Year: 1873

An accident occurred yesterday afternoon on the
elevated railroad, at the corner OF Nineteenth
street and Ninth avenue, which, but for the pres
ence Of mind OF the engineer and fireman OF the
train, might have been attended with fatal conse-
qlences 1t was the first accident OF the sort
which has occurred on the road, and as the story
will tell, suggested the idea at once OF having
escape folding ladders attached to the cars that
the passengers may have an available means Of
descending to the sidewalk In any peril0us emer-
gency. The train which left the Bowling Green
station for Twenty ninth street at half-past four
O'Clock had two cars, drawn by dummy engine
No. 2.


THE CARS WE'RE CROWDED


even to standing room. The train reached Twenty
ninth street in good time and soon after started
to return with about twelve passengers on board.
When near the corner of Nineteenth street and
going at tolerabie speed the feed pipe OF the en-
gine burst, and the connecting rod breaking of
pierced through the boilers let out great guam
tity OF steam and spread CONSERVATION among the
passengers. The woodwork caught nre, but the
flames were soon extinguished. In the meantime
the train came to q standstill,


CLOUDS OF STEAM


filed the neghborh0od, and crowds OF people col
lected at the corners and In all the doorways and
windows OF the houses around


The passengers retreated precipitately to the
last platform OF the last car from the engine ex-
pCCtiiB INDIVIDUALITY JcTTlble cApioSlOns 1ncTe
was no way of escaping, however, except by ven
turing feat as difficult as walking a tight rope
that OF propelling oneself along single, slippery
rail- distance OF seventy or eighty feet, to the
corner on the south side OF Nineteenth
street One OF the most intrepid among
s@ssnss lady panty a@onS er wsS se
of from the train amid the cheers of the people
below and though he appeared every instant on
the point OF teppng over he reached the corner in
safety and jumped over on a friendly awning, up
which he clambered to window, where


THREE BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADIES,


with outstretched arms, received the daring youth
and "klssed him for his mother" Two more
followed his example and escaped in safety, but the
rest Of the passengers had by this time become so
cold the car doors being wide open, that they
shvered from head to foot and were afraid to trust
themselves to venture on the slippery rail. Had
there been any ladders on the train all could have
reached the sidewalk In few minutes but as 1t
was those who were without the nerve to risk their
necks In something like tight-rope performance
twenty feet above the street. had to


STAY AND SILVER
till they were benumbed. Finally ladder was
brought, but 1t reached only to the level of the
track and there was some danger in lowering one IS
self down from the platform OF the car to the
top OF the ladder. The case of the lady was
pltiable as she was compelled, by her sense OF
modesty, to remain till nightfall before she At
tempted the descent. The policeman and others
around thought 1t good fun to make jokes at the
expense OF the one hapless female passenger who
was left alone by all her male companions in mis-


THE FIRE WAS QUICKLY DRAWN


from under the boiler after the feed pipe burst or
else tue TRAIN RuC nave been burned III 1t had not
been previously thrown Off the track by
an explosion. This accident suggests the
necessity Of having folding ladders, which can at
any moment be let down to the sidewalk
In case OF an accident like this which has just been
related. Three hours passed before the disabled
engine was In q condition to be removed. The en-
gineer attributes the accident to the action OF the
rOst, and says such q thing is liable to occur to
any engine. The passengers declare they would
much prefer being on railroad, under similar cir
cumstances, where there was some back door for
escape. 1t was


STRANGE PIECE OF rNprrrEnsNcE


on the part OF the pair Of policemen who were on
the corner of Nineteenth street when this thing
happened not to bring ladder at once and rescue
the passengers. To them and to the drivers or the
Ninth avenue street cars and all the blackguards
excellent joke the train with all its living freight
had come tambling down on the Sidewalk II
should be stated that both fireman and engineer
stuck gallantly by the engine though enveloped IN
steam and scalded about the face and hands.