The New York herald., 1870-12-17
THAr ROTTEN BAY BRIDGE.
Catastrophe ON the Jersey Central
Railroad.
Locomotive Jumps the Track Into Six Fam
oms Of water-0ne Man Drownsd-Mirseu-
lous Escape Of tho Engineer, Bridge
Tender and Hundred Passengers
Where the Blame Properly
Belongs.

Among other things that Jersey IL becoming NJ
nous and notorious FOR IL the number ana character
OF railroad accidents that within her borders.
II Is not yet week since the HERALD exclusively
recorded the verdict OF cororner's jury at Newark,
censurng the Morris and Essex Railroad for gross
negligence ana carelessness, whereby respectable
citizen and manufacturer OF Newark lost his life,
and now comes for consideration another disaster.
which exposes chapter or reckless and
ADsoLuTELY CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE,
such as is scarcely record, the immediate conse-
qnences OF which, though serious are happily
triflng compared with what they might have been
but Tor yeritabe interposition OF Providence On
Thursday night the regular quarter to ten Y. NJ pas
senger way train left Elizabeth for New York drawn
by the locomotive "New York" The engineer was
David Malone and his fireman Henry Cooper The
train
REACHED. ALL RIGHT,
the near end OF the bridge and passed along safely
for several hundred yards. The bridge, II Will be
remembered is nearly tn hree-quarters OF mile long.
stretching across Newark bay at about its widest
point so that the gale, which was then blowing from
the norhward, had full sweep against It's broadsde.
II runs east by north and west by south. Previous
Which, fortunately. he did. The train reached tue
draw, when the locomotive jumped the track and
PLUNGED OVERHEARD
into thirty feet OF wafer Kissing ana snorting and
dragging the poor fireman TO MS watery grave.
Malone, the engineer, broke through the window of
to keep anoat and reach the bridge. The bridge
tender was also carried away with a portion OF the
rotten structure but was saved. happily. With
WONDERFUL PRESENCE OF MIND,
and heroic spirit worthy OF the finest gold medal
In the country. brakeman perceived the danger In
time to permit his snatchlng the coupling bolt from
the tender and forward car and thus saving the
passenger cars from being dragged over with
the locomotive with their large number OF
PRECIOUS HUMAN FREIGHT.
To truthfuiy depict the scene among the passen.
gers at the time OF the occurrence, with thoir
banched cheeks and blood almost frozen with fear,
with tender females driven frantic anu strong men
literally leified, would be extremely dliicut Those
on board declare 1t was moment with which all
the fears OF lifetime seemed to be concentrated
Rumors OF the affair reached Elizabeth late at night
and occasoned the widest possible excitement, the
prevalent story being that the entire train had gone
overheard and occi islonsd
AN IMMENSE LOSS OF LIFE.
As might naturally be supposed. traffic is entirely
Interrupted No trains can pass over the bridge,
nor ls t likely any Will for some time TO come. Yes
terday despatch was received at the Market street
depot IN Newark from the Central Railroad people,
asking If the New Jersey folks could take care OF
railroad officials nave no idea OF being able to patch
up the break In less than that time.
constructed OF cast iron. Experienced railroad
men, stated Yesterday that had u been made Of
wrought iron instead of cast no such accident could
have occurred. The most reliable
THEORY OF THE DISASTER
is that the bridge, being rotten and shaky, swayed
heaviness OF the gale, and SO disolnfed the
tracks at the draw. In course OF conversation on
the subject last .ycning an experienced gentleman
said To q HERALDi representative: "That bridge Is
fairly eaten up with the worms In some places, SO
that 1t Is honey-combed. Instead OF the abutments
being OF stone they are simply wood plng, which
the worms and the velocity OF the current eats
away. For long time past the company have been
doing their best to
PROP UP THIS CHEAP BRIDGE
| by throwing overheard large quantities Of stone.
All the good these did was To destroy the channel
for navigation, that the east draw for long time
| has been entirely useless. Why, sir, short time
age q schooner ran into the draw and damaged the
bridge that 1t cost over $1,000 900 TO repair it,
easily is the rotten thing put out OF order. You
! think rightly, SIR, 1t Is criminal outrage on
the travelling community to expose them to such a
| danger. viii be glad II the HERALD VIII snow the
matter up In lrs true light"
/ THE BRIDGE WAS BUILT
IN 1854, and prior to that time the directors fol
lour consecutive meetings, agreed that plan to
build substantial bricge was the best Finally,
however, the cost was deemed too great and the
present structure was built
THE BODY or THE FIREMAN
had not yet been recovered at last accounts but
VIII probably have been ere this is pu oIsled The
accident occurred the Hudson county siue or the
bridge, 80 that the authorities there will nave
opportunity TO Investigate the matter and place
the blame manifestiy where 1t belongs.