New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-11
2 TRAINMEN HELD
FOR CRASH ON q"
Motorman and Conductor
of Local Charged with
Manslaughter.
TRAIN WAS GUIDED
FROM FOURTH CAR
Steel Carriers Not Practical on
Elevated Structure, Is Report
Rules Were Violated.

Charged with manslaughter in the
second degree, resulting from criminal
negligence and failure TO obey the
company's rules. the motorman and
the conductor of the 9th av. elevated
railroad local train that crashed into
an express train at the 10th 81. sta
tion Of the road Wednesday evening,
killing two and injuring 100 persons,
were arrested yesterday and held IN
bail of $1,000 each. The blame for
the accident was placed upon them,
Thomas Mcmahon, Of 1877 EdSecomoe
av., The Bronx, motOrman on the
train, and Alvin F. Rolls, the conduc-
tor. were examined at length yester-
day before Assistant District Attorneys
Deacon Murphy and Breckenridge. AS
result Of their findings. the train
men were arrested and held By Coro-
ner Riordan to await an inquest. In
default of bond they were taken last
night to the Tombs.
The motorman. according TO his own
statement and another given out by
Frank Hedley, president OF the
marlborough, was running the tram
from the fourth car when the accident
occurred, the motors in the cars ahead
having gone dead"
The most glaring violation of rules,
according to Interborough officials, lay
in the manner in which Rolls sig
nailed to the motorman when the tram
was entering or leaving stations or
rounding curves. Although II had
been dark more than an hour and the
atmosphere was filed with mist, the
conductor waved q red flag it was SAID,
rather than lighted lantern.
according to the story related 10
the District Attorney, the local train
which crashed into the stalled express
left the South Ferry station at 6:3l
O'Clock. After a few stops, McMahon
noticed something wrong with the
motor of the head car. AT the FRANK
lin ST. station he left his box and tested
the motor in the next car. 1t was not
working satisfactorily, but in the
fourth car from the front of the train
no trouble was detected. McMahon
thereupon shut off the electric power
in the first three cars, which did not
interfere with the working OF the AIR
brakes. and ran the train from there.
Rolls took a position on the right side
of the rear platform of the first car
and signalled the motorman as to how
he should proceed.
At.no roints on the elevated railroad,
according to Mr.. Hedley, are there sys-
TENS of block signals. Switches and
curves only arc protected by soma
phores and lights. The motorman
must depend upon his eyes to deter
mine whether he Las clear track on
straight stretches.
Rolls told Assistant District Attor-
ney Murphy that the signals on the
curve beyond the 10th st. station
showed the way to be clear. The local
train was within two car lengths of
the stalled express, he said. before he
saw its rear lights. He signalled with
his flag, he said. for Mcmahon to stop
the train. Mcmahon declared he did
not see the signal
Mr.. Hedley asserted il was his opin-
ion that at least two persons would
have been killed in the accident had
the cars Of the trains been steel, in
stead of wood. mt as for steel cars
on the elevated systems. there are
none. Mr.. Hedley intimated that the
structure Of the elevated roads was
too light 10 admit the operation of
steel cars.
Discussing the accident, he added:
1--WE can have our books of rules and
have orders. and we believe we have a
high type Of men TO direct the railways