The New York herald., 1921-05-31
Seven Cars Derailed at
Westchester Spur-Sig-
nal Tower Wrecked.
6 TAKEN TO HOSPITAL
Passengers Taken From
Tracks by Ladders as
Firemen Fight Blaze.
ONE CAR BLOCKS RAILS
PatroIman Donahue Allays
Panic and Puts Out Fires
in Coaches.
6 TAKEN TO HOSPITAL
ONE CAR BLOCKS RAILS

A seven car train of the Third Ave-
nue. Elevated Railroad, loaded with
passengers, jumped the track at
Westchester and Third avenues last
night shortly before $3.50 o'clock. The
first car became uncoupled from the
second and went up the Westciester
avenue spur as far as Bergen avenue,
where it again jumped the track and
turned half way around, blocking both
north and south bound tracks on the
Westchester branch. The remainder
of the train continued up Third ave-
nue. smashing a signal tower just
beyond the Westchester avenue cross
Ing, and then jolting along for several
Yards over the ties before it stopped
When il did few feet of the forward
part of the second car hung over the
elevated structure.
The train was northbound to Bronx
Park. and was filled with residents or
The Bronx returning home from
Staten Island and Brooklyn and lower
Manhattan Many of them are for
eigners. and practically every one IN
the six cars that went up Third ave-
nue. and the one car that went up
Westchester avenue became panic
stricken, 1T was all that the police
reserves from two stations and TWO
companies of firemen could do to keep
them in the cars until the power had
4, hi roi ii ", q de
harmless.
SIX Badly Injured.
When the excitement was over tns
Malice reported that the five ambulance
.urreons from Lincoln and Fcrdnam
hospitals had dressed the wounas oi
hetwcen fifteen and twenty persons. Six
we're so badly hurt that they were taken
to Lincoln Hospital. They are:
Hirsch Margolies. 4S5 East 172d street,
The Bronx, scalp wound and fractures
right leg.
His wife, Rebecca Margolies internal
injuries.
John O'Connor. IA East 1I4th street,
The Bronx, cut and burned.
James Tailman. 4ss Forty-sixth street
Brooklyn. burned.
Isidor sotland. SIS Fox street, Ine
Bronx. scalp wound.
Wolf spitzen. SsS East fs9th stree
cuts and possible fracture Of the leg.
or these, all but Sotland were pas
senrers in the second car OF the train
the first car of the six that continued
nm Third avenue. Sotiand is chauf-
fsur and was passing in his machine
along westchester avenue when the
Hrst car OF the train jumped the track
AT Bergen avenue and turned arounu.
A piece of metal fell from the elevated
structure and dropped upon MS neat
cutting the scalp and knocking him un-
conscious Physicians at Lincoln HOS
ni,al said last night that all of the
injured excepting Margolies and his
wife would be able to go to their homes
before morning.
The train was under the charge OF
Motorman William n. Murphy OF 1861
White Plains avenue, The Bronx. and
Conductor James Dermody OF 322 East
l1sd street. The Bronx. 1t left City
Hall at 1922 o'clock and reached the
l4eth street station at 500 Two min
utes later il pulled out for Bronx Park,
but had only reached the Westchester
spur when the first car was derailed
the violence of the plunge onto the ties
breaking the couplings between this
car and the second one of the train
As has been told. the first car went
or up Westchester avenue. while he
others went up Third avenue.
Passengers Panic stricken.
rhe messengers realized that there
lad been an accident because OF the
heavy bump when the train went off
tho track They became frightened ana
began screaming and shouting and try
ing to get out OF their seats. Before
sny OF them could get off the train.
where they would have been In great
danger from the third rail. the train
crashed into the signal tower and then
bumped along the ties for few yards
and came to a stop. BY this time the
short circuits formed had caused small
fires to break out in several OF the
cars, principally in the first two or
three. The flames spread to the ties
and had almost gotten beyond control
In the first car when Patrolman Ed
ward Donahus Of the Beach street sta
ton. who was on his way home, began
beating them with his coat.
Assisted by other men, Patrolman
Donahue went through the train, beat
ing at tho fires with his coat and shout
ing at the frightened passengers 10 stay
In the cars until the power had been
turned off. He went on down the track
to the 149th street station, where he no.
tined Police and Fire Headquarters.
Reserves from the Morrisania and Alex
ander avenue stations were sent. az were
Truck Company II and Engine Com
pany Al, under command OF Deputy
Chief Polling and Capt. Cunnin CHAM.
The fremen raised ladders TO tho ele-
waited structure, took lines Of hose with
them and put out the fires before any OF
them became dangerous.
The police climbed to the structure
and helped the injured and the badly
frightened down the ladders raised by
the fremen, while the other passengers
climbed down OF their own accord or
walked back along the tracks TO the
14sth street station. Meanwhile a de-
faot,,ur1 an c.rfb puor