Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1911-08-02
TRAIN WRECKED
IN T0TTENVILLE
Locomotive Jumps Track
Near Station Shortly Before
8 O'clock Last Night.
PASSENGERS NOT HURT
Engineer Thrown from Car
Fireman Is Bruised Switch
Is Cause of Accident.

Passengers on a train on the Am
boy division of the Staten Island
Rapid Transit Railroad were given a
shaking up shortly before 8 o'clock
last night, when an engine and the
first car Of the train jumped the
track at one of the crossover switches
near Main street, Tottenville, while
1t was going into the depot at that
place. Engineer John LaForge, of
New Dorp, was thrown from the cab
OF the locomotive and landed in front
of the cowcatcher, but was not in
1ured. Fireman Luke Gaul, of Henry
street, Tottenville, who was thrown
against the boiler when the engine
came to a sudden stop, had his left
arm badly burned and his hand
sprained. He had his injuries at
tended to at Bedell's drug store, in
Main street.
Passengers Shaken up.
Although the passengers were
pretty well shaken up, no one was
injured as far as known. Just what
caused the accident could not be
learned, but it is believed that the
driving wheels Of the locomotive
struck the point of switch, caus-
i i;TT-e 1t to leave the rails, followed by
the su, king car next to the engine.
| The forwar55. trucks Of the locomotive
took the switch right, but wheT
the driving wheels t>>Hk the athel
track, the wreck was unssNli1S kDie
The heavy locomotive ploLs We
along the ties, tearing +hem up al
~aH- ~ - !,
trails was twisted t of shap
and the tender a- locomotiv
-Scame near topping over on it's side
WiTthi7z-tiye minutes after the acc
dent thersaEere nearly five hundre
people or the sceQe. The police Z
times were forced &c, S5i1rs cr =
away from the engine, that lay ha
way across Main street, headed to
ward the lunch wagon at that place
The train which consisted of en-
CINE NO. 81, one of the camelbacl
type, md three coaches. left s.
| George az 6:53 o clock and was du
| in the TOtteuvills station at 7:3;
O'Clock. 1t was Il charge of Conduc
tor Harry Williams. of Broadway
| TortenviIle. and Engineer John La
! Forge. who w.s thrown from the
cab.
Train Late In Arriving
The train was late in arriving al
the depot. At the time of the acci-
dent Engineer LaForge had his en-
gine under control and as soon as ii
left the rails he applied the brakes
and sounded his whistle for the
emergency brakes on the cars. The
derailed engine blocked both east
and west bound tracks and no trains
could get in or out Of the depot.
Conductor Williams, with Engineer
LaForge, made up train of the two
cars that stayed on the rails and with
engine No. 8, left on their schedule
time again at 8:04 o'clock for St.
George.
Had To Walk To Ferry.
Passengers coming and going from
this city to New York or along the
line Of the railroad had TO walk to
the freight house beyond Main street
to take the train.
The wrecking crew with the big
B. & 0. crane, arrived here about II
O'Clock and after working for sew
eral hours the locomotive was lifted
on the track again The road was
cleared about o'clock this morning
and the wrecker returned to ST.
George about 8 O'Clock.
Trainmaster Fred Syze came down
from St George to take charge of
the work of putting the locomotive
and car on again.