Newsday from New York, New York • 7

lA 1 error in me Crane hits tram leavingpassengers swinging in car Photos by David Schaer A construction crane on a barge in the East River shown above in its down position hit a Roosevelt Island cable car yesterday Police inspectors below boarded the tram alter the accident which left passengers swinging 240 feet above the water By Graham Rayman and Dan Morrison KTAKK WKITKRS A construction crane on a barge in the East River smacked a Roosevelt Island tram cable car yesterday morning terrifying the Manhattan-bound passengers swinging in the car 240 feet above the water The crane working on a Queensboro Bridge renovation project struck the tram shortly before 9 am leaving at least 20 passengers swinging in the car which travels on a cable about 3 Vi inches thick There were several minor injuries: Herbert Feiwel 63 a stockbroker said he had just finished playing tennis and was daydreaming about his upcoming day when the crane struck the cab I heard a loud bang I got knocked down and I saw that the cab was swinging Feiwel said as he lay on a gurney at Bellevue Hospital Center yesterday morning thought here we go you know going Eleven people sought medical attention although none of the iqjur-ies were considered life-threatening officials said A police spokesman Deputy Insp Michael Collins said the crane had been lifting a generator up to the bridge roadway when the accident occurred was a miscommunication between the operators of the tram and crane who were using Collins said There was however much dispute about the cause of the accident and whether it could have been prevented Some passengers said the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp had eliminated a on the Roosevelt Island side that entailed monitoring the cabs as they moved But a spokesman for the operating company said that worker would not have been able to see above the river and that there was still a supervisor on duty on the Roosevelt Island side at the time Sources said the tram operator and the crane operator had been provided with walkie-talkies and were supposed to keep in contact while the crane was in operation The sources said the crane operator had disengaged a safety feature that would have made it impossible for the crane to swing into the path of the Please see TRAM on Page A31 Hour It Works The tram above the East River just north of the Queensboro Bridge is operated by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp a public benefit corporation created by the state in 1984 The operating system is composed of three cables: two track cables on which the trams glide and a pull cable The pull cable forms a loop that is pulled through by motors on Manhattan and Roosevelt Island allowing the tram car to move The cables are about 3V4 inches thick and are made of steel The tram cars are covered with a skin of sheet metal over a steel frame During the winter or periods of high wind 50-pound iron blocks are placed in the tram car under the seats to stabilize it Those blocks were strewn around the cabin in the tram car involved in mishap The tram system is staffed by a cabin attendant a supervisor a general manager token clerks and maintenance personnel Fare for the estimated 3000 riders each day is $1 50 one way The cabin attendant cannot vary the 11 mph speed of the trams except to throw an cy brake The speed is controlled by the supervisor on the Roosevelt Island side Graham Rayman Rangers games and events at Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden which the company controls But some analysts expressed surprise at the proposed combination of cable and electronics retailing a synergy there but not real said Murray Aren-son a stock analyst with Hoak Breedlove Wesneski The Wiz the largest consumer electronics chain with sales of $13 billion and Cablevision struck the deal yesterday when company repre- events and theaters as well as cable modems and other hardware that run its sprawling cable systems dynamic is got a whole bunch of products consumers are going to love" said James Dolan Cablevision chief executive referring to some electronic gadgets such as high -definition TV which are not yet on the market makes a lot of sense to us to be able to advance those products to our Dolan said Cablevision wanted an outlet for its products and services after the purchase is finished Wiz stores will sell tickets to Knicks and By James adore HTAKK WRITER Cablevision Systems Corp in a bid for more of New entertainment dollars yesterday offered about $95 million for the troubled Nobody Beats the Wiz electronics chain The deal would save the Wiz from liquidation and it came just hours before its main lenders cut off its funds Cablevision agreed to give the retailer $14 million to $16 million over the next month to keep it operating The proposed marriage will give Cablevision 36 stores from which to sell tickets for its sporting NEWSDAY WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9n i Cablevision Offers To Buy Wiz For $95M Please see WIZ on Page A31.