Terrible Railway Collision.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume IX, Issue 1198, 24 February 1902, Page 4

Terrible Railway Collision.

Rescue Work Through a Street Manhole.

New Yoke, January E.

Terrible loss of life occurred today from a collision in the New York Central Railway tunnel in the 56thstreet and Park Avenue. This disaster is the worst that has happoned in New York for many years. The accident was caused by the inbound suburban train from White Plains crashing into the rear end of the South Norfolk express, which had stopped for a few minutes preparatory to entering tin/Grand Central Station at 42ud-street. The locomotive tore through the roar car of the express, which held over sixty passengers, of whom hardly one escaped injury or death. The next car ahead was telescoped, the passengers being severely shaken and several badly hurt. The passengers in tho other cars of the two trains.escaped injury. The rear car of the express was literally smashed into pieces by tho force of the collision, and debris was ssattered along the line mixed up with the dead and tho injured. To add to the prevailing horror, blinding steam hurst from the colliding locomotive and scalded tho victims, many of whom were pinned down by the wreckage and unable to escape. Some of the bodies were literally boiled. At the same time the wrecked car caught fire and some bodies were terribly burned and charred. The accident took place beneath a large opening which lights and ventilates the tunnel. Tho noise of the collision and the shrieks of the injured were heard by the people in street overhead, who turned on a fire alarm. Several fire engines, hospital ambulances, surgeons and a flarge force of police speedily appeared on the scene, and the work of rescue begun. GADDERS LOWERED. Ladders were lowered into the tunnel, and firemen descended to the wreck 35ft below. Fighting their way through the blinding steam they cut into the wreckage with axes and removed the injured, one after another and only after great difficulty carried them up the ladders, placed them on ambulances and conveyed them to the hospitals. Most of them were so wedged in by the debris that it was over thirty minutes before they could be reached. The work proceeded very slowly. Large quantities of water were pumped on to the blazing debris, and the flames were quickly extinguished, but many passengers were drenched with water. As a snowstorm was raging and tho weather was very cold they suffered intensely. A terrible scene was witnessed when the rescuers first descended. The locomotive of the suburban train was standing in the centre of the rear car, which was smashed into a shapeless mass. Woodwork, legs and arms were protruding from the debris, end the shrieks and groans of the injured and dying were heartrending. The huge boiler of the locomotive was wedged into the car. There was obsolutely no escape from the terrific heat. The whole tunnel was filled with stifling smoke steam from the iwo trains. AU lights had been extinguished, the windows shattered and the passengers panic-stricken. The doors of some cars were locked, and many passengers in escaping through the windows were cut and bruised and presented a distressing spectacle. Six priests entered with the firemen and went among the dying administering the last rite?. SIXTEEN BODIES REMOVED. Sixteen dead were eventually removed from the wreck, many being mangled beyond recognition, hif teen were men and one was a woman. Forty injured were taken to the various hospitals, and three died on the way. Many were suffering from broken legs and arms and others fractures and severe internal injuries. Nearly all the victims are New Y’ork business men and season-ticket holders. There were four hundred passengers on the suburban train and the express was similarly packed. The collision took place at 8.20 a.m.. at a time when a large number of trains are constantly passing through tho tunnel, bound to the city. Traffic had to be stopped for several hours. The cause of the disaster is uotyot definitely ascertained. The engine Uriver and fireman have been arrested. Many passengers declare to day that the smoke from passing trains made the tunnel so dark that it was impossible to see the signals. BA SSE NGE RS E X BERIENC ES. Some passengers in the wrecked car of the express relate awful experiences. Mr Richard Molincux, a Now York business man, who was badly injured, says : “ When tho crash came I was hurled from my seat and flung on top of tho seats in a pile of wreckage and stunned lor a few minutes. When I tried to move i found myself helpless. The heat from the boiler of tho colided locomotive was so great that it seemed to he burning mo up. Steam pourod from the whole boiler and filled the whole place. Tho cries of tho injured wore terrible. I suffered agonios until rescued, when I was hoisted into tho street and conveyed to tho hospital.” Miss Kathryn Colgan, a resident of Now Rochelle, says : “ I was in the rear car. Wo were getting ready to arrive at the station, when suddenly there was a to.-riblo crash, and tho engine literally ploughed through the car, lifting it in tho air, so that tho top grated against the tunnol. Tho ear seemed completely cut in two. The screams of the men and women being ground under tho engine, tho hissing steam and the cracking wood, and the twisting of iron, were terrible. A young man near me was almost crushed to a pulp. 1 was hurled over three seats. A man near me went insane and shook his fist at the collided locomotive ; tho next instant he was crushed to death. Near mo were tho bodies of tlireo men, terribly mangled. It was a veritable charnel' house. I was pmioned down unable to move, and suffering from fearful steam and beet. After an awful suspense the firemen arrived, blit it was fully half an hour before I was lifted out.” Mr,Cornelius Vunderbuilt, Hie millionaire. who is president of the New York Contral Railway Company, on lion ring of tho terrible accident rushed from his house, which is not far away, ami attempted to climb a (ireman’s laddrr, with the avowed intention of helping tho ambulance nteu,

On seeing the dead and dying lie was stricken with horror and sympathy, and in a voice broken with emotion ho cried out “ Oh, this is awful.” He was persuaded to retui n to the street, where he remained for somo time watching tho removal ol the injured in the midst of a blinding fall of snow. — Central News.