Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-25
Steel Car Broken in Two as
| Train Hits Wall Of Tunnel.
, Cries of Hurt Bring Help.
| Traffic Is Halted.
SECOND WORST TRAGEDY
IN HISTORY OF TRANSIT
1.s0c Passengers Aboard When Ac-
cidert 0ccurs-Nayor Walker
Aids in Rescue Work-Motor-
man Held on Charge Of Homi-
cidc-Switch Blamed.
f. th> kSsoci ate6 Press

C3IF-1NttlU DtdAlCus
r. III, Associated Press.
NEW YORK. August 25-Fifteen
perSons were dead today end 90 others
were suffering from injuries inflicted
when a crowded subway express train
was torn apart and strewed its human
cargo along the dark tracks under
rimes SQUARE at the height Of yester-
sdav's home-going rush hour. Many OF
1.-THE injured are in critical condition and
1t was feared some may die.
w E. Baldwin. a subway maintenance
man. was held in $4,000 bail by police
on charge of homicide, his alleged
negligence in permitting the train to
kpass over defective switch being held
responsible for the accident
Four Investigations were under way
TO-DAY, with Mayor Walker IN personal
charge OF the city inquiry
The subway train, q downtown eX-
press packed with typical O'Clock
icrllsn Of llome-bound humanity, was
leaving the Times Square station VIleh
THE ninth car plunged sloeWiSe on
switch and derailed.
Hits Concrete Wall.
Il crashed into q supporting concrete
tprau broke III two. overturned, and was
ifelesroDed BIZ the car behind 1t, the
eiehth car was also turned over. Be-
fore the power could be shut off short
ictrcoits had set fire to the wreckage
and the terror Of fire was added TO otner
lperils OF the / 800 passengers
E7..z-zs ambulance end all Nn4fCe re-
serves in the city were called TO the res
enc and officials believed that 70 Quick
relief operations was attributable the
l1act that the death list was not mucn
lgreater.
Baldwin was arraigned on short at
fdsrit charging suspicion OF ncEnicloe
sworn to bv a detective, one Of three 70
SnoEn the signal man surrendered. Inc
iaffidavit read:
@That tdefendant) on the oath OF
August. while in charge of signal and
Igwitches in the Tnterurban RAPID
ITransit subway, did operate switch To-
lcated at Fortieth street and Seventh
lavenue In such cuipable and negii-
gent manner as to cause SAID sWltcn 70
shift. as the result Of which ninth car
Iof train was wrecked causing death OF
t15 persons and injuring 81.
Figures Differ.
The figures differed slightly in the af-
iTdavii from the official count, which
had Is dead and 80 injured.
While Baldwin was being arralgneo
nj Jefferson Market Court three sepa-
Irate investigations of the wreck were
f,r,der way. one by the transit commits
sion. one BY the Interborough Rapid
IvTransjt Co. and one by the district at
hor1ev assisted by the police depart
Irnent and reporting directly 10 Mayor
walker.
Al the arraignment Assistant District
EAttorney MCGOWAN, leading inquire III
tine city investigation, appeared as
IprosecuIor, and an l. r. z. attorney
Irepresented Baldwin Baldwin's counsel
lobiecteo 10 such high bail on the asser-
ton that if any crime had been COM
limited il was second~degree man
In his plea for lower bail. the law
yer said that Baldwin had been an
II. r. T. empIoye for Il years, a repair
man fof all but one year OF that TIME
land that ne had 30 years experience
$ q signal expert.
Notified of Switch.
Detective Gregory testified at the
l!learirg that Harry King, tOweTman al
Zines Square, notified BALDWIN Of the
defective switch about 4 $50 O'Clock and
s1nat BALDWIN, with helper went 10
tine switch and supposedly repaired IL.
BALDWIN Gregory said he had i0und
cut. successfully let an empty 10-caF
Train pass over the switch and then
'.leualle6 the mot0rnau Of tie train
which was later wrecked 10 go ahead
The tragedy was the second worst "a
TIE history Of New YORK Rapid Transit
ISinetv-slI persons we're killed NoYem-
Der j. 1913, IL the oeraiinent Of
Brooklyn Rapid Transit tram running
through an open cut III Ma!DoDe h(Eeet
rrookIyu. September il, 1903, ~ pen
hxgns were killeo and q injured, %hcr
an eieysteo train ran into an opef
switch al Fifty-tnird street and hinif
! svengJe. and a cal loaded with paascn'
! gers crashed 70 the street below Gu'
never had there been such disaster II
ithe subway Itself.
1890 Passengers Aboard.
last nights crash occurred on th'
7sYe ~ Inc InteY0oTough Rapid Transi
&c. advertised as the safest railway II
7ne world and equipped with all moo
era safety devices The tram CONSISTED
of au-steel cars Il carried about 30
passenger
me ninth Ger II the train, thrown
against Ire concrete YAH. Wa aneaTef
3n two. half u Il careeulng 200 Zee
Gown l!4- GnEE tAf}lAE3 D@3DAF A4yA4os$~ =
steel saroQd f1I. IT, mangled pasaen
EeTg.
The eighth car also turned oven 3
Il Was dragged from the track ~ la
weight O Ii4r ulnlh Cal. The tenth ca
CRASHED 81 into tne HFecka8e DH ~
uuAlled upright
with tHe crash aA but tie enefRcnc
lights on the Train Went out ana tA
scene Waa Lighted only By those Cir
bulbs ard the blue flames thrown 81
u. the tnsfd rail sil0ft -citcllted ~ VA
tangled steel thrown across a.
There On the aoot on the tunnel "er
4nq two crushed cars, from whose Nin
3eXs came the means NJ The desperate
n injured while those stlll able 70 moy
screamed a. they fought 10 get throu8l
lie ebattered windows,
Struggle 10 Escape,
In the upright cars ot the train nt3
women and children @ere struggling e
hrrak ouf ~ the windows ane f5fay
frera pegll they only %"a@@d a.4E.
=, faorn s~3f etyn RI it @H Ea'% ?
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