Year: 1879

FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE FoRrY-sEcoND STREET


AND SIXTH AVENUE sTATIoN-A PASSENGER


FALLS FROM THE TRACK AND FRACTURES HIS


SKULL ON THE PAVEMENT.


A fatal accident occurred yesterday morning at
the Forty-second street and Sixth station
the IL" road. As is known. the station the west
side of Sixth at Fortysecond street is the
downtown traffic. while that the opposite side is
for the accommodation of those going up town.
Thomas Wheeler did not appear to know this. for
as he came down Forty-second street he saw
train coming down town and ran up the stairs
leading to the station the east side of Sixth
avenue. After getting his ticket and going out
on the platform he discovered that the train was
the other track. He Mt once stepped down from the
platform which he was standing and attempted
to walk across of the narrow ties that help to
support the tracks. AS he got within reaching dis
ance of the of he clutched at the handle
of of the ne-ike gates and steadied himself for
a moment. Before he placed his feet on the tie
again the engine moved. and he carried several
feet only to be forced drop from exhaustion. He
fell between the two tracks. striking his arms in
falling. and struck the pavement below. Only
q few persons passing at the time,
but. as it was. his body nearly fell on the
heads of two pedestrians. crowd soon gathered,
policeman was summoned and word sent to
the Twenty ninth precinct station house in Thir-
tieth street. Aid was soon in attendance. and
Wheeler was taken to the New York Hospital in
Fifteenth street. The survived only few
hours after his terrible fall. During most of this
time he remained unconscious, and even in his
lucid spells could say nothing. He evidently suf-
fered the most excruciating pain, his fall he
had fractured his skull and sustained very severe
internal injuries. The doctors and attendants at
the hospital did what could be done to alleviate
the dying mans suferngs but at twenty minutes
past one o'clock he expired. He was brought to
the hospital at twepty-nine minutes past seven in
the morning


A GArEMAN's STORY.
That such an accident should occur and man be
guard on the platform of station would natur-
ally excite comment in the neighborhood, and last
night nothing else talked OF about Forty
street and Sixth avenue. HERALD reporter
cended the uptown station OF the road last evening
and encountered the night gateman.
"Do you know anything about the accident that
occurred this morning. the reporter inquired.
81 was not on duty. replied the man.


"Who was on duty?"


Il can't tell you."


"Cant you give me his name?"


"No he mightn't like it and will not give it.
will tell you all know about the accident though, as
have heard it from others who witnessed it, This
Wheeler came up those stairs that you have just
assembled bought his ticket and tried to get on the
down train that was on the other track. by that
station there. He walked right here walking
to about twelve feet from end Of the staton and
jumped right on the track. Instead OF landing ON
solid foundation on the track as he thought he
would, he fell the street below, and was killed.
That's all know about it,"


''Did he not try to catch the train?"


"No. think not; not according to the way in
which the story was told to me-.


~Who was on duty all this timer"


''The Gateman-but lie couldn't have prevented it:
at least he mightn't have been able to do SO. Why
had an accident here short while ago-the case
same circumstances attended that case, only she
had hold Of the train. couldn't have prevented it,
matter what had done.'


Nothing was known about the matter in the Thir-
tieth street station except the fact that the dead
killed by falling from the station and that
his name was Thomas Wheeler.


HOSPITAL.


At the New York Hospital the officers in charge
said the relatives OF Mr. Wheeler had been COM
municated with, and that the Coroner after making
post-mortem examination. had expressed the opin-
ion that death resulted from fracture Of the skull
1t further ascertaned that the deceased was q
bartender by occupation. but for two years more
had made trips on canal boats from New York to
Buffalo and back. He was employed in Buffalo for
eight months His brother and sister reside at
present at No. 60 Sixth avenue.


"He came down from Buffalo Saturday, )" his Sis
ter said to the reporter land had not him for
two years or more. He has been employed in
eral places outside of New York I cannot imagine
what induced him to do what he did. But surely
there must have been somebody there who could
have prevented his being killed. He his way
down town to join canal boat to go back to Buffalo,
where he had engagements that it was necessary he
should keep.


At the Office Of the company nobody was to be
seen. The reporter was however, referred by q
watchman to Doctor Shine. who. he said was in the
formation desired The Doctor was found shortly
sfterward In his Office in State street.
OWN FAULT.
He said he had instituted preliminary investca-
ton into the causes Of the accident and had salts
fed himself on one point-nameiy. that the mans
death was due entirely to his own act.


"Why, continued the Doctor cit was a most
foolish thing for the man to do. He must have
attempted such thing. He took the most
foolhardy Of all the methods there to cross"


'How SOP" asked the reporter.


..IIl tell you. On thA Forty-second street station
as well as on other stations it sometimes happens
For their accommodation lathed walk has been
constructed across the tracks at point about oppo-
site the gateman box. Instead of crossing by this
pathway this man ran away to his left and attempted
to walk across n narrow grder about six inches
wide. He clutched at the end Of of the cars Of
the down train. carried few steps and fell into
the street,


"Wherc the gateman?"


"He was not present when the accident occurred"


"But he Is supposed to be always present, is he
not?'


'wcll he wasn't there then. He had gone to the
closet in the waiting room and 1t was while he was
gone that the accident occurred


'what is his naneY'


''Charles L. Bateman. He made an official state
ment of the affair as soon as he heard OF it,"


How did he bear of itY"


"There were two other gentlemen who came up
the stairs with the deceased. They saw him clutch
at the train and saw him fall between the tracks.
As he fell one of them cried out MY God' and
shouted to the gateman that man had fallen to
the street. This was the first knowledge that Bate
man had Of the matter. He was too much dazed to
either say do anything. but when he recovered
his self possession he once communicated all the
facts to those in charge Of the main Office. every
station OF the road notices posted forbiddng
anybody doing what this man did. The company
cannot DO held responsible for every foolish thing
done by passenger.


Doctor Shine in closing informed the reporter
that the company had authorized him to bury the
body of the deceased If his relatives could afford
to do so. In proposing this. however, the company
did mean to concede that tho deceased lost his
life through the fault of the management or em-
ployes. They simply authorized its being done
act of charity.


A JUROR FINED.