New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-07-20
Slippery Rails Blamed for
Wreck at Grand Street
as Brakes Lock Wheels
but Fail to Stop Train
Wooden Cars Smashed
Swami and Joyce Start
Inquiry; Hylan and En-.
right Visit the Scene

A southbound Third Avenue elevated
train, sliding along wet tracks after
the brakes had locked its wheels,
crashed into another train just moving
out Of tho Grand Street station shortly
after noon yesterday. The wooden
cars were telescoped and eleven per-
sons were injured, including Michael
Moran, motorman of the second train,
who was found unconscious and i'm
prisoned In his compartment by fire
men who chopped through the wreck
age to him. Moran, who lived at 242e
Marion Avenue, the Bronx, died in St.
Vincent's Hospital last night. He did
not regain consciousness.
The collision halted northbound traf-
fic for an hour and half. Wrecking
southbound tracks were cleared.
Moran was the only victim to be
taken to a hospital. The other ten,
all passengers, were treated by am
bulance surgeons and went home.
District Attorney Swami and AS
sistant District Attorney Joyce hur-
ried to the scene of the wreck with a
party of stenographers and at once
started an investigation. Mr.. Joyce
said an examination Of the tracks
showed that Moran's train had slid
eight or ten feet after the brakes had
locked the wheels.
Rear End Crushed In
The rear car of the forward train
was battered to splinters by the i'm
pact, its side and roof being bulged
out, forming a telescope over the
forepart of Moran's car Mayor Hylan
and Police Commissioner Enright, who
were in Brooklyn at the time, arrived
shortly after the District Attorney.
Alter cursory examination Of the
wreck the Mayor said:
If they had steel cars this thing
would have resulted in little more than
severe shaking up. i hope the Pub
lie Service Commissioner will give his
time and attention to the wooden cars
instead of to two-cent transfers."
The first car of Moran's train was
we'll filled with passengers. Accord
ing to statements taken from some of
these by the District Attorney, Moran
applied his brakes, but they seemed to
be ineffective. When the crash ap-
peared inevitable the passengers rushed
to the rear platform and thus escaped
what might have been death or serious
injury.
Louis Jacobson, conductor of the
second train, said the brakes had func
toned properly when the train entered
and departed from the Houston Street
Station.
Investigation Tomorrow
Assistant District Attorney Jovce
said the investigation would be con-
tinued Monday, when officials and en-
ployes of the Interborough would be
summoned for examination. No sub
pRnas, however, were issued yester-
day afternoon.
A few seconds after the crash an
alarm of fire was turned in. An engine
and truck company responded, and
Deputy Chief Walsh ordered ladders
run up to the top of the elevated struc-
ture. The firemen then set about re-
leasing the motorman, Moran, who had
lapsed into Inconsistencies soon after
the collision, and rested on his CON
troller bar in the partly wrecked
drivers compartment. He was badly
cut by glass fragments. Thousands Of
persons who had preempted windows on
both sides of the street cheered the
firemen when they finally reached him
after three quarters of an hour of Wig
orous work with crowbars and axes.
Ten Passengers Hurt
The injured included:
Annie Lapidos, 871 East Seventeen
Street fifty-eight years old; Abraham
Horawitz, Allen Street, twenty-fou,
years old; Rose Frankel, 1902 Clay
Avenue, The Bronx; Joseph Engelbarth
1875 Clay Avenue. The Bronx, sixty-ont
years old; Cleo Frumvity, 1896 Bath
gate Avenue, The Bronx, twenty three
years old; George Weosky, 1856 Wash
ington Avenue, the Bronx, twenty year.
old; Charles Morrels, GAG East Twenty
seventh Street, twenty-four years old
Pearl Gershopsky, 3719 Third Avenue
twenty-five years old; Pauline Apple
baum, 1899 Bathgate Avenue, The
Bronx, twentyfour years old, and May
Ruther, sos Claremont Parkway, The
Bronx, twenty-nine years old.