The sun., 1910-06-02
HURT IN HARLEM TUBE SMASH
FIRE AND COLLI6FON JUST
BBYCND FHE RIVER.
smoke From . BlAEo IN Ths PumpFoSm
HAD ruled the Tunhei and . Train
nan Ints Another IN Nett Avsaae
statioA -FIflesn Who were Hurt.

statioA-FF'esn Who were Hurt.
A score Of persons were more or ICES
injured by smoke and shock or otherwise
last night when the Bronx Park branch
Of the subway filed with smoke Just north
of the tube underneath the Harlem
River and two Southbound trains CO.
lideo in the Mott avenue station a. tie
mOn,ent that a northbound train was
disohargihg a load Of panic stricken pAs-
sengers. The mos, serious injuries wef-
received when the passengers from twn
trains tried 10 ge, 10 the surface At ths
Mott avenue station. which is sixty-fvs
fee, above the tracks. IN the same elevator.
The smoke came from a blaze In tho
pumping station that keeps the tubs
clear Of water from a spring
Albert BuffinRton. guard on thc sru''-
bound train that was discharg.ng na
sengers at the same time that one irOrn
the north was Kidding itself Of its smcks
frightened load. was more seriously hut
than anyone else. He was on thu rNa'
car and stood on the back platform try
ing 10 flag the train that he knew NUT
be- approa ching from the north. Ths
density of the smoke prevented the motor-
man of the oncoming train from sce,r
him an the train biz Buhlngton's tran
with violent impact.
The shock threw Bufing ton clear Il
both trains and onto the narrow spare
between the north and south tracks.
The vestibule Of the steel car where he
stood was crushed out Of shape and tho
rear Of the car ahead Of his. which was of
wood. was sPlintered Windows Of both
cars were nearly all put out. The motor
man Of the cOlliding train was knocked
from his perch but escaped with slight
injuries.
After the excitement was over some
SOne thought ol looking for Burlington.
He was finally found groping his way
along the side % the tunnel with a deep
!
might involve fracture Of the skull
On the west side Of the subway about
.OOO feet south Of the Mott avRnue sta
tiOn and about 800 feet from the entrance
20 the tube under the Harlem River s
the pump room, twenty-five feet or 70
from the tracks. in which a pump is kc,lt
going day and night 20 keep water from
a nearby spring out Of the tunnel. The
room IL encassd with timber. the boards
being a few inches apart. The wooden
Gazing IL psFmaated with OIL
A. about ~ O'Clock the motor IN the
pump room blew out and communicated
blaze 20 the boards. In a short tims
the casing was blazinR briakly and a
black smoke was pouring out of the oil
fed fire. In a iihy the strong draHght
through the tunnel had drawn the smoke
through the river tube and Il was i'm
possible % see there.
shortly before the smoke began 70 get
thickest a northbound train left the lsSih
street station and started for the tube
and the Mott avenue station beyond IL.
/ AZ II neared f2d street. where the LenOK
avenue division Of the subway branches
| on 20 the it5th street station. the frst
clouds of smoke struck tho train. The
motorman didn't know what was causing
I the smoke. but he did know that another
train was not far behind him and hs
| kept on.
| The smoke grew thicker all the Tina
and the passengers. many Of them on
their way home from the theatre. became
| panic stricken Men did the hest thoy
could 10 calm the women hut when the
train left the tube and got near the burr
I ing pump room the smoke increased.
| Finally the motoFman got his train 10
the Mott avenue station.
BY that time he was pulling a badly
| frightened arainload.
There are no subway employees 10 bs
/ found in the Mott avenue station because
Il is reached by an elevator and the ticket
ofice is near the street. For that reason
! the employees there didn't know about
the smoke until John Rsisler of so Hewitt
| avenue, 90 had been on the train and
was the first one OF. ran up 10 the elevator
/ Just a. D'Albert CumminRs the negro
operator brought his car down 20 the
| level of the station.
Get all the people up in one load that
you can right away Reisler said.
Cummings kept his senses and when hs
thought he had enough people aboard
he ran his car up 10 the street. assuring
the others that there was no danger.
Rsisler ran out and pulled the frat hre
boz he saw and told a policeman 10 call
for ambulances. The elevator man ran
his car down about fifteen times before hs
got all the persons from tho northbound
train
Thsnorthbound train vas about smptisd
when a southbOund train in charge Of
John Montgomery pulled in and came
70 a seandstill. Il didn't carry a. many
passengers a. the other train. but those
on it were In a hurry 10 gst OF. They bad
20 step up about a dozen feet and walk
across a platform over the north track
before they could reach ths elevator
The smoke vas 20 dense a that time that
those In the tunnel brsathsd with din
Guilty.
Il was Just at that time that Guard
Burlington on the rear o9 TIE nOrthbound
train put himself in readiness 70 GaE the
train that hs knew was not Ear behind.
and tho collision came. Tbs paassnEsra
On the second train we're In a big hurry
70 ggt 0H. and hey had q bigger fright
than any one else bsoauas Of The shock
Of ths collision. Many Of tham wers
thrown over ssats Of piled oos on top Of