The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-28
Train Jumps Track 40 Feet in
Air-Man and Two Women
Thrown to street.
MANY SEE AERIAL CRASH
Fourteen Have Narrow Escape
Only One Is Seriously
Injured.

two car train on the Ocean Beach
Amusement Company's scenic railway.
the Rough Riders at Jones walk and
the Bowery, jumped the track forty
feet In the air The three who were
killed were shot from the track to the
sidewalk OF the crowded Bowery below.
Some Of the fourteen we're thrown out on
the trestle OF the roller coaster. but only
one was badly hurt.
The dead are James Mcdonald. driver
of the train, ~ years old. living at
Twenty eighth street and Neptune ave-
nue.. Coney Island; Mrs. Annie Hart
man. IS years old. of l65 Gates avenue.
Brooklyn. and Miss Ruth Cuddy. 40 years
old. OF es7 Jackson avenue. Long Island
| City.
Mrs. Clarence Moies of Spring Valley,
N. Y. niece of Mrs. Hartman. was
seriously hurt. She was seated In the
first car with her seven-year-old SON
When the accident happened she received
a fracture OF the right arm. but was not
thrown out of the car. The boy. whom
she held on her lap. escaped injury.
! lHe aCCluent OCCuTren dt 'oV
Only one train was being operated on
the railway at the time. and the regular
driver of this, John Clinton, who boards
at West Eighth street. Coney Island,
had left his station for supper few
minutes before, Mcdonald relieving him.
In Full View of Crowds.
-~A.. kt,A L.. sNf
the swiftest and hilliest rides on the
island, makes trip from the front Of
the building on the Bowery, back down
Jones walk and then doubles the cir
cult ON "A higher trestle forty feet in the
air. Almost at the end of the ride the
cars pass through an opening In the
archway forming the face of the s,ruc-
ture. whizzing by in full view OF the
street
II was at this point that the car
jumped The ffr~t truck left the track
on the curve. The second truck, sup
porting the rear OF the first car and the
font of the second. also jumped. but
the last truck held to the rails. The
first car was almost exactly In the centre
OF the arch. and II turned over on It's
side. crashing against an iron railing
that barred the opening and threw II
back on the runway.
Priest at Dying Mans Side.
: The screams OF the sixteen persons In
, the cars alarmed the crowd below. Me-
Donald. who was in the front Of the firs
car. was sho, head first to the stone
walk In the crowd was the Rev. Johr
b. Gallo OF the Church OF the Sacred
Heart Newburgh. ~ Y. He hurried e
where the driver lay. and finding his
heart still beating. administered the las
rites of the church. Mcdonald was deac
when, a few minutes later. an ambulance
from Coney Island Hospital arrived with
DR.. O'Reilly.
I Mrs. Hartman and Mrs. Moles. who
, were celebrating the latter's visit from
her upstate home. were with JOSEPH
Scales, Mrs. Moles's father He haC
> refused to go on the ride and va!
watching the ride from the Bowery
, The body OF his sister-in-law, Mrs
t Hartman. struck within a few feet o
4 where he stood
s Sergeant Dennis 7. Kennedy. VIII,
4 was near by summoned Policeman Johi
z HUFFMAN and Detectives Charles kel
s lerman and N!telli. They climbed III
Z to the archway and pulled back 4
safety a number OF the occupants o
( the car who were hanging perlousl!
q over the side. They found one MAJ
+: hanging entirely out of the car, hea'
= downward, with a young girl who ha
o been seated next him desparngl
= clutching his trouser legs. Shouting Z
% her to keep her grip. HUFFMAN and Kel
= lerman hurried to her and hauled tn
|, man back to the car. The tw
!. scrambled down the stairs and disap
!. peared in the throng that choked tn
' Bowery for blocks oil each side. Mean
% while Vitelli and the others lifted Mrs
Moles's child from her lap and freed hel
She was carried down stairs and treate
: by DR.. O'Reilly. but insisted on goin
home
: woman DIES ON Way to Hospital
Miss Cuddy, the third occupant, VIII
- WAS thrown to the street was hurrie
!. to the hospital with Mrs Hartman
The latter died on the journey, an
II Miss Cuddy died two hours later fror
T. a fractured jaw and internal injuries.
T. Mrs. Celia Povenova, 60 years old, q
III Boerum place, Brooklyn. receive
10 a severe confusion Of the right shou
der when, she declared. she was struc
m by McDonalds body az it fell. Sh
=. was taken to Coney Island Hospita
" Several minor cases Of shock anon
l. passersby who were unner"ed by the az
10 Ctdent were tTtdttu, dfnoHs IltIIl DelIl
Mrs. Mary Appleton and Mrs, Katherin
N Skuey of 336 Fifty-fourth street, Brook
i iyn, with their four children. Mr.
I'd Appleton reported that In the excite
ment "a pickpocket had stolen her purs
n containing a few dollars. The reserve
under Inspector Thomas Murphy. wei
Z called out to keep away the crowd.
ct Thomas Ward, the manager Of tn
ride was arrested on charge
,e homicide He was released on bono
of $1,000 furnished by his brothe
William j. Ward, partner In the con
pany. None OF the employees was al
rested Coroner Ernest Wagner
Brooklyn and Assistant District A
u.' torney Reuben Wilson arrived In sho
time and held an investigation. tt
Coroner refused to make any statemen
nj saying that his examination was n,
is complete. Mr., Wilson said he had que
toned Chief Building Inspector John
VI Snackenberg and Inspector Patric
Smith, who reported that they had q,
a amined the place and found nothir
- wrong with IT.
- Inspector Smith declared he had ma,
" an inspection only three and ha
g hours before the disaster and that Il
&c, ,ipment was In good roder at Il
NJ accident had been caused by McDona
sh sending his train around the curve
n top speed.
=