A History of Violence: A Look Back at 5 Defining Tragedies in Brooklyn’s Past
Malbone Street Wreck; November 1, 1918
So this remains a total, irrational nightmare of mine—the out-of-control subway wreck. And part of that fear stems from this century-old accident that resulted in the deaths of 93 people. Basically, this wooden subway was driven by an inexperienced conductor and took a turn that ought to have been approached at 6 mph at a much faster speed. The train derailed in a tunnel and while two of the cars sustained no damage (the conductor managed to walk away from the accident) three were severely impacted by the force of the crash, leaving dozens of people dead. This traumatic incident led to several safety overhauls in the subway system, the end of wooden subway cars, and the introduction of the name “Empire Boulevard” because no one wanted to get anywhere near Malbone Street after that. Which, understandable. Just think how bad it must have been for real estate. Ugh.
