New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-29
Two Camp Upton Soldiers
Dying of Injuries Re
ceived in Collision
Investigation Begun
By Major General Bell
Police Report Passenger
Car Hit Freight and Drove
Cars Over Bumper

two so badly that they may DIE, thlS
afternoon, when four freight cars
Jumped a buffer at the end Of switch
snd plunged down into the Sunday
crowd that was just leaving the Yap-
hank station for camp.
The man killed was Joe Messina'
Battery F, s64th Field Artillery.
Tn. two who it is believed are NOR
tally injured are Frank Mcfarland, for
merly of the Hotel Margaret, Brooklyn,
now a private in Battery A, 305th Field
Artillery, and Eric Hammer, OF lZio
Madison Avenue. Manhattan, now in
tbe 26th Company. 1921 Depot Brigade.
Two women were also taken TO the
camp hospital.
Cause Not Determined
The cause Of the accident has not yet
been determined by the military au-
thorities who are making an investiga-
ton. According 10 the report OF the
commander of the military police de
tail stationed at the railway terminal.
IN empty passenger train backed into a
chain of empty freight cars standing at
he end of one of the sidetracks and
pushed four Of them over the bumper
=, the end of the rail down into the
crowd, which had just arrived on ex-
cursion trains from Brooklyn. ,
A minute after the cars had crashed
down into the crowd Of civilians and
soldiers dozen ambulances were
scurrying on their way to answer their
first business call. and the military
police had run out lines with celerlty
born Of the experience that most OF
them got when the uniforms they wore
,rere Blue instead of olive drab.
IN. bio policeman. late of the New
York force. was crouching TO peer I'M
der the truck that had leaped the
bumper.
"Here's another" he called.
Already a first man, who had been
found dead, in his new uniform, had
been carried away with blanket over
damned right under the wheels
went on the police observer.
cone Of his legs Is of-but he'll
never know 1t. poor Teller Must a
been killed on the second"
His Girl" Escaped
From under the wrecked boxcsr, faint
and weak. came the voice Of the New
York City divisions first hero.
"Wrong." IL whispered. 81 do know it
And then, having spoken for himself,
Frank Mcfarland, field artilleryman
moment before, began to talk about the
rirl She had been at his side when the
weight came down. She had jumped
from the platform Of the Brooklyn train
last into his arms, and she had held
tightly TO one Of them; had been hold
ing tightly still the last he knew. Now
where was she7
The lines that are written for heroes
70 speak are the trite ones. Mcfarland
had no mind TO improve on the book.
Don't bother about me-" he said.
The best thing you can do for me IS
10 tell me she's all right"
The one listener had been multiplied
into dozen. The artilleryman had
told his name and his regiment, and
through the crowd cry went up for
''McFsrland's girl" Maybe she was one
of the score Of woman who had tainted.
That probably was why she didn't
hear, and why she wasn't there when
hey finally got the car lacked up,
with hundreds back bent TO the job
and the fading voice from underneath
irving TO keep cheerful, and lifted the
Mcfarland girls body into an ambu'
lance, unconscious.
IA was hours before the body Of the
man who was killed had been iden
slhed.
while the body lay in the base hos
nital a youth, who didn't speak Eng
Ush very we'll, trudged over the CAM
N search of Joe Messina.
sNessina went up 70 the station e
meet his brother" corporal TOLD him
They must have gone home together.
no" said the boy. I'm Tony. In
his brother"
On chance they took Tony TO Thu
base hospital. There ne found an'
c-ulpingly identified, Joseph Messina
The man whom nobody else knew.
Military Inquiry Begun
There is already under way a mill
AIRY investigation of the accident which
cut short the happiness OF this eight
visitors day. Major General J. Frank
lin Bell, the divisional commander. ha
ordered that no statement other thar
those contained in the brief headquar
tcrs communication issued this even
ing be made until the board has il:
findings ready Tor publication.
To-nights Official report runs as fol
,ows:
By direction Of General Bell an in
rcStgation is being made by the mill
tary authorities into the circumstance,
Of the distressing accident at Cam
Upton terminal to-day Until that in
,estigation is complete no statement
can be made concerning the cause o.
the accident or the responsibility fOl
4. Lieutenant Henry s. Storms. WHIT
was in command Of the military polio,
detail az the terminal when the acct
dent occurred. reported that an emptl
passenger train backed into a chain o
stalled freight cars. which stood at th'
extremity or Track s. The impac
forced the freight cars into sudden mo
ton. and the end one smashed through
the buffer block and clear across tn
passage Nay. which at the time wa
,hronged with people. most OF whom
lad Just left a passenger train that ar
rived A few moments before on Track
One soldier was killed. three were Sc
riously injured and nine others wer
hurt badly enough to require attention
at the base hospital. Another soldie
vas slightly hurt. but did not requir
attention at the hospital. one woman
was injured and other WAS taken 4
the hospital suffering from shock.
Lieutenant Stems restored orde
among many OF the women passenger
who became EARNED and cleared thu
station promptly Of all other passen
gers. Ambulances carried the injured
10 the hospital as rapidly as they could
be extricatcd from beneath the trucks
Of the car. which had TO be overiurneC
IN order 10 get one OF the men out. As
FAR as can be asccrtained, the work OF
Transporting the wounded to the hos