
avenue and did everything possible to
quiet the panicstricken passengers. AL
bert Cummings. of No. 223S Second ave
nue.. the elevator runner, kept the car
going up and down as fast as he could
under the handicap of the dense smoke.
DIR. +. PiXIey. of No 49, Mott avenue,
arrived and offered his services. He
I treated more than fifty persons who
were brought out of the subway at
/ Mott avenue.
Meanwhile a northbOund train hat
pushed up through the smoke from 135tf
street and the passengers and employees
on the stalled trains pleaded with th'
| motorman to take as many of them as
possible aboard and carry them to the
149th street station. According to Rob
ert Hamburger, of No 2426 Lorillart
Place. The Bronx, the mOtOrInan refused
and pushed onAvithout giving any assist
ance
Traffic Long Tied Up.
The motorman of the second trair
that appeared was more charitable
and he waited long enough to take or
as many passengers as his train coult
carry conveniently. At l49th stree
those who were nearly overcome by
tbe smoke were attended by physicians
ard bv clerks in Hegeman's and Riker:
drugstores at that point. Trafhc wa!
tied m for more than two hours.
As soon as the last passenger ha'
baan transferred from the stalled train
subway employees hauled them quickl!
away so that it was impossible to learl
the exact damage that had been done t
the cars. or how well they had withstoo'
the force of the collision.
The last car on the first train wa
thrown from the rails, but its stee
construction saved it from more seriou
damage than a slight denting. In tn
case Of the first car of the second train
il was held that the steel construction
probably saved the life of the motormar
John Montgomery.
One of Worst Accidents.
Montgomery and the motorman OF tn
train which he rammed took an activ
part in the rescue work at the Mot
avenue station. The former was almos
crushed under the rush of passengers {
his train, who sought TO reach the static
platform and make their way to tn
street. Aided by other employees, by tn
police and the men under Deputy Chic
Ahearn. who responded to an alarm {
} fire. some sort of calm was brought aboJ
and the frightened passengers were hel
back and compelled to make their escaT
i'm an orderly manner.
, Many persons climbed the five flight
Of stairs 10 the street and to this eXcI
2 ton as much as to the smoke which the
had inhaled the physicians placed III
cause of the numerous cases they wei
called upon to handle.
MANY of the doctors, police and fire
men said that they regarded the accideT
as one of the worst that the Interboroug
had ever had in the subway. and adde
that more favorable SPOT for seriot
accident could not have been found O
any section of the underground road
In addftion TO being one hundred fee
helow the surface ana therefore oHeflil
mall vent for the escape of smoke, III
station at Mott avenue is the only on
hatU,ee,, I95th street and LenoX avenu
and t49th street and Third avenue, dis
tanee of nearly mile and a haif.