Year: 1879

| DETAILS OF THE ACCIDENT TO MATTHEW sMELr
AT THE FIFTIETH STREET STATION OF THE
NINTH AVENUE "L"--THE VICTIM IN A PRE-
CARIoUs CoNpITIoN--LIaIITED AccoMMoDA-
TIoNs FOR PASSENGERS.


|. The unfortunate man. Matthew Smelt who fell.
last Thursday night. from the Ninth Avenue
Elevated Railroad at Fftieth street. still alive
up TO q late hour yesterday. though suffering in
tense agony from his injuries He lies at Roosevelt
Hospital. DIR. Hunt. the house surgeon, said that
the old mans chances of life slim indeed. He
suffers from o compound fracture of the forearm.
duplicating the elbow joint also fracture OF the
neck of tho ''fcmur'' His is badly fractured.
and he has sustained serious internal injuries from
which it is doubtful If he


Upon visiting the Of the accident the spot
ON the street track where the man had fallen
from the platform above pointed out by the sta
ton agent This official said it the first mshap
that had happened there. At this point there is
very small station house on the west side of the
street. Here the passengers going both up and down
town must take their stand and if there be more
than.a couple scores of them they are huddled to-
gether like sheep in pen. To reach the uptown
track travellers have to cross the downtown rails.
On the east uptown side OF the track there is
station house OF any kind. The iron pillars
there but preparations visible for the build
ing Of q station house


NARROW PLATFORM.


TO reach the trains going up town passengers are
compelled to the rails to narrow platform
erected the west side of the uptown track. This
platform is about the length of car and half. so
that train composed of two more carriages when
lying alongside would be longer than the entire
landing place. On this account passengers have to
get on and off the by the central gates In
addition to being very short the platform is OK
half feet in width On this small gangway
people getting off the cars have to 5ostle
nm MT red nv
while side is the engine waiting for the signal
to start, and the other the approaching train
below Forty fifth street. The station master has
just time to snout ''Look out for the locomotive'
bors Of the same party, leaving some of them
side and some on the other Of the footpath across
the line. There is iron railing ut the back OF the
platform. the OF which. intended to protect the
north end of the platform reaches to within about
eight inches Of the side OF the car.


The station agent made, yesterday, a statement as
to how Mr.. Smelt received his injuries 1t appears
that the latter who lives at Eghty-second street and
Ninth avenue entered the car at Houston street. on
his way home. Upon reaching Fiftieth street, at
about quarter to eight o'clock. he got out of the
to allow some persons to pass out. A passenger
went in front Of him and he stepped away from the
train, taking hold Of the platform rail as he did
The passengers were all off, the gates were closed,
the bell was pulled and the started. Mr.. sme
allowed the first car to pass him and jumped for the
gate of it or forward one Of the next car When
he was about to spring the gateman cried out to
him not to jump. but it was too late. He
sprang forward and caught the gate with Arm





Of the platform. Possibly the poor man might have
been rescued from his terrible position but for the
arm of the railing at the end Of the platform, which
caught him as he passed and crushed him cruelty
against the side Of the The train dashed on.
and he was precpitated headlong to the street be-
low with scarcely the breath OF life left The sta
ton agent went to the bleeding mans aid and had
him taken into the saloon the east side of the
way. at Fiftieth street.


CHOKING WITH BLOOD.


II found him choking with blood" !" said the sta
tion agent. HE lay between life and death on the
barroom floor. He was hardly able to tell his name
and residence. He asked to be turned over on his
right side, and had that DONE"


The railroad official had Mr.. Smelt taken to the
hospital by the ambulance under the charge of two
police officers, as soon as possible.


The bartender in the saloon said :-'You that
platform is too small altogether


The man also stated that there being little light
the dangerous landing place, which just Overlooks
his door. passengers could only see with any de-
gree Of clearness by the aid Of the street lamp, the
light of which is partially cut of from the platform
by the train,


Upon hearing the thud Of body lighting on the
street OF the passengers the Is reported
to have called conductors attention fact,
had dropped off, The train backed down from
Fftyrst street TO learn the nature the accident
In doing this it is said Of the conductors had
his hand injured.


The station agent explained the manner Of
preventing accidents on his part. He pointed
to the narrow outlet by which people
were to and the line. EDO
you that man?' said he. "Wcll, o man is
always stationed there. II any attempts to
cross when the gate is shut he is forcibly pre-
vented"


The "gate" hardly three feet high and about
as wide. The official continued:-"And il any one
is seen attempting to jump we knock him down.
he may be hurt. but his life is saved"