Evening star., 1928-08-25
15 KILLED, % n HURT
IN SUBWAY CRASH
Steel Car Broken in Two by
ImpaCt-0ne Man Held
in Probe.
CONTINUED from First PaeoN

CONTINUED from First paee>
to the floor Of the cars. On the street
above excited throngs milled about IS
all available fire ana ambulance equip
ment Of the city came rushing to tie
scene
Nurses and doctors grouped thr"-
selves about the kiosI;S rs the police
and flremen and many volunteer help
crs carried out the dead and injured.
Some bodies were mangled almost BE-
yOnd recognition. Those VINO could
walk we're led from the stalled train TO
the nearest exists and helped to The
street All the power ON the West Sfde
line was shut off and many other trans
were stalled between stations, their cT-
cited passengers adding TO the con-
fusion which extended up and down
the subway for miles.
Emergency electric light lines WEI
strung from street connections and
searchlights played over the smashed
cars The big lights picked out several
terrified passengers clrglng IN the
sides of the two overturned cars. TOO
paralyzed by fright to move or maHs
a sound.
Torches Cut Steel
Acetylene torches were brought into
NAV for cutting away the tangled stec'
of the shattered ninth car. All OF 't''
dead and critically injured were eitl9"
in this car or the eighth car.
Hamrered by the smoke and dJa-
which sWirled about them. the rescue
workers entered the cars and carried
out those who. either killed or rendered
unconscious, still lay IN the shattered
cars
In one end Of the ninth car fho"
found the body of a baby, dccapltafe1.
and that of n woman, almost all fns
clothing stripped from her body by t1e
rush of Injured and uuinjured passcr1-
gers seeking to escape from the
shambes.
Above on the street police who had
been rushed TO the scene from other
precincts fought with the rapidly IN
creasing crowds to clear the streets 10
let the ambulances. loaded with ther
burdens of dead and dying, through TO
the hospitals. Police lines were eStab-
lshed and all traffic cleared from the
streets for several blocks.
Other police were rushed to other
subway stations where the hOne-gOlng
crowds fought TO get into stations al
fpdON
knowing what was causing the delay.
All stations were cleared and thou
sands forced 10 take elevated lines,
street cars and cabs home. Some
walked. The extra burdens placed on
the other lines taxed them to capacity
and for hours after the accident street
cars and elevateds were still crawling
along. delayed at every station by the
pushing. showing crowds.
Emergency crews were rushed in to
the subway to clear away the Wreckage.
They were forced to literally cut the
crushed cars away piece by piece and
push them out 10 the station on hand
cars.
At 1:10 O'Clock this morning. eight
hours after the accident, traffic was re-
sumed on the local tracks. which run
parallel to the express track on which
the accident occurred.
Mayor Walker was one Of the first
city officials TO arrive at the scene OF
the crash Setting up headquarters at
the thirtieth precinct police station
nearby. he a;dSd police and fire de-
partment officials in expediting the
care of the injured.
When the motorman of the train
which was wrecked was slow III ap-
pearing. he threatened Frank Fl. Hedley.
president of the Interborough Rapid
Transit. with arrest unless the man
was produced. Later. Frank McCor-
! mack, the mororman, Henry King. the
! switchman, and w f. Baldwin. main
| tenance man. who had been working
/ on the switch. were found and taken
! 10 the thirtieth precinct station. where
| they were questioned for several hours.
| Baldwin later was arrested on a honl-
| eide charge
! Police Commissioner Warren took
! charge Of police forces and started his
own investigation. The mayor said he
would not carry ON his investigation
I until he had received all the reports
from Police and Fire Department off,
cials.
Construction Stands TEST.
The mayor said he found some con-
ISOLATION, terrible as the wreck was In
! the fact that the structural construc-
ton OF the subway stood the test
despite the hattering it was subjected
to by the crushing impact OF the
wreck
To avoid possible cave-in. however,
neW braces were placed near where the
accident occurred
When the accident occurred the rush
hour of the evening was under way.
with millions of New Y0rk'S workers
thronging the SubwayS to get home
The train had been halted at the
Times Square station five minutes. The
delay was due To work on the SWi-cn
which caused the accident The train
was lammed to capacity as il pulled cut
of the station
Pulling slowly away from the platform.
1t quickly gained speed. As it neartd
Fortieth street about 200 yards from
hsS eFu
the steel car left the rails and crashed
into the wall which separates The
tracks.
What was that those on the Sta~
tion platform asked themselves Then
shrek. rising to pitch Ot terror
which made those who heard il Shlid-
der came out OF the darkness. A cloud
of smoke rolled back into the station
throwing those ON the crowded platform
into panic. and out of the smoke
cloud staggered blackened, bleeding VIC
Tins OF the disaster
detective on a northb0und train
which had lust passed the scene Of the
wreck sprang from the car and dashed
mp the steps 10 pun the lever on both
the fire and police alarm boxes
Policemen stationed along Broadway
and Seventh avenue also had heard
that duN far away boom, and DESERVING
their posts, rushed into the crowded
station and started herdtng passengers
cut
In The dim hight OF the overhead
vents, the sparks from the third rail
and the Sickly cleaning emergency
lights police and tiremen, Who we're
quickly throngIng the tunnel. saw In.
enormity of the task ahead Of them.