The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-08-25
CAR SHEARED IN
TWO CAREENIF'1
AGAINST WAL.
Scene of Wreck Is Busiest
Transportation Center In
the World
SPLIT SWITCH IS CAUSE|
Coach Becomes Steel Shroud|
For Mangled Passengers ID
Tunnel
SPLIT SWITCH IS CAUSE

OSn1AS WCAC CuA4SIluk 1IOIU lUJUIJO0
inflicted when crowded subway ex-
press train was torn apart and
strewed its human cargo along the
dark tracks under Times Square at
the height Of yesterdays homegoine
rush hour. Many Of the injured are
in critical condition, and It was
feared some may die.
w. +. Baldwin, q subway maine
tenance man, was held by police on
a charge of homicide, his ALLEGED
negligence in permitting the train 70
pass over . defective switch bein9
held responsible for the accident.
Four investigations were under
way today, with Mayor Walker s.
personal charge Of the city inquiry.
The subway train, . downtown oxs;
press packed with q typical 8 o'clock
crush OF homebound humanity, Wa
leaving the Times Square station
when the ninth car plun~~d sideways
on . switch and derailed.
Car Telescoped
It crashed into q supporting can.
crete wall, broke in two, overturned.
and was telescoped by the car behind
1t. The eighth car was also turned
over. Before the power could s.
shut oft short circuits had set fire
to the wreckage, and the terror 81
IRE was added to other perils Of the
l,SOO passengers.
Every ambulance and oil polico
reserves in the city were called Is
the rescue, and officials believed that
to quick relief operations was attrib.
utable the fact that the death list
was not much greater.
The train had been halted at the
Times Square station five minutes.
The delay was due to work on the
switch which. caused the accide-,
Inc train was jammed to capacity
1t pulled out Of the station.
Close to Station
Pulling slowly away from the D.
form, it quickly gained speed.
It neared Forty-eighth street, abou.
zoo yards from the station, there
came dull boom as the steel car
left the rails and crashed into the
wall.
what was that?" those on tho
station platform asked themselves.
Then . shrek, rising to q pitch of
terror which made those who heard
1t shudder, came out Of the darkuess,
A cloud Of smoke rolled back into
the station, throwing those on tho
crowded platform into q panic. ana
out OF the smoke cloud stag4ered
oiackened, bleeding victims Of tho
disaster.
Mayor Walker was one Of the firrt
city officials to arrive at the scene
OF the crash: Setting up headqusr.
ters at the Thirtieth precinct police
station, near by. he aided police and
lire department officials in expedits
ing the care Of the injured.
New York, Aug. 25.-R-At least
IA persons were killed in Z subway
wreck at the rush hour last evenine.
A statement by the police this inorns
ing put the dead ct eleven and thn
injured at 101. Later three Of ~
injured died. The statement Wa -
sued after hours Of confusion q q
the exact casualties.
The ninth car Of Z ten-car vaea
side subway train bound for Brock.
lyn split . damaged switch mar tha
Times Square station at 500 5. -.
and ripped through : concretc aup.
porting wall, breaking IN two . jt
struck. The scene Of the wreck r
the busiest transportation ceuter g
New York. perhaps the world.
The tragedy was the second worsaj
in the history Of the New Yort
Rapid Transit. Ninety-six peraona
were killed on November /. i0ia. r.
the derailment Of Brooklyn RapN
transit train running through a.
open cut in Malbone street, Brook.
iyn. On Sept. II, 1905, IL persona
were killed when IN elevated train
ran into an open switch at 63rd
street and Ninth avenue. and = ~
loaded with passenger scrsshed "a ~
street below. But never had there
been such . disaster in the subway
itself.
Last nights crash occurred on the
lire OF the 1nterborough Rapid Tran-
SIT company, advertised q eth
safest railway in the worlds snd
equipped with all modern safety az
vices. The train consisted of alf
steel cars. It carried about 1900
passengers.
The ninth car Of the train. thrown
against the concrete wall vas
sheered in two, half Of It careenino
200 feet down the dark tunnel atill
attached to the train before collap-
sing. : steel shroud for it, maneled
passengers.
The eighth car also turned oyor -
Il was dragged from the' trarI>hy
the weight Of tho ninth ear. r.
tenth car crashed On into tho wreck.
age but remained upright.
With the crash III but tn ouaor1-
ency lights on tho train went out nS
the scene was lighted only ~ tko1ol
dim bulbs and tho bluo 1loSsco
thrown of by tho third ro1l. olll1
circuitea 4 by ths tanslsd gtssl' te1l
0yAV nn-NA1 -. sAzN.@ zz 4 s. ks