Accident on Horse-Car of the Pelham Park Railroad Line in 1889

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During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a horse-drawn car line ran from the Bartow Station on the Branch Line to City Island.  An image of one of the horse-drawn cars taken from an early 20th century post card appears immediately below.

A surprisingly serious accident involving the horse-drawn car occurred in 1889.  There were allegations that the operator had been drinking, but an investigation concluded that he had merely driven the trolley recklessly.  An article about the accident appeared in the April 8, 1889 issue of the New-York Daily Tribune.  The article is quoted below, followed by a citation to its source.

"INJURED BY A CAR TIPPING OVER.
------
AN ACCIDENT THAT DISABLED SEVERAL OF A PARTY OF FISHERMEN FROM THIS CITY.

A curious accident occurred yesterday on the Pelham Park Railroad, which runs between Bartow Station and City Island, resulting in several passengers being severely injured.  The 7 o'clock train yesterday morning on the Harlem River Branch Railroad had eight passenger cars, which were heavily loaded, most of the passengers being bound for City Island for a day's fishing.  The train reached Bartow Station at about 7:30, when the several hundred passengers, all of whom carried fishing-rods and baskets, got off to take the horse-cars from Bartow to City Island.  Six ordinary horse cars and two large flat cars, used for carrying freight, were at the station ready to convey the fishermen to their destination.

From fifty to sixty passengers got on the flat cars, which started first and were drawn by teams of horses.  Most of the passengers on the flat cars had to stand up.  The first flat car, which was driven by Terry Ferguson, while rounding the sharp curve within a short distance of the City Island Bridge, was overturned.  The passengers were thrown in every direction.  While some escaped without injury, several were severely hurt and many were more or less cut and bruised.  After considerable difficulty the following persons were rescued from under the car:  Jacob Hafelfinger, No. 444 West Thirty-eighth-st., New-York, injured internally; John Hass, No. 266 East Seventy-eighth-st., cut over the left eye and face badly bruised; Louis Loine, No. 138 East Third-st., right eye badly cut and face bruised; Frederick Kaliski, No. 513 Ninth-ave., face and head badly bruised; Charles Grotz, No. 511 Ninth-ave., left eye badly cut and contusions about the face.

All the persons injured were able to return to their homes in this city on the 5:37 train in the afternoon, with the exception of Hafelfinger, who remained at the hotel, his injuries being of a serious character.  President W. R. Lamberton and Superintendent Underhill arrived at the scene soon after the accident occurred, and did all in their power to alleviate the sufferings of the injured.  Those officers said that they had made a hurried investigation and had found that although Ferguson might have been guilty of reckless driving, he was not under the influence of liquor, as had been reported."

Source:  Injured by a Car Tipping Over, New-York Daily Tribune, Apr. 8, 1889, p. 7, col. 3.

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1819 New York Statute Authorizing David Pell and Benjamin Underhill To Build Mills on Eastchester Creek in Pelham Manor

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In 1819, the New York State legislature passed a statute authorizing David Pell and Benjamin Underhill to erect a grist mill and a saw mill on Eastchester Creek in the Town of Pelham. The text of the statute appears immediately below, followed by a citation to its source.

"FORTY-SECOND SESSION.

CHAP. LVII.

AN ACT authorizing David I. Pell and Benjamin H. Underhill to erect Mills on the Creek between East-Chester and Pelham, in Westchester County.

Passed March 19, 1819.

Preamble.

WHEREAS by an act of the legislature, passed April ninth, eighteen hundred and five, there was granted to David I. Pell, Abijah Barker and Theodosius Hunt, the right to erect a grist mill and a saw mill, if they found it convenient, on the creek which divides the town of Pelham from the town of Eastchester, at or near a place called Fisher's landing, and near the turnpike bridge over the said creek: Provided, The same was erected within the term of six years after the passing of the said act: And whereas, The said grant has not been used for the purpose aforesaid; and the said David I. Pell, together with Benjamin H. Underhill, hath, by the petition of a number of the inhabitants of the towns of Pelham and Eastchester, prayed for a renewal of the grant, to be made to the said David I. Pell and Benjamin H. Underhill: Therefore,

Site of the dam.

1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That it shall and may be lawful for the said David I. Pell and Benjamin H. Underhill, and their heirs and assigns, to erect and build a dam and gristmill, and a saw mill, if they shall deem it expedient to build a saw mill, on the creek which divides the towns of Eastchester and Pelham, at some place near Fisher's landing, and near the turnpike bridge over the said creek; and that they shall procure, at their own expense, the necessary land for the said purpose, on each side thereof:

Proviso.

Provided always, and it is hereby enacted, That such mill dam shall not be higher than the surface of the salt meadows lying on the creek above the said dam; nor shall the said salt meadows be drowned or injured thereby: and that in all cases of such injury, the owners and possessors of such meadows shall respectively have their remedy at law therefor, against the said David I. Pell and Benjamin H. Underhill, and their respective heirs and assigns: Provided always, That it shall at all times hereafter be competent for the legislature to amend this act, so as more effectually to prevent any public or private injury which may result from the erection of the said dam.

Conditions to be complied with.

II. And be it further enacted, That in the erection of the before mentioned grist mill, (if placed near the said bridge or road) that then the water wheel shall be covered and hid from view: and when completed for grinding, the said David I. Pell and Benjamin H. Underhill, and their respective heirs and assigns, shall, and are hereby bound, to keep and maintain one good and sufficient run of stones, and a bolt, for the use and accommodation of the inhabitants of the towns of Eastchester and Pelham; and if two run of stones shall be erected in said mill, and the business of the country should require it, that then both run shall be employed for the use and accommodation of the inhabitants aforesaid, and to grind for them at the accustomed toll of the neighbouring [Page 63 / Page 64] mills:

Proviso.

Provided always, That if the said dam and mill shall not be completed within the term of three years, so that there be one good and sufficient run of stones and bolt ready for the use of the inhabitants of the said two towns, then the privileges hereby granted shall be null and void."

Source: Laws of the State of New-York, Passed at the Forty-Second, Forty-Third and Forty-Fourth Sessions of the Legislature From January 1819 to April 1821, Vol. V, pp. 63-64 (Albany, NY: William Gould & Co., 1821).

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