The sun., 1919-01-31
BIG STEEL CARS
WRECK WOODEN
Sd AV. u TRAIN
Girl Crushed to Death and
12 Others Hurt in Bronx
Rear End Collision.
MANY. NARROW ESCAPES
Express Moving Slowly, but
Impact Is Heavy; One Mo-
tOrman Arrested.

4 train Of steel cars moving slowly
northward from the 17%th street station
Of the Third avenue elevated line at the
busy hour last night hit the rear OF a
train OF wooden cars ahead, killing one
woman and injuring twelve other per-
IONS. Witnesses said the rear train had
attained a speed of hardly ten miles an
hour. The woman killed. Miss Elizabeth
Graf, 81, a stenogra pher OF 206S Crotons
avenue. The Bronx. was standing on the
platform OF the sixth car OF the head
train. She was crushed when the last
rar, the seventh. plunged forward under
Impact.
Edward Keegan. assistant to Frank
Hediey. general manager OF the Inter
borough. was at the scene of the wreck
within half an hour with Travis II.
Whitney and others of the Public Service
Commission
such things will happen" Keegan
raid. "Motorman Vogt of the rear train
thought the other train was moving
ahead faster than II was. and he mis-
Judged his distance. We can't always
be as efficient as we would like"
The two rear cars OF the head train,
which was operated by John r. Britt of
PISS Third avenue. were partly wrecked.
The trucks OF the last car were driven
forward under the sixth car. The de-
molished rear platform of the sixth car
was thrown two feet into the air. More
than eighty persons were in this car.
Except for two persons who were taken
10 hospitals, the injured were only
tlightly cut by glass.
Injured Expected to Recover.
Mis- Arden Pritchett, 24, OF 900 Oak
Tree place. The Bronx. and Joseph Ole
riede, an elevated guard. OF Is East
7ssth street. The Bronx, received frac-
lures and internal injuries, but will re-
cover.
After the shock OF the collision the
passengers made their way out of the
wrecked end cars as best they could. A
IRE alarm was turned in and ladders
we're run up to the elevated structure.
forty feet above the street. but none OF
the passengers used them. A great crowd
rushed up the steps Of the elevated sta
lions and It was necessary % call police
reserves to keep order.
Trafi1c above 149th street, the hub at
which the subway and elevated transfer.
twas held UP until after IL o'clock last
hight The resulting overcrowding on
the surface lines kept that section of The
Bronx in a hubbub.
The steel train which was responsible
for the collision was operated by Motor
man Alfred Vost. for nine years in the
Employ Of the company. His home Is at
e770 Manhattan avenue. He 10 30 years
pld. He was held IN $1,000 bail for
criminal negligence after an investiga-
lion by District Attorney Martin OF The
Bronx.
Passengers waiting TO take the ele-
waited train on the downtown side OF the
1s4th street station said they saw the
head train operated by Motorman Britt
pull out of the opposite station. 1t had
reached a poirt about $50 feet north
when the express following came into
the station and started on. 1t seemed
to them that there could not have been
force enough in the speed OF the pursuing
train TO cause the resulting damage.
Fails to Remember Crash.
Motorman Vogt was in a very agi-
ta ted state when taken from his box,
but was suffering from no injury. He
had been knocked to the floor. He was
unable to give District Attorney Martin
Il clear statement OF the accident, de-
clar;ng that beyond putting on power as
no left the 174th street station he had
10 recollection at all. Motorman Britt
81 the head train was relea sed as hav-
ing no connection with the accident.
Among those who were slightly IN
lured were Miss Blanche Rod. 81, of 24S9
Tisbout avenue; Baran Hartman. rs. of
lost Washington avenue. and Emma
Stokes. SO. of 279s Marion avenue, The
Bronx. After receiving treatment they
went home.
Ambulances from four hospitals re-
Sponded and fifty reserves under Inspec-
Tor Edward I. Walsh hurried UP to pre-
serve order. The street crowds. as soon
M they gained the elevated platforms.
rushed to the wrecked cars and began
frantically TO pull out those who they
believed had been seriously hurt. II was
With great difficulty that the police
pushed them back and cleared the tracks
The body of Miss Graf was taken 10
the Bathgate avenue police station and
later 10 Fordham Hospital morgue. II
was there that her brother, Frederick,
who had been worried over her failure to
return home. made the Identification
Every extra car of the Union Railway
Company was called into service to han
dle the street crowds after the elevated
inc had been put out OF operation. The
third track Of the elevated system was
blocked above the wreck with long lines
Of dead" cars. making 1t impossible to
use the rails for northbound service.